Grape Spotlight: Nagy-Somloi Olaszrizling

The most widely planted grape variety in Hungary is Olaszrizling, also known as Welschriesling to a wider European audience.  In many cases, Olaszrizling wines are rather pedestrian, light, and neutral, where they are favored in boxes, jugs, or as the base for the Hungarian wine spritzer: fröccs.  However, in a particular microclimate with volcanic soils or in specific environments these wines find a more complex expression such as in Magyarország's second smallest wine region -  Somló. This region is only 507 hectares and is basically a single hill that was an active volcano millions of years ago when the Pannonian Sea covered what is now central Europe. 

Today the hill is populated by multi-generational small family farms that were not confiscated during communism. Collectivized and socialist agriculture never gained a foothold in Somló thanks to its small size and the hill's steep slopes. These were inaccessible to machines and large-scale agricultural methods. Many of these small farms are vineyards planted in the rich volcanic black basalt soil that helps winemakers create minerally driven wines. The soil also helps warm the grapes during chillier days by absorbing heat and then radiating it back towards the vines.  

Kolonics Pinceszet is one of these multi-generation family farms and cultivates Olaszrizling on two hectares on the south-east side of the Somló hill -- specifically in the Apátság vineyard.  Károly Kolonics produces several versions of Olaszrizling wine, and each starts with six to 12 hours of skin contact before pressing and fermented using only indigenous yeast. The differences in the styles result from oak aging in various large and old barrels (1,000 or 1,500 liters). In the instance of the Kolonics Pinceszet Nagy-Somloi "St. László" Olaszrizling 2018 ($25), the wine was aged exclusively in the "St. László" barrel -- a 1,500-liter, steam-bent oak cask -- for one year. The wine is rich in tropical fruit and laden with minerals providing a smooth flow to the finish.  We couldn't stop ourselves from finishing the wine in one sitting. Egészségére. 

Grape Spotlight: Somló Juhfark

Courtesy of Kolonics Pinceszet

At 507 hectares, Somló is Hungary's second smallest wine region with Tihany being the smallest. Somló is basically a single hill that was an active volcano millions of years ago when the Pannonian Sea covered what is now central Europe. Today the hill is populated by multi-generational small family farms that were not confiscated during communism. Collectivized and socialist agriculture never gained a foothold in Somló thanks to its small size and the hill's steep slopes. These were inaccessible to machines and large-scale agricultural methods.

Many of these small farms are vineyards planted in the rich volcanic black basalt soil that helps winemakers create minerally driven wines. The soil also helps warm the grapes during chillier days by absorbing heat and then radiating it back towards the vines. Juhfark, in particular, requires this warming because it's thin skins are prone to rot and are very sensitive to frost. It also needs plenty of sunshine to fully ripen which tends to occur on the south-facing slope. For these reasons, Jufark is the "iconic variety-of-choice" for local winemakers.  Its name translates to "sheep's tail", "juh" translating to sheep and "fark" to tail and describes the shape of the dangling grape clusters. 

The origins of Juhfark are unclear. Some believe it was conceived on this hill. Others believe Styria, in neighboring Austria, is its homeland.  Regardless, Somló Juhfark is known for being elegant, balanced, and full-bodied. One such wine is the 2018 Kolonics Winery Somló "Nimrod" Juhfark ($25) available from Taste Hungary. The grapes come from southeastern facing vines that were aged in the 1,060 liter "Nimrod" barrel made from new Hungarian oak. Winemaker Karoly Kolonics names his wine after the barrel in which they aged. This Juhfark reminds me of Fall, a little rustic; with some stone fruit and apple notes, minerals, and smoke; and lifted slightly by a fresh finish. The wine also has plenty of depth and soaking on its skins for 6-12 hours after pressing and from oak fermentation. 

Exploring #HungarianWine for #Winechat with Blue Danube #Wine

Blue Danube Wine is my primary source for Eastern Europe wine and they supplemented my passion by hosting this week's #winechat discussion. The focus of this tasting was Hungarian wines and Blue Danube chose three very traditional wine grapes: Kadarka, Furmint, and Olaszrizling.

We started the evening with a slightly chilled red, the Eszterbauer Kadarka Nagyapám 2011 ($18).  The Eszterbauer Winery is located in Szekszárd in southern Hungary near the Croatian border at latitude between the Loire and Bordeaux. Their 8 hectares of vineyards consist of chalk and loess soils which include 9 clones of Kadarka - a traditional grape that probably came to Hungary with the Serbs fleeing the Ottoman invaders.  The name, Nagyapám, refers to Grandfather in honor of János Eszterbauer's father who drank Kadarka straight from the barrel. The grapes for the wine are sourced from the vineyard's oldest vines and the result is a Cabernet Franc like dark cherry wine with subtle spice and tart tannins and acids at the tail.

The second wine was the Bodrog Borműhely Furmint Lapis 2011 ($21.95), a 100% dry furmint from the Tokaj region. Known for the kingly Tokaji Aszu, Tokaj is situated in north-eastern Hungary and is the world’s first appellation system over 100 years before Bordeaux.  Bodrog Borműhely produces a combination of dry and sweet wines,  and the Lapis vineyard, clay and volcanic soils, sits just high enough from the Bodrog River and its floodplains the breezes dry the grapes to prevent Botrytis.  This Furmint was fermented and aged in Hungarian Oak - undergoing full malolactic fermentation and then aged 9 months sur lie. The result is a peach & creamy wine with a toasted sugary pecan nose followed by a steely minerality. The wine finishes with subtle spice and decent acidity. I think this wine was the biggest surprise among my associates as many had never tried a furmint - let along a dry furmint. Well done.

We finished the evening with the Fekete Olaszrizling 2011 ($24.95), produced from the Grandfather of Somló winemaking, Béla Fekete.  Somló is Hungary’s smallest appellation and the area was once an underwater volcano. The oldest writings mentioning Somló wine date to 1093 with viticulture occurring earlier with the Romans.They know good volcanic soil when they see it. Located north of Lake Balaton in eastern Hungary, the app Somló appellation consists of only white grapes with Olaszrizling the favorite. Olaszrizling is actually the most planted wine grape in Central and Eastern Europe known as Graševina in Croatia, Welchsriesling in Austria, Riesling Italico in Italy, and Laški Rizling in Slovenia.

Béla Fekete started making wine late in life, while in his late 50's, yet because of his longevity has been producing wine for 32 years. Approaching 90, 2013 was his last vintage, so tasting his 2011 Olaszrizling was a great honor.  He uses non-traditional techniques, waiting for spontaneous fermentation  in old 1200 liter Hungarian oak casks. He never stirs the lees nor completely seals off oxygen. And all wines are aged for 2 years before bottling. The result is a complex wine, white fruits, with plenty of minerals and salty elements fishing with good acidity. Cheers to all the wines and thanks to Blue Danube Wine for supplying them.