Tier-2 Villány vol.1

I’ve been hesitating whether to write this post or not . I’ve always been a bit sceptical about the tier-2 winemakers in all regions, since even tier-1 producers are still trying to define themselves, they’re busy establishing their own style and I think this is just normal (let’s not go through the history of the last 50 years of this country this time). It’s also normal that these people (many of them not even certified producers or winemakers) are still learning this profession, because purchasing cutting-edge equipment is just the beginning. Consequently it’s also normal to have better years followed by not so good products even from not so bad harvests. A too balanced series of vintages is even suspicous.

So fishing in the lower-end segment, hunting for treasures is a game where the probability of success is relatively low and the reward is usually only a modest enthousiastic discovery of a promising tentative.

Márton Mayer emerged as a known tier-2 Villány winemaker in the lat nineties. I was hesitating writing this post because my previous tastings of his wines were diasappointing and I don’t like jumping to conclusion after one single sampling if the result is bad. And this is the case with the Mayer Kopár from 2004. It may be unfair to say after one bottle that this wine has nothing, really nothing special to offer. Especially for almost EUR 20. Since I started writing this blog so readers can learn from my lesson, I decided to share my opinion about Mayer Kopár 2004 with You.

The review

Having opened the bottle, nice, concentrated dark frurity smell rules the decanter. 30 minutes later the intense fruit gives room for heavier smells, leathery and tobacco, mixed with less fresh fruits. And that’s more or less it. It lacks complexity, its tannins remain harsh even after hours. Interestingly enough it’s not smoky, the only thing this wine gained from the barrell is its extreme tannins. The finish is bitterness. The word best describing this wine is woody. It’s lean and harsh, plus dominantly sour too. This wine, at least the bottle I opened, today qualifies for the top5 most overrated wines I’ve tasted this year. I feel lucky that this was a Xmes gift form a business partner and I did not spend all that much on it.

Score: 3+

Price: EUR 19