Onion peel inclined to beige hue.
Fresh perfumed nose with some apple acid coming through along with vinious notes of Szürkebarát. On the palate sharp acidity, making this possibly the most acidic wine I’ve ever tasted. Fresh, citric and thin, this wine will certainly divide opinions.
This is an entry level, budget wine for hot summer days.
Pale matt yellow hue. Rather restrained on the nose with light notes of lavender and vegetables and a subtle oaky butter accent. Medium-bodied Chardonnay without obvious Chardonnay notes. Barrel aging spices instead, supported by a fairly acidic backbone delivering a tingling texture. Surprisingly pleasant at room temperature (21 centigrade in this case), showing rich and minerally with an overall good balance.
Fairly priced (HUF 2 350).
Egyeki Kúria Chardonnay '09
14.5%
Click to enlarge!
After Etyeki Kúria’s recent good performance far from their home ground I felt brave enough to try their flag-ship cuvée made of 90% Chardonnay and 10% Sauvignon Blanc. Great choice this blend proved to be.
With it’s very light floral nose it’s an instant appeal, with slices of chalky minerality and a fair amount of fruitiness. Well structured bouquet of many layers with only light-weight hints of oaky vanilla, well done. On the palate it’s really flat after a fast vibrant start. All that remains is melted butter. Well balanced, nice medium bodied wine with a light feel.
Score: 5+/6- points
Price: 3250
Staring at Etyeki Kúria’s Magyar Vándor 2007 I’m thinking about how I tend to freak out when I see a red wine, especially for under HUF 4 000 from Mátraalja, Somló or sometimes even red areas. So imagine the flash when some kind of positive surprise hits you in this condition. Take this wine for instance, it didn’t only take tartness out of the equation but added minerality to it. Now you’re talking!
Don’t expect this wine look any better than you’d think! You won’t like it: it’s pale blurred ruby with a brownish and pinkish add-on, forget about it.
The nose is empty, quite literally. The palate, however, seems well-balanced, smootly textured and well integrated, all Pinot Noir-esque. In an hour or so my glass begins to fill with the wine fault I like the most: salty minerality. It’s very essential to compensate the sweetness deriving from alcohol (14 percent, mate!) which doesn’t burn and doesn’t feel, well, except the sweetness. I’m sure many people would desire more definition to it but I’m fine with the acidity of this wine as well as with the soft, powdery tannins of it.
Good wine, drinks well and fast.
Etyek wasn’t even on the wine map 10 years ago. Today if you want to get to the Etyek Pincefesztivál you need to face a crowd perhaps 25x the population of the village. And today they’re exporting their know how to Sopron.
Score: 5+(/6-) points
Price: HUF 3 500
