Hungary decanted: a walkaround tasting

A most interesting tasting hosted at the Hungarian Embassy in London. In their own words: walk around tasting will showcase Decanter World Wine Awards “Best in Show”, Platinum and Gold medallist Hungarian wines, including Best in Show wines Juliet Victor Tokaji Szamorodni 2017 (Best in Show 2020) and St Andrea Nagy-Eged Bikavér, Eger (Best in Show in 2021).

Over 30 DWWA award winning sparkling, dry and sweet wines from around 20 producers will be available to taste from all over Hungary. Producers include: Balassa Bor, Grof Degenfeld Wine Estate, Maul Winery, Kreinbacher, Zelna Boraszat, Szent Andrea Winery, Vesztergombi.

Prevalence of white wines and especially sweet ones. Just by way of reminders, Hungary uses the unit of "puttonyos" to indicate the degree of sweetness of its wines. Here are my favorite takeaways:

Grand Tokaj - Tokaj

From the largest winery in the historic Tokaj region, the company owns 67 hectares of land and purchases grapes from 1000+ farmers in the area.

Aszú 6 puttonyos 2014, furmint

Perfect balance, 10% abv, Score 96

Aszú 5 puttonyos 2014, furmint

Too fresh, needs a bit time, abv 9.5%, Score 90

Esszencia 2013, blend of 6 grapes

abv 2.5%!, very syrupy, I can hardly call this a wine, 450g of residual sugar, but it will please those with a very sweet tooth.

Gróf Degenfeld - Tokaj

Aszú selection 6 puttonyos 2017, blend of furmint and other grapes

Ripe apricots, plump consistency. Perfect balance, very long. abv 10.5%.Score 96

Aszú 5 puttonyos 2016, Hárslevelü and furmint

A balanced and mod long wine. abv 10%. Score 92

Aszú 6 puttonyos 2017, Hárslevelü and furmint

A majestic wine, perfectly balanced, plump, long and complex. Exudes harmony and promises enjoyment for many years. abv 11%. Score 98

Harsányi - Tokaj

Kútpatka single vineyard 2017, furmint

Ripe apricots, a smooth elegant dry wine with a touch of freshness. abv 11.5%. Score 95

Aszú 6 puttonyos 2016, furmint

Excellent balance, a long and complex wine. abv 9.2%, Score 97.

Notes from Hungarian wine tasting in London

Talks by organized by WINES OF HUNGARY with various experts. These are my notes from two talks, any error is my responsibility only.

Wine industry in Hungary was mainly built to supply the USSR, quality did not matter, only quantity and alcohol content.

Gorbachev's anti-alcohol campaign produced a shift toward more quality and less quantity. This made it possible to develop exports to other, more competitive, markets.

At the same time there was a move from collective farming to private vineyards.

Four main wine regions: Danube, Balaton, North Transdanube and Upper Hungary. 22 specific regions. About 60-70k hectares devoted to vines. Continental climate.

Tokaj 5500 Ha, 13,000 growers. Mostly volcanic soil, contributes mineral backbone to wine.

Grand Tokaj biggest firm, still state owned. Was put up for sale but on condition that it preserved jobs and social commitments, no one bought it.

6 main varieties: Furmint is the main, mentioned in 1611.

First mention Aszu in 1571.

First mention of wine classification in 1720, first in the WORLD!

UNESCO WHS 2002

Producers:

Csenyi: was a communist cooperative, still has strong stigma of communist era. Massive scale, quantity over quality, used to "fulfill the plan".

Gere: Attila origin of the name, sprang from XIX century nationalism, larger than life character. It was never a communist coop, always independent producer. Diametrically opposite approach. Aims at max concentration.

San Andrea: Traditional producer, intellectual, looks for quality.

Kovacs Nimrod: Producer migrated to US in 1970s, came back to Hungary after 1989. Opposite to San Andrea, uses modern methods and criteria.

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