I think that Gróf Buttler’s Kadarka 2005 (400-500 m) is no longer available in stores, I even heard rumors that Bukolyi would buy back some of them if someone would want to get rid off some bottles (get in the queue, mate!).

Medium ruby in the glass with a brickie-pink rim, this wine is intense on the nose with primarily raspberry-syrup and earth elements. Later fresh red meat mingled with a candy accent.

The wine has impressive velvety tannins, quite elegantly styled just like the whole wine. It’s a small-bodied wine with a pleasant creaminess and a good structure. And nice acidity too: fresh, almost sparkling. A little bit fleshy on the palate too, but dominantly fruity with berry fruits and stewed cherry but with a candy undertone.

Another  Gróf Buttler wine which can be fully enjoyed already right after opening.

Score: 6+, 7-

Price: HUF 5 000-6000

I wrote various posts over the last months about Gróf Buttler winery so let’s skip the introduction (you can read all the previous entries about them here).

I had a chance, once again,  to enjoy 3 Bukolyi wines, fully (as long as time and quantity are concerned) and I had, once again, one of those flashes.

I tasted the Pinot Blanc 2003 from Szarkás dűlő in November 2008 and I found it a bit overly aged but still showing clear signs of complexity and elegance.This time I found it in a very similar shape and already on the decline but it’s still a beautiful wine, quite unique in Hungary wrapped in Buttler-style. It had a deep yellow-gold color, beautiful, with a heavy oily move and a vanilla-dominated nose with intense quince notes. On the palate a melted butter character with a salty mineral underpinning. Due to its age, this time it’s no more than 5+ points.

Now Syrah has remained an unfulfilled promised to me in Hungary until I discovered the 2005 from Buttler also in November.One of the things I most like about Gróf Buttler wines is that they’re just perfect right after opening. All of them, the Syrah, the Bikavér, the Pinot Noir, the Kadarka and Portugieser, every single one I’ve tasted so far. Unlike most good Hungarian wines, unfortunately.

The Buttler Syrah 2006 from Nagy-Eged 300-400, is very much like its predecessor from 2005: vibrant, deep purplish color, very rich pepper-y bouquet, big concentration as always at Buttler supported by a very nice acidic and strong, yet polished, elegant tannic backbone. Very spicy on the palate, this full-bodied wine is well-integrated and it’s in a very good shape right now. Score: 6+/7-

I was new to the The Gróf Buttler Egri Bikavér 2006 (Terroir Szelekció) but it left no doubt that Buttler are capable of doing not just excellent, lovable fruit-bomb wines but more complex, more “serious” wines too.

It has a deep, but vibrant color similar to the Syrah. The nose is ample, fruity and more complex with intense, clear cherry and fresh blackberry aromas, very succulent already at opening. These fruity elements mingle with cocoa powder.

On the palate it has a fruity character, this full bodied wine is well integrated with nice, although a bit harsh tannins keeping it in balance with the extracts. Fairly deep and complex. The wine has an asian spice undertone. The finish follows a nice hyperbolic curve, ending in a nicely textured fresh tannic character. Score: 7, 7+

This wine found me when I least expected it. There’s been a niche in the Hungarian wine offering I’d been very much looking forward to be filled and I was sure that when it was to happen Villány would have  something to do about it. But it actually came from Gyöngyöspata, from the Szecskő winery and it’s called Turán, and was made in 2007.

The review

Very deep cherry-ruby color like one I’ve never seen in a Hungarian wine before. It’s move is slow and robust but it was nothing compared to what was about to come.

The first sniff was absolutely amazing and I didn’t quite believe it. I never tasted a Turán before and I didn’t see this coming. The intensity of the nose is unbelievable and the fruitiness of it has no peer in my memory. A light salty undertone, cocktail cherry and a marzipan-cherry chocolate brownie aromas make the bouquet even more interesting. And the finest Belgian chocolate.

I was looking forward to a major disappointment after the first sip but it didn’t come.

The palate was just as intense and concentrated as the nose. Very fruity and mouthfilling, with mostly very ripe cherry building up a huge body with the most polish, elegant tannins I’ve seen for a long time. It’s very unfortunate that the wine doesn’t have enough acidity to support this huge body and concentration of extract materials and this combined with a high alcohol (15.5%) makes the wine a little bit sweet over the top. The wine was obviously made of very mature grapes resulting in this fat juice and was probably aged in large barrels. Excellent texture and the wine is well integrated which is further evidenced the next day when the fruitiness mostly disappeared but the structure’s the same. Already few hours after opening some berry fruits (mostly very ripe blackberry) and charcoal will appear on the nose and the next day the grape’s aromas and some spices will become dominant.

The wine is so heavy with a level of concentration that you cannot drink more than a glass of it at a time, it’s just too much.

This is the first time that I will not give out score for a wine not because it’s so wrong.

Many people will like it and I believe that just as many will dislike it too but no one’s going to be disappointed.You’ll find it very interesting and I’m sure that most of you will appreciate its strengths.

Score: you write it to me, if you can judge!

Price: HUF 3 200

Ottó Légli has, in total, 33 ha vineyards mostly on the small hills of the Balatonboglár region. According to his credo, his aim is to make the wine express the utmost harmony of natural values of the wine such as fruitiness, acidity, freshness and of dedicated human efforts.The vine composition of the plantations is as follows:

Chardonnay 7,7 ha, Olaszrizling 5 ha, Rajnai Rizling 4,8 ha, Sauvignon Blanc 3,6 ha, Pinot Noir 4 ha, Merlot 2 ha, Kékfrankos 1 ha, Pinot Blanc 0,5 ha, Rizlingszilváni 0,4 ha, Muscat Ottonel 0,3 ha, Irsai Olivér 0,3 ha, Zenit 0,3 ha, Zöldveltelini 0,2 ha, under reconstruction 2,9 ha.

I picked an affordable middle-range wine (he produces wines for the budget consumers as well as for the wealthy Hungarians, and a range in between). I was a bit disappointed lately with the lower-end sortiment, so I’ve been looking forward to the more expensive range with mixed expectations.

Légli – Landord, 2007

Medium yellow-golden color, clean and bright and the wine has an appealing move in the glass.

This Chardonnay has a very attractive nose: intense, but very elegant acacia honey with floral edge. Very refreshing. It has a mouth-filling presence on the palate too with grapefruit and other citrus elements, supported by round, fresh, elegant acidity. Remarkable, excellent balance. More than medium bodied with a nice structure with a good deal of salty-minerality making it even more exciting, completed by an apricot aroma undertone. Complex, but not heavy wine, although heavy enough to accompany the 14% alcohol. The acids are lovely and they’re trimming well the residual sugar.

Later the nose will have a marzipan note too and the palate a more Chardonnay vinous character.

The smart use of polished oak is interesting and pleasant.

This is the last great Chardonnay in a row of three in only a few months. The three came from 3 different regions in the small Hungarian land. The three are priced around HUF 3 000 which, of course, qualifies them for best buy. Something to think about.

Score: 7, 7+

Price: 3 500 (on sale, normally 4 000)

With a yearly 10 000 bottles output from 5.5 hectars, Schellmann is a small winery producing 50% white wines and 50% red wines. After having learned about the 95 points their Chardonnay received from Falstaff in 2003 I become interested in the Chardonnay from 2005 when I saw its charming label on the “sale” shelf of Wein & Co. in Wien. I thought it would be a good benchmark for the few Hungarian high-end Chardonnays. And indeed, I found it very similar in style and quality to Monarchia’s Chardonnay Battonage, reviewed recently on this blog.

The review

Deep color with brassy reflections.

The nose is full of Chardonnay and barrique oak notes. As it opens a bit intense ripe, sweet-citrus elements (and pine-apple) mingle with the vanilla undertone.

The wine is full-bodied with lot of extracts and a bit of residual sugar but with a good structure. I expected it to be more acidic, but it’s just fine. The grapes must have been harvested ripe and the juice probably spent some time in contact with the lee, providing it with this dense, mouth-filling sensation.

The nose improves after an hour and the palate also evolves a more intense character of aromas fundamentally of grapefruit,  lemon and quince now with an elderberry accent. It’s a heavy wine and has a long finish with some bitterness in it.

The wine has some qualities of a really great fine wine but it already seems a little old.

Score: 6+/7-

Price: EUR30 appr

I’ve recently testified a revolt by a regular drinker (and apparently self-appointed free-lance vine adviser) for Bukolyi never accepting anyone’s opinion on how to make even better wines and what a rubbish method was to classify his wines according to the heights where the vines are located. Indeed, this approach might sound weird to many (the higher the vines come from, the better the quality is supposed to be, or at least this is what price tags suggest) and I cannot judge the character of Bukolyi myself. The simple fact is that his wines never disappointed me and for a rare fortunate coincidence I never had to care about the price tag so far. I hope this wouldn’t incline my judgment today. Anyway, I put this Syrah beside a cuvée from Szekszárd which I sampled later the same day.

The reviews

Gróf Buttler – Egri Syrah, 2005, Nagy-Eged, 400-500

Beautiful, lively, dark cherry color with purplish reflections. Absolutely stunning and with a beautiful, elegant fresh move.

The nose is spicy, dominantly pepper with a woody  underpinning. Lot of pepper and minerality.

On the palate at start a velvety, almost oily texture is supporting the blackberry fruit aromas – I must emphasize the fact that no jam, no overly ripe fruit, but perfectly ripe, fresh blackberry fruit we have here. Later cherry, a bit of chocolate and a phosphorus undertone. The tannins are there in a powder-like , velvety form. With time and for a period, an unlit candle-like element takes over the palate. These strange, but pleasant elements are supported by nice, round acidity. Good structure. The mineral character is there from the nose to the long finish on the palate, along with a cherry seed bitterness.

Score: 6-7 points (I gave it a 6 then, now I’m inclining towards a 7-)

Takler – Cuvée Maffiózó, 2000

The color is dark, brownish ruby as far as I can tell (yeah, the local conditions weren’t perfect for that). Very intense berry fruit aromas mingled with Asian spices.

On the palate this intensity couldn’t be sustained. Even worse than that, there’s no acidity to support the big, although flat body. This is a very dry wine. Only the palate dried tobacco and a bitter finish.

Score: 5+, 6- (I might be a little bit austere here though)

There’s no concept behind picking the two following wines for a quick comparison. That wasn’t even the purpose actually, I just thought that it would be interesting to put them here side by side.

The reviews

Gróf Buttler – Pinot Blanc (Szelekció), Szarkás Dűlő, 2003

Another wine from Gróf Buttler’s first bottled vintage.

Very lively, dark golden color and a slow moving indicate great body. I am told that the wine requires some decanting before sniffing but I like the savoury character of the buquet so much that I start tasting it straight away.

The palate carries notes of marzipan and almond mingled with woody vanilla. It feels a bit old but not overly and I love the huge body and the extracts. A little bit imbalanced due to the lack of acidity and a lot of residual sugar but it’s just pleasant as it is. Later intense, very appealing (and even somewhat fresh) sun-dried apricot aroma on the palate.

An overall very good wine but could have more acidity left after 5 years. New-world fans will adore this wine.

Score: 6, 6+ points (now I feel it more like a 6+/7-, to be honest)

Tamás Pince – Oriolus Cuvée, 2004

Dark brassy color with golden reflexions.

The nose is succulent, at first very ripe, then sun-dried fruits. On the palate honey and burnt sugar/caramel notes. The wine is not as lively as the Buttler but very interesting and special. It has a huge body but unfortunately the  palate doesn’t deliver the same intensity and isn’t so amazing as the nose. After a while the nose becomes even more exciting with floral, rosemary notes combined with egg liquor and green paprika accents.

Score: 5+ (now I would give it a 6, to be honest)

Price: HUF 4 500

Bright golden color, I expected darker, more brownish tone.

The nose is sulphuric with honey and floral notes of medium intensity (I expected more intense aromas).

On the palate it’s well structured, well integrated, nicely composed peanut butter and peanut  with elegant acidity and nice, smooth texture. There’s a tiny bitterness of walnut too. I suspect high level of alcohol, a bit burning. Round wine with some residual sugar embedded into the nice acidity. The burned sugar finish is long and very pleasant.

With time, lot of caramel with burnt walnut on the palate and a touch of vanilla. The wine stretches in the whole mouth from the peak of the tongue to the back-end, filling it with a smooth, velvety sensation. The nose becomes more marzipan-vanilla after an hour.

It well worths the price.

Score: 7-, 7 points

Price: HUF 3 000

I accidentally run into a Ráspi Sauvignon Blanc 2007 the other day in what many would describe as one of Budapest’s top restaurants. Well, the nose was quite promising too, but then the first sip was like my brains being smashed out by a slice of lemon wrapped around a large gold brick – sensation-wise (copyright D.A.).  

I’ve never experienced so much salty minerality so well integrated into the structure of a Sauvignon Blanc, well, of any white wine produced in Hungary. The wine shows outstanding harmony with very elegant, diamond-sharp acidity, elegant residual sugar (just a tiny bit) and extracts. The first sip was my best mouthful of wine for a long time and it was followed by similar ones for 90 minutes when we finished off the bottle with my wife. 

So back to the beginning, the wine had bright pale golden color with light brassy reflexions. The palate showed a very well balanced, fresh, but not too young character full of minerality and a lot of salt. Great texture, great body (not too heavy) and a lovely citrus element – all this integrated into a never-ending finish. 

Great palate with a wonderful balance and full of character. A very unique wine. Truly impressive from the vibrant entry to the endless finish. A must have item, even for Djungelvrål fans from Sweden or around the globe. I hereby announce it best buy champion since Dorombor this year (or maybe since forever). 

Score: 7

Price: HUF 1 920 / EUR 7,5 (a huge best buy)

But you wouldn’t tell. I must admit I opened these wines on a special occasion which also happened to be an open-air barbecue. So my notes are short and include an unusual level of uncertainty.

The aim is clear: how’s been the Gere Cabernet Sauvignon Barrique and Kopár Cuvéé (both from the classic 2000 vintage) evolved over the years. Bot were kept in cellar in equal conditions. Perhaps the Cabernet Sauvignon has a handicap for having spent few weeks in my apartment prior to moving to a proper place.

The review

Gere Attila – Cabernet Sauvignon Barrique, 2000

Dark ruby color with purplish reflections and a brick rim.

Typical cabernet and paprika nose with raspberry underpinning.

On the palate sour, robust tannins and acidity. In my memories this was a full-bodied wine but I had to wait an hour to recover that feeling. In the same time the tannin hydes behind the acidity. Overall the wine doen’t really improve in the decanter.

Too old, the sine hasn’t delivered the expected potential.

Score: 4/5-

Price: unavailable. 2005: HUF 4 300 / EUR 18

Gere Attila – Kopár Cuvée, 2000

Lively deep cherry color. It gets much much deeper with time.

Full-bodied wine with some residual sugar, round acidity and elegant, velvety tannins. On the palate intense chocolate flavor and sour cherry. Huge body. Merlot is dominant. Still fresh and lively.

The wine still has potential for at least a couple of years.

Score: 7+/8-

Price: unavailabe, or sky-high. Newer vintages range between HUF 7 000 and 9 000.