Budapest Daily Review

The unofficial release date of the wines of the latest vintage is Szt. Márton’s day (sorry but I get too bord thinking about googling out who the hell is Szt. Márton and what this day means), to me it used to mean trying not to get close to any wine shop for a few days. The thing is that these young wines have such a boring, aggresive markerting and I tend to avoid (very successfully I must say) ”must do-s” (like having the best time of my life at new year) and mass wine drinking anyway, so I’m the nightmare of Hungarian winemakers this time of the year. Comparing these wines to Beaujolais (nouveau) is another big mistake.  Moreover, by now you should have a decent stock of some red wines from 2006 so why would you rush to buy something that was a blurred, hardly drinkable non-alcoholic fluid couple of weeks ago? There’s no reason, unless you’re obsessed with pointing out exceptions. I found one which turned out not to be the rule, but the exception, quite unwillingly, circulating in one wine store searching for a wine at discounted price which somehow may have so far escaped my radar. Idei 2009 by Heimann is not a sale item but it is priced like one. So I said why not, I already fell for Szt. Márton’s mandatory goose meal (the leg!) the same day (I feel like I’m becoming a cliché).

The label says it’s a blend or Portugieser and Zweigelt. But the nose tells it otherwise, which is confirmed by the palate (what was already suggested by the color): this is a Zweigelt-based cuvéee whatever anyone says. Nice appearance, dark red/claret hue and a fresh, very jammy nose full of red currant aroma. Very fresh and young on the palate (who would have guessed…) with surprisingly many substance. Very tasty syrup of red currant and cranberry mostly. Vibrant, a bit harsh but not too much acidity. I’m not suggesting it will age well but it was still standing firm the next day. A very pleasant surprise overall and it does go well with a fat goose leg. This must be beginners’ luck, so I won’t push it.

Score: 4 points

Price: HUF 1  530

I always thought that the “Hungarian Beaujolais” or new wine as we call them here, are a simple financing tool aiming to improve the duration of assets in the balance sheet or even worse, clear some bad items off the balance sheet by making some magical blend which then will be finding its way to the market through the goose plates around St. Martin’s day. Those crossing my way never been quite convincing but I was persuaded by a merchant lately to try Bodri Gúnár 2008 because it’s a “must-have piece of new wine” (well, not so new in February, I thought). So here’s my first new wine review ever on budapestdailyreview.com. And this is my first post about a 2008 too.

The review

Appealing, very lively,  medium deep ruby color with intense cherry and purplish reflections. And a nice move too.

The nose is incredibly rich  in cherry aroma. Supernatural, or unnatural? I spent the next hour asking this question to myself.

The palate is also cherry fruity but above all it’s very acidic more than anything else. Brutally. The tannins are young but OK, but boy, will the acidity in this wine rip all the plaques off one’s teeth just like that! Very young, fruity, upper medium-bodied wine with an explosion of cherry aromas everywhere mingled in acid lasting long, and than a bit even longer.

I wonder if this wine would get, or could get any better but it doesn’t have to. It’s a nice experience, although the wine clearly lucks any deepness or complexity, or finess. ’cause you know what? I’m convinced: we should have such a wine once a year (or twice)! And goes well with a duck breast too. Plus, it’s not exactly a bargain but it’s fairly priced.

Score: 4/5-

Price: HUF 1 800