Description
Kékfrankos is Hungary’s most planted grape (the same variety as Austria’s Blaufränkisch, grown primarily in the Burgenland region). The grape takes on riper and rounder characteristics in southwestern Hungary, in the warm climate region of Villány (just next to the Croatian border), where this wine comes from. Villány is widely regarded as Hungary’s premier red wine region. Down there, more notes of black currant, blackberry, and black cherry appear, complementing the grape’s more typical notes of fruits like raspberries and currants. This wine was made from a very low yield of perfectly ripe grapes, which were manually harvested on October 5 and then hand sorted. The wine was aged in second-use 225-liter Hungarian oak barrels for 12 months. It has a deep ruby-purple color, with intense aromas and flavors of sour cherry, black cherry, blueberries, dark chocolate, potpourri, and a touch of oak. It is juicy, fresh, and full on the palate. The limestone soil brings an enjoyably zesty acidity to balance the wine’s intensity, with smooth tannins and a very long finish. This wine was the winner of the Kékfrankos category in the 2019 edition of the “100 best Hungarian Wines,”’ and it took first place in Hungary’s National Kékfrankos Competition. It’s delicious when paired with stews, game dishes, and lamb.
