Somlói Apátsági Pincészet – Juhfark, 2008
Comments are rare on this wine blog and April was particularily very poor in opinions. As a response to the most active visitor this month, I’d like to share with you my latest notes on his Juhfark from 2008.
Medium-deep golden yellow. Flinty nose, but only a little, and only for a while, still, it’s something new from Somlói Apátsági Pincészet. More than that, lot of rocky, salty minerality. Robust bouquet. The well-known Juhfark notes are hidden behind a very earthy character. Pretty much the same on the palate except a slightly appalling, long-lasting bitterness from the mid-palate on. Full-bodied, weighty wine, supported by rather heavy, not so fresh acidity. I like it more when I take a large draught. But whatever you do, it’s very salty which I like with notes of unripe stewed apricot and quince, and lemon-like acidity in the finish. There are notes of asparagus and even hints of botrytis, which I’m sure Zoltán will soon deny. Few hours later tons of candied apricot peel.
PLEASE CARRY ON READING THE COMMENTS TO GET THE CORRECT AND FULL PICTURE OF THE WINE.
Score: 5+-7-
Price: HUF 2 890
Thanks for the review.
I do not deny the presence of the Botrytis in the taste of our 2008 Juhfark. Few percent of the Juhfark was infected by the Botrytis cinerera fungus.
I personally do not see it bad or good. We apply as minimal pest control as possible during the early summer and no chemical control during the autumn. So Botrytis comes when it comes and we can no do anything for or against it.
We cultivate juhfark for some time now and I am tasting juhfark wines for about two decades and I must admit that I have no faint idea what are the “well-known Juhfark notes”. Most of the Somlo wine producers agree that Juhfark is a very neutral type and does not have any remarkable type criterion besides the obligatory almond aftertaste (same as olaszrizling). I do not share their opinion and I firmly believe that after few decades we will re-discover the juhfark. We are at the very beginning of this work.
In general I like the review. Only one thing I wonder about is the price.
At the Wine and Arts (http://www.wineandarts.hu) right now 2290 HUF (I guess it is a part of a marketing campaign) and at the Pinceáron (http://www.pincearon.hu) it is 2890 Ft same as at the shop of Kézműves Borok (http://www.kezmuvesborok.hu/)
Anyway, I appreciate your efforts to provide information and tasting notes of the Hungarian wines for the English speaking community. It is a great service and deserves regards!
So, thanks 
Keep on going.
Thanks for your comment!
You’re right, I was too tired when I took these notes and I really thought I’d been drinking Furmint at that point (I checked my little note book and I used the word Furmint there instead of Juhfark) and I didn’t realise my mistake when I posted the review. Furmint can be expressive too terroir-wise but Furmint wines almost always smell and taste Furmint and they’re often characterised by that tartness, although I wish they wouldn’t.
About the price, I bought it at kezmuvesborok and it may easily have been HUF 2 890.
I’ll be more careful with doublechecking data and varietal in the future.
As long as botritys is concerned, I don’t see it as a fault, neither technical nor stylistic and I’m glad you’re not intervening in the process.
Now you can laugh out loud!
I was double-ckecking (again) the notes I took about this FurmintJuhfark. My handwriting is reader-proof, it’s so ugly it’s almost impossible even for myself to read it. It’s like an encrypted text. So here’s what I’ve found. It turns out that the Juhfark above does not have notes of asparagus. What I actually wrote in my notes is this: “later with asparagus even a botrytis undertone”
LOL
ps: I was eating white asparagus, carefully peeled, simply boiled in salty water, adding some sugar, waiting until it softens. It’s delicious and goes very well with this Juhfark! Yes, I did the cooking myself.
Since I’m not using a proof-reader such mistakes may be expected in the future I’m afraid but I’ll pay more attention to details.
Don’t be dis-illusioned, Whineguy – few comments doesn’t translate into no hits on the site! I, for one, will remain an avid reader even though I suspect there will be less full-bodied red wine coverage in the coming (summer) months.
Good to see you around again John V.!
I’ll post a review of a great red wine hopefully today or tomorrow. Stuff I really think will be of your interest.
Anything you’d recommend btw?
Whineguy,
Big words I know, but I tried probably the best Hungarian I have ever tasted last week : Sauska 11 Cuvee 2006 (Villany), which is Cab Sav. and Merlot only – not to be confused with the Siklosi version which is the full Bordeaux blend.
I have also been impressed by some Eszterbauer reds of late.
Whineguy, you say in your comment no.2: ‘It’s delicious and goes very well with this Furmint!’ I’m afraid I’m getting lost too. (BTW asparagus may not be the most wine-friendly food.)
As for the SAP Juhfark 08 it’s a maelstrom of a wine, packed full of energy, vibrancy and character. It’s not exactly refined but then who said all wines have to be precious and delicate. An unmissable bargain at this price point.
