I first knew about Ikon for their budget range of white wines and my perception about this joint-venture of Konyári was of a low-cost winery with an idiotic name, with a kind of you get what you see image. The only exception is the Evangelista blend which is significantly more expensive compared to the others but I will learn this only after finishing off a bottle.

Ikon – Shiraz, 2008

Deep purplish hue. Very ripe fruity nose with blacberry, blueberry and dark chocolate accents. Sour-cherry flavoured dry palate supported by a harsh but not too hard tannic underpinning and more acidity than this wine would require. Fresh and crisp.

Score: 4 points

Ikon – Cabernet Sauvignon, 2007

Mid-deep ruby with light purplish reflections. Ripe forest berry fruit bouquet with hints of cinnamon. Raw structure for a not exactly full-bodied wine. A bit oily and woody, all signs of a cheap wine. It’s tasty though.

Score: 4 points

Price: HUF 1800

Ikon – Evangelista, 2007

Dark ruby. The nose kicks off with forest mushrooms, later displaying plum, szilvásgombóc and anise. The palate is delicate, ample, with an extremely soft texture and perfectly balanced. Mature flavours. Fresh but gentle, smoothly integrated acidity and soft, deep tannins.

It’s a very comprehensible wine. More than just a very pleasant surprise, this bottle wash finished off in no time.

Score: I forgot to give out a score for this wine but I’d put it in the range of 6+-7 points

Price: HUF 4100

Ikon is a joint venture of some members of the Hungarian wine community including János winemakeroftheyear2008 Konyári, now with an area of 39 hectares in the southern Balaton region.

The review

Bright golder yellow hue. The nose is primarily Chardonnay, light, lovely, warm, with hints of vanilla (not oaky) and herbs.

A surprsingly mouthfilling wine but in a very oily way with a rather sweet appeal. Soft, silky texture. Light aromas of ripe apple and wild pear and hints of melon without remarkable depth. Very subtle acidity for a relatively fat wine. But that glycerin will feel more integrated after only a few minutes already.

This wine’s very much unlinke the 2007 as described on the winery’s website. But it’s very enjoyable.

Score: 4+/5- points

Price: HUF 1 100