Ördögárok Villányi Franc – Gere Attila Pincészete
Cabernet Franc has come to represent the Villány region. This variety is so strongly attached to the region that, if it is produced in a Premium or Super Premium style, it can not even be labelled as simply Cabernet Franc. It becomes a Villányi Franc. The region’s love affair with the grape goes back to the beginning of the 2000s, when the late Michael Broadbent (a Master of Wine), visited the region. After tasting all of their wines, he wrote an article in Decanter magazine declaring that Cabernet Franc had finally found its home in Villány. Villány’s appellation system, DHC (Districtus Hungaricus Controllatus), distinguishes three levels of quality for the wines of the area: Classicus, Superior, and Super Premium. This wine is a Super Premium, which is a category created exclusively for Cabernet Franc. It requires grapes to come from extremely low-yielding vineyards (maximum 35 hectoliters/hectare) and to undergo at least two years of aging (including one year in oak barrels). These grapes were sourced from the Ördögárok vineyard, one of the most highly regarded in the region. Ördögárok means “basin of the devil” because it is a south-facing basin, surrounded by mountains in a way that traps the warm air arriving from the Adriatic sea. This vineyard produces the region’s most concentrated, rich, full-bodied wines. With an extremely low yield of only 25 hectoliters/hectare, this concentrated wine bursts with aromas of violets, juicy blackberries, chocolate, and cocoa powder. On the palate, it is a full-bodied wine (14.5 percent alcohol) with hazelnut, blackberry juice, and floral flavors. This wine can benefit from some additional aging, but it is also very delicious right now. Steak with a spicy, peppery sauce can be a great pairing, as well as charcuterie, or spicy jam.
12,990 Ft
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*Prices shown include Hungarian VAT (27%). Final prices are calculated based on the VAT of your shipping country.
The Villány-Siklós region lies near the Croatian border and because it’s the warmest of Hungary’s wine regions, it’s often called the “Mediterranean of Hungary.” Known as one of Hungary’s prime red wine region, it specializes in Bordeaux varieties and some local varieties, such as Portugieser and Kékfrankos. There are 11 villages in the region, with the village of Villány itself being the focal point. It’s a quaint village, and its strong Swabian influence is evident in its neat main drag lined with traditional whitewashed wine cellars where the wine always flows. Villány steals the spotlight from Siklós, which is to the west, the part of the region specializing in whites such as Olaszrizling, Hárslevelű, and Chardonnay.
Villány was one of the wine regions which re-started the earliest after Communism fell. In the mid-1990s a slew of modern wineries were built, vineyards were re-planted, and families which had been making wine for generations could once again share their wines with the world.
The region’s success was an essential part in the re-building of the Hungarian wine industry as a whole. Hungarian tourists flocked here to spend wine-fueled weekends at the charming winery-owned pensions, and soon the word spread internationally. For wine tourists, it’s a great place to visit, and many of the wineries run their own inns, hotels, and restaurants.
Villány’s signature grape is Portugieser (formerly called Kékoportó), and Kékfrankos is also widely planted. Kadarka—a native variety that was the most widely planted red grape in 19th-century Hungary, but wasn’t suitable to mass production during the Communist era —has also been re-planted in areas.
Much of Villány’s wine is made with internationally known grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Pinot Noir. It has become clear over the past two decades of experimentation that Cabernet Franc is the super-star of the region. Tasting premier single varietal Cabernet Francs here (which winemakers have dubbed “Villányi Franc” to help with the branding) is pure pleasure. Cab Francs from Villány have received rave reviews from wine critics, and have won prestigious international awards.
Attila Gere is an iconic figure of Hungary’s wine scene. He established the Gere Winery just after the regime change in 1991. Gere is not only one of the pioneers of quality winemaking in Hungary after the change of regimes, but he is also a pioneer in Hungarian wine tourism. During the same year that Gere founded his winery, he also established Hungary’s first winery hotel. Now Gere is synonymous with the Villány region, and Villány is synonymous with Gere. Gere was named Winemaker of the Year in 1994, a prestigious award in Hungary, and in 1997 he released the first vintage of Gere Kopar, which has become, arguably, Hungary’s most iconic red wine. These days, Gere Kopar, is one of the rare wines in
Hungary that is sold en primeur (which means it is sold in advance of its release), due to its high demand. The Gere Winery has been organically farming its 70 hectares of vineyards since 2010, and they are experimenting with varieties which are unusual to the region, such as Tempranillo. They are also growing exciting ancient Carpathian Basin varieties which are close to extinction, such as Fekete Járdovány, Bakator, Purcsin, Csóka, and others.
Country | 1-3 bottles | 4-6 bottles | 7-12 bottles |
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Austria | 7,800 HUF | 8,300 HUF | 9,500 HUF |
Belgium | 10,200 HUF | 10,500 HUF | 12,200 HUF |
Bulgaria | 13,800 HUF | 14,500 HUF | 15,900 HUF |
Croatia | 10,200 HUF | 10,500 HUF | 12,200 HUF |
Czech Republic | 7,800 HUF | 8,300 HUF | 9,500 HUF |
Denmark | 13,800 HUF | 14,500 HUF | 15,900 HUF |
Estonia | 13,800 HUF | 14,500 HUF | 15,900 HUF |
Finland | 19,900 HUF | 21,200 HUF | 23,800 HUF |
France | 13,800 HUF | 14,500 HUF | 15,900 HUF |
Germany | 7,800 HUF | 8,300 HUF | 9,500 HUF |
Greece (mainland) | 19,900 HUF | 21,200 HUF | 23,800 HUF |
Hungary (outside of Budapest) | 4,000 HUF for shipping of up to 11 bottles | 4,000 HUF for shipping of up to 11 bottles | Free delivery for purchases of 12 bottles |
Hungary (Budapest) | 4,000 HUF for shipping of up to 11 bottles (if the order is below 20,000 HUF) | 4,000 HUF for shipping of up to 11 bottles (if the order is below 20,000 HUF) | Free delivery for orders over 20,000 HUF |
Ireland | 13,800 HUF | 14,500 HUF | 15,900 HUF |
Italy | 13,800 HUF | 14,500 HUF | 15,900 HUF |
Latvia | 13,800 HUF | 14,500 HUF | 15,900 HUF |
Lithuania | 13,800 HUF | 14,500 HUF | 15,900 HUF |
Luxembourg | 13,800 HUF | 14,500 HUF | 15,900 HUF |
Netherlands | 10,200 HUF | 10,500 HUF | 12,200 HUF |
Poland | 7,800 HUF | 8,300 HUF | 9,500 HUF |
Portugal | 19,900 HUF | 21,200 HUF | 23,800 HUF |
Romania | 10,200 HUF | 10,500 HUF | 12,200 HUF |
Slovakia | 7,800 HUF | 8,300 HUF | 9,500 HUF |
Slovenia | 10,200 HUF | 10,500 HUF | 12,200 HUF |
Spain | 19,900 HUF | 21,200 HUF | 23,800 HUF |
Sweden | 13,800 HUF | 14,500 HUF | 15,900 HUF |
UK | see instructions |