Budapest Daily Review

Lovely nose, very attractive indeed and fairly complex too. Very fresh, with dry cut grass, thyme but mainly rosemary mingled with fresh nettle tea. It doesn’t stop there, releasing citrus notes with a perfum-y character adding a ripe apple accent. Well integrated, vibrant acidity and a juicy character on the palate with a salty, chalky mineral undertone. There’s a hint of bitterness from the mid-palate but that’s alright. Lower-medium body, good length, drinks very well and quickly and it’s almost as good when it warms up to room temperature as chilled.

One of the best Hungarian Sauvignon Blancs I’ve ever had and it’s definitely a good value for the money.

Score: 6+/7- (now I would even say 7, but I always publish the fresh impression)

Price: HUF 3 000

I liked the  2006 very much. And I’ve found exactly what I expected.

This Sauvignon Blanc has a pale color between water-white and lemon-yellow and a lively, appealing move in the glass.

The nose has a very fresh, citrus aromatic character with what many would call cat’s pee. It’s a relatively complex bouquet with gooseberry and some apple, lime and lemon zest notes.

This wine has a small-medium body, relatively well integrated with fresh, long acidity and a tart element on the finish. On the palate it’s first fresh and fruity (mainly citrus fruits, gooseberry and the grape’s aromas), from the mid-palate it’s long and slightly bitter. It has  very nice texture, firm, almost metallic, but soft and pleasant. At higher temperature the wine has a more bitter character. I prefer it cold and fresh.

This wine is light with a decent depth, drinks very well now but I’m suspecting that it won’t be much better with time. Good value for the money.

Score: 5+

Price: HUF 1 750

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)

Another Sauvignon Blanc, another Eurobor. This time I took one from the lower segment of the sortiment.

Bright golden color. It has a fresh grassy nose with a lavender undertone. The palate shows fresh, long, rustic acidity and an even longer bitterness. All very young and quite not integrated. This characteristic is accompanied by the scents and savor of lemon grass, mint and peppermint. The mediterranean spices (including thyme) are more present than any fruit.

Score: 4, 4-

Price: HUF 1338/ EUR 5

Medium pale golden color.

The nose carries notes of - not kidding - meat and chicken soup with nettle. Interesting. Very pleasant, and so is the aromatic floral action on the palate. Round, fresh acidity on both back-end sides of the tongue is supporting the residual sugar which is a little bit too much by the way. Later pineapple and salt join the game.

The finish is surprisingly short, even the acidity disappears quite quickly. Otherwise this would be a well-balanced, friendly fresh wine with well polished palate. It’s price’s between fair and a bit too much. And I don’t think you should leave this wine aging too old.

Score: 5+, 6-/10

Price: HUF: 2 940/EUR 12

The Mór wine festival accidentally falls onto the same days as the more prestigious Villány and Tokaj wine festivals. The less known event however attracted a crowd this saturday that completely filled the streets despite the chilly wind. Mór offered them a street music festival combined with a typical Hungarian country street event (i.e. tons of unhealthy food, vattacukor and usual market crap) with families of all ages from the surrounding cities and villages and, to my biggest surprise, foreign visitors. I’ve heard French and English words, besides the German spoken by a band marching the streets dressed like… whatever (I believe however that these musical events and football games provide you with a unique opportunity to see man of all ages feeling good in their long white socks showing off. Skirts are just an extra here). 

Anyway, I had to drink very quickly because my wife’s been fluttering like the kocsonya (missing from the menu, btw, and it’s a Hungarian food if you would be wondering, basically cold pork bone soup with pork leg in it) so I had no opportunity to discover the rule(s) which drive people to one winery’s quiosque and make them completely ignore others. 

The Information stand however had a middle-aged lady who not only distributed brochures but knew all of the winemakers I asked her about by nickname (I didn’t, so I had to double-check them). I still missed Pontica. 

Due to the strong wind and a rush, my tasting notes are very short and quite unreliable. 

Miklóscsabi - Utazótáska, 2007

This Királyleányka has pale bright color, round acidity and crab apple and pie character on the palate, completed with residual sugar leaving a fresh impression. 

Score: 3+, 4-

Bozóky - Leányka, 2007

Pale, almost transparent color with greenish reflexions. Less intense with less bitterness and acidity, but overall a pleasant wine. 

Score: 3+/4-

Bozóky - Cuvée, 2007

Pale yellow with greenish reflexions, just like the Királyleányka and other Bozóky wines to follow. Bozóky is considered a major winery in Mór but even their cellar is quite small. The old lady who took care of the visitors was very friendly and responsive considering that they attracted most of the visitors interested in a tour in a local cellar. I never quite understood though how can people enjoy a glass of wine in a crowded, smelly room. These notes were taken outside of the building. 

So the Cuvée has a similar pale tone as the others. It’s smoother with less acidity but with a more intense nose and flavors. 

Score: 4-

Bozóky - Ezerjó, 2006

Pale yellow color. More elegant than the others but still with a quite short finish. Better structure and better integrated even with a mineral undertone and an appealing cabbage-like finish. 

Score: 4

Miklóscsabi - Haramia Cuvée, 2007

This semi-dry Cuvée is made of Tramini, Leányka and Pinot Blanc. It’s full-bodied compared to the previous ones and this late harvest character is dominant until the finish. It has a distinctive pale-brassy color. The residual sugar is supported by nice, round acidity. It has better structure than the Bozóky wines. A velvet-vanilla undertone complete the overall nice sensation. 

Score: 5 points

Maurus - Leányka, 2007

Medium-pale golden color and floral notes on the nose. Well balanced with medium body, round acidity and long finish. 

I have to note here that the Maurus wines have very nice labels. And although only the Ezerjó is produced by Kamocsay (on a total of 0,7 hectares) the wines to follow somehow have a common stylish element. 

Score: 4 points

Maurus - Sauvignon Blanc, 2007

Remarkably nice onion-brassy color and nice, round acidity. 

Score: 4+/5

Maurus - Rajnai Rizling, 2007

Pale yellow with green-apple reflexions. On the palate oaky-vanilla notes maybe a little bit over the top. On the palate fruity elements and some residual sugar are supported by medium acidity. It’s a nice riesling with a long finish. 

Score: 5+/6-

Maurus - Ezerjó, 2007

Pale bright yellow. On the palate complex aromas of vanilla, oak and floral notes with gooseberry and acacia elements and round acidity. A little bit sweeter than it should be for a dry wine. 

Score: 6/6-

Maurus - Chardonnay

Elegant wine with some oaky vanilla and appealing bitter acidity and a tobacco-like undertone. 

Score: 6 points

Nyakas, Budai Sauvignon Blanc, 2006

This wine is like a Caipirinha without cachaca and with some extra lime.

Grass dominates its smell and its taste, besides wet hay. Plus lot of unripe peach. Loads of acid.

Score: 3+

Price: EUR 7.5