In 2008 the Muscat – Furmint blend is 50% Furmint and 50% Muskotály and it’s marketed by Monarchia under their own brand.

Similarities with Dorombor are endless. It’s pale lemon with pale greenish reflections. Light nose with lime aroma that translates into Caipirinha on the palate with some residual sugar that is a good match with the rest of the elements, mainly citric, lime-ish acidity and lemon flavored substance supported by a hint of saltiness (quite unexpectedly, but very positively). Lots of elderberry too with gooseberry notes when warmer. Good apple-flavored finish.

It will be an instant success of pyjama parties but it’s also ideal for anyone looking for a good light wine to be enjoyed on your balcony at dusk.

Serve it well chilled!

Score: 5, 5+ points

I like the above winemakers with their imperfections. It’s a shame that their production is probably less than of a medium sized winery’s in Villány, combined. Of course, tourism didn’t do good for the region. Unlike Tokaj, Villány and Somló, this region attracts visitors for many other reasons but wine and the proportion of sophisticated consumers remains tiny whilst Fröccs and bulk wines rule the area. So the main question is: are these wineries capable of taking the wines of the region to the next level? But then it raises other concerns: do they have a driver to do that? These are quite unsettling questions until I realise I don’t care as long as they continue to provide us with such good and interesting wines so cheap.

This Olaszrizling from 2008 is a rather heavy wine, but unlike Tamás’s from Csopak for instance it’s not because of the oak primarily, but perhaps not having been filtered may be one of the causes.  With enough substance, 13.5% alcohol and a vibrant, even sharp acidity the wine’s well balanced though. An elderberry-flavored palate with boiled celery tartness and a minerally undertone is enhanced with some restrained fruity notes of apple, quince and pear and a hint of nutmeg. There’s a prickling sensation too especially at the finish which also adds a little to its complexity.

For HUF 1 700 t’s a best buy for those who like the stlye but will disappoint those looking for a clean, polished style.

Score: 5+/6

Price: HUF 1690 (it’s a best buy for those who like the style)

Moreover, “fortunately” in winemaking the current buzzword in Hungary is artisan winemaking (and has been for some years now), making organic wine making sound just a foolish exotic hobby of marginal importance. Even worse, bio-dynamic sounds like a tropical disease or a disinfectant to the average consumer.

The Pfneiszl Kékfrankos 2009 is clean mid-pale purplish with a strange bouquet of petroleum. On the palate it’s very fresh like a Beaujolais with pleasant soft acidity and restrained tannins. Fresh, yet ripe fruity character with notes of sour cherry and wild berry fruits with a chocolate accent later. Well balanced wine and this is very important to me in this segment.

Score: 4 points

Price:

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

From grapes picked from 10-20 year old Olaszrizling vines this wine was aged in new oak for 10 months in contact with some of the lee. Or aged for 9 months in 3-5 years old barrels of different sizes, depending on which information you trust from the website of the merchant (finding them will be easy, both versions are on the same page).

Here’s a thought, so just skip the next few lines and jump to the review if not interested in something personal. One of the reasons I stopped reading Hungarian wine reviews is that most reviews were either repeating too many clichés (Kreinbacher’s minerality, Olaszrizling’s almond finish, or an ideal food pairing is a Paprikás-Turul) even when they weren’t there or trying too hard to be original and to show off to my taste (other reasons include their authors often being too biased and narrow-minded). I must confess I didn’t find the above elements in this wine but this time I checked the bottle in due time and I can confirm I made no mistake taking proper note of the varietal like the other day.

This Olaszrizling is medium pale golden yellow with faded greenish reflections. Light nose with celery and a floral accent. Similarily styled palate with a rustic tartness from the midpalate. Dim acidity gone quickly, the wine has a short finish. Fairly buttered when chilled. Dry character with restrained fruity notes of grapefruit, pineapple and apple.

Score: 4+ points

Price: HUF 2000

Névtelen 2006 is almost terracotta colored. Warm, very light nose with hints of spices, caramel and walnut. Later wild mushrooms and earthy notes. Very dry, very thin, with a slightly bitter tannic backbone. Pretty vacant.

We have seen so much better for half the price from Levendula.

Score: 4-

Price: HUF 2 600

I was sold this wine when asking Mr. Szentesi to introduce me to some full-bodied white wine around HUF 2 000. This wasn’t his first choice (not even making it into the top 10 actually) and he hesitated about the price but I took it because I’ve never heared of this winery and it turns out there aren’t many good value wines in this range.

Bright golden yellow. Fairly complex nose with boiled vegetables and veggie stock and lot of Furmint grape aromas, with hints of honey and flower. And a mineral undertone. Very rustic.

I didn’t like the taste first, but I put it in the fridge for a while and the magic happened. The same rustic stlye dominates the palate with more salt and tons of rocks. Some residual sugar is counterbalanced by good acidity keeping the flow into a lengthy finish. Mouthfilling, very acidic with lot of stewed apple-faloured substance too. When it’s heated up a little it becomes harshly bitter which is slightly appalling. Chilled it’s very mineral with a lot of lemon. And more lemon.

This wine is very close to its peak, or at it. You’ll enjoy it very much if you pay attention to its temperature and it’s a rare bargain.

Score: 6, 6+

Price: HUF 2000 (this is how much I paid, but not sure about the actual price)

This is a medium deep straw-colored wine with a light chalky mineral character and lots of aromatic ripe apple. It has a pleasant, slightly fizzy tartness in the finish and just enough acidity. Fruity, even intrusively, with notes of pineapple.

It’s a simple, but good wine made using traditional methods as proudly emphasized by Mr. Szentesi.

Score: 4 points

Price: HUF 1 800

I hate it when people stand up aggressively for their belief concerning wine, I actually don’t like to talk about wine with people at all but when I occasionally do I tend to fight the preconception of sweet wines must be necessarily rubbish or made for girls (as it’s seen by many in a wine-culturally underdeveloped country like ours).

Some (of the best) wineries don’t make Aszú wines at all in years when the circumstances aren’t ideal and it’s a great buy opportunity since they’re clearing their stock from last year’s late harvest wines to make room for the even larger quantity of the given year. This is how I paid around EUR3 for this Dessewffy Furmint-Hárslevelű late harvest 2005.

Pale yellow with greenish reflections. The nose is frst full of apple compote and notes of ripe tropical fruits but later becomes almost entirely dominated by pineapple. The same aromas carry on through to the palate where they’re supported by abundant, lively acidity which is accentuated at the finish granting very good length to the wine. It’s fresh, relatively light with pineapple-citrus dominance and hints of apple compote and melon and a medicine undertone. You completely forget it’s made of Furmint and Hárslevelű. It’s just a bowl of fruit salade.

Score: 4+, 5-

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