Description
The southern Hungarian region of Szekszárd, with its predominantly loess soils, is synonymous with the Kadarka grape, which is often dubbed ‘the Hungarian Pinot Noir’ and can (like Pinot) be a tricky and temperamental grape. Nevertheless, with some serious tender loving care, such as from the savvy and attentive hands of winemaker Péter Vida, it is capable of making wines that ooze charm, class, and unique character. This wine was made from a very low yield of grapes, which were hand-harvested from 100-year old Kadarka vines from the Lisztes-völgy vineyard, which miraculously survived the mass production philosophy of the former regime. It was aged for 17 months in steel tanks (since oak can overwhelm the varietal character). It has a very pale ruby color, with vibrant aromas and flavors of rosehips, ripe strawberries, raspberries, red currants, and black pepper. It has light tannins and a tingling acidity on the playful palate. This is a very light-bodied wine with restrained alcohol. It’s spicy, yet very elegant, airy, and ethereal. It is highly distinctive, with old vine depth and complexity. It is great with all manner of spicy dishes, including curry, as well as duck, lamb, and veal. In Hungary, it is often paired with a paprika-infused fish soup, and would go beautifully with any paprika heavy dishes.
