Description
Olaszrizling is Hungary’s most widely planted white grape variety and is grown in practically every Hungarian wine region (with the exception of Tokaj). One of the wonderful things about this often overlooked grape is that it shows a different face in every region where it’s planted, really picking up on the characteristics of its terroir. So this Olaszrizling from the northeastern Eger region is very different from, say, the better-known styles that you’ll find around Lake Balaton. Grapes for this Olaszrizling come from 24 year old vines in Eger’s Ácsok vineyard. Grapes were harvested in mid-October, which contribute to the really ripe fruit flavors in this wine. Not as acidic as your typical Olaszrizling, this wine is fairly full-bodied and creamy. It’s floral and fruity, with flavors of over-ripe peaches and apricots, acacia, honeysuckle, and honeydew melon. It has a sweet nose, but is an absolutely dry wine, with none of the almondy bitterness that the Olaszrizlings from Balaton can have. This is a substantial wine, but not heavy. It’s very food-friendly, and is great with ripe or aged cheese, veal Parmigiana, or Hungarian dishes like stuffed cabbage and stuffed peppers. Havas & Timár is a small winery, founded in 2011 by two longtime friends, with just 1.5 hectares of their own vineyards. They buy the rest of their grapes from local growers, with the quality strictly controlled. Only 1,250 bottles of this wine were made.
