Description
Since it isn’t very commonly found in Hungarian wine stores and restaurants—and almost impossible to find outside of Hungary—it will probably come as a surprise that Portugieser is one of Villány’s most planted grape varieties. This grape has a long tradition in the region, and produces easy-drinking, spicy, and somehow rustic reds, which are mostly consumed locally by the field workers. The Portugieser grape used to be called Kékoportó. But its name had to be changed when Hungary joined the EU in 2004, since it was similar to a protected product of a member country: Port wine from Portugal. However, this grape variety has no link to Portugal. It is believed to come from Austria or southern Germany. Portugieser was probably brought to the region by the Swabians who re-populated southern Hungary after the Ottoman occupation. This Organic Selection Portugieser comes from four prestigious vineyards: Csillagvölgy, Fekete-hegy, Konkoly, and Ördögárok. This wine was fermented in stainless steel tanks, followed by four months of aging in used 5,000 liter oak casks. In the glass, this Portugieser has a beautiful opaque purple color. On the nose, it has flavors of juicy cherries, violets, sweet spices, and a hint of animality. It has 11.5 percent alcohol, gentle tannins and acidity, and a cocoa powder-like finish. This is a refreshing red wine that pairs perfectly with charcuterie (and even pepperoni pizza) or something as simple as a grilled cheese sandwich.