Budapest Daily Review

There are more people out there who are recently more interested in Ráspi’s new restaurant about to open in Budapest than his wines. I’m now inclined to be one of them. When I first visited him in Fertőrákos a new wave of cool restaurants started to emerge in Hungary which are now well established trendy places. So now Ráspi’s no longer so unique although the high-end restaurant business was hit hard by the recession (I just went to Onyx the other day and we had the whole place for us only for an entire hour), and Lou Lou’s closure for instance must be painful for many of us. Anyway, Ráspi’s performance in the kitchen has been less volatile than in the cellar so I’ll definitely be there (maybe I’ll still be able to afford a tasting menu, unlike his Máté cuvée for instance).

I reviewed this rosé already when it was still a young, fresh rosé and I iked it. And I still do. It still has a fresh, mineral character with a brassy color and many many mineral notes. And some unusual notes too, not so unusual from Ráspi though: something it feels closest to a refinery’s smell and the taste of a detergent. And it tastes a bit of a raw turkey breast too (don’t ask me how do I know how that tastes). Firm structure and crisp acidity. As you see, it’s a good wine.

Score: 4

I could have shared with you all my notes from a visit at Ráspi restaurant in Fertőrákos but as I wrote in one of my previous posts, I considered them quite unreliable and decided not to publish them like that. Instead I tasted some of them again later at home, like these two wines a few days ago and I’ll share here with you my notes as I keep re-tasting them all.

Ráspi Leányka, 2007

Pale brassy golden color with greenish reflections.

Salty-Stony-mineral bouquet mingled with banana notes on the and with a tiny bit of a disturbing element (something like being corked not not quite). Interesting, in spite of this, not a common nose, but very Ráspi.

On the palate the first thing coming into my mind is how little it gives back from the fruity nose. The salty-minerality’s there and I appreciate it, as always. Besides minerality, the wine has a bitter acidity character with some residual sugar, but the structure is flimsy. The short finish leaves mostly an unpleasant impression, supported by Mediterranean spices and a fruity element.

It’s an interesting wine with a major fault.

Score: 3+

Price:

Ráspi Rosé Cuvée, 2007

Very bright, lively rosé color with onion shell reflections.

It has a lively move  too in the glass, releasing an interesting meat bouquet. On the palate it shows a bit robust body for a rosé, with dominant strawberry and raspberry notes and sweetness of residual sugar supported by enough acidity. But the wine could have a better structure. And there’s the compulsory salty minerality, especially in the long and pleasant finish.

Score: 4

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)