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More Wines from Hungary, by Cozzi & Boffa

One of the delights of wine is that there are always new discoveries waiting to be made, and sometimes these discoveries lie right on your doorstep. One such discovery recently made is Hungary, a nation with a long history of viticulture and yet, despite that, one with which until recently - beyond the few examples of Tokaji that have almost inevitably passed my lips over the years - I was entirely unfamiliar.

Alright, I accept that Hungary isn't quite on Scotland's doorstep, but this is without doubt part of Europe, not some far-flung and exotic nation such as China or India - both of which are now blessed with an ever-increasing expanse of vineyards and may yet prove to be the next 'hot ticket' in wine. Well, maybe. And yet, now that New World countries such as Australia seem so familiar as wine-producing nations (and it was only a few decades ago that Australian wines, when they first arrived on the shores of the UK, seemed as alien as wine from Mars), and new potential is uncovered in China, India and elsewhere, part of me doubts that all the wine-producing potential of the Old World has ever really been uncovered.

For this reason I'm pleased to have another opportunity to taste more wines from a number of top Hungarian estates, all of which are imported by Jason Cozzi of Cozzi & Boffa. This tasting follows on from a previous encounter with Cozzi & Boffa wines in January 2011; in that article I provide more information on Hungary's viticultural history and also some details on specific domaines. A return to these domaines, albeit via different cuvées and different vintages, is made all the more enticing by this article by Jamie Goode on his Wineanorak site, in which a number of the wines I rated favourably come in for very particular criticism.

The wines reviewed here were tasted in a leisurely fashion over several evenings, allowing detailed consideration of each individual cuvée, which is I think the great advantage of tasting wines at home as opposed to an organised tasting, where the wines often receive barely a few minutes consideration. I started off with the white wines from Zoltán Demeter, as these had been particularly exciting to taste first time around. These seven wines presented a broader array of styles than the two tasted previously, not least because here the expected Furmint and Hárslevelü cuvées were joined by two examples of Sárga Muskotály, otherwise known as Muscat Blanc á Petits Grains, widely regarded as the more interesting of the Muscat varieties. The dry Muscat from the Őszhegy vineyard perhaps lacked the substance that the wine really needed to underpin its rather perfumed style, but the quality was still very good. I confess though that I found the Anett cuvée, carrying a remarkable 197 g/l of residual sugar, to be a more elegantly composed wine. Otto Legli's Olaszrizling was just as exciting as these Tokaji wines, although I found its companion Chardonnay to be overly soft and creamy.

As for the red wines of Ede Tiffán and Attila Gere, these samples further reiterated why the wines of these estates are in such high demand in Hungary. Yes, they are rich with concentrated and velvety textures, and yes they also carry a greater concentration of alcohol than I would usually tolerate, but what is important is whether this is evident in the glass; in these wines at least, I didn't find that to be the case, the palate instead dominated by the luscious fruit, often with Merlot leading the way, sometimes nuanced and perfumed with the floral notes characteristic of Cabernet Franc. The wines of Zoltán Heimann were enticing although not quite at the same level as those above, whereas Ferenc Takler were rather too-heavily marked by alcohol for my palate, weighing in at 15.5% and 16%. There was also a third wine not written up below as it was corked, this being a blend of Bordeaux varieties and Kadarka called Regnum, which boasted 15.5%. These high figures, which I also noted in my last review of Takler's wines, seem to be de rigueur here. Sadly I find it all a little over-the-top. For more on my approach to high alcohol levels in wine, see my 2010 St Emilion report.

Having found the quality to be high, I finished my last report on the wines of Tiffán, Takler and the like with a declaration that I would like to taste more of the wines of Hungary. I wasn't expecting to have the opportunity so soon, so this tasting has been a double pleasure in that respect. Once again the wines have provided some real pleasure, the whites both exciting and individual, the reds rich and heady, although thankfully the most successful red wines managed to combine their velvety textures with grip and acidity giving them both structure, substance and freshness. In that respect, they resemble Bordeaux 2010 a little. Unfortunately, due to unsurprisingly high domestic demand, the prices also remind me of Bordeaux.

The wines tasted here are all imported into the UK by Cozzi & Boffa who provided these samples for tasting. I have included the Cozzi & Boffa prices below where available (in some cases, marked N/A, the wines are not currently offered), as well as links through to Wine Searcher to ensure complete transparency. As usual I must make clear that at the time of posting these notes I have no business relationship with Cozzi & Boffa. (5/5/11)

More Wines from Hungary - Tasting Notes

Tasted in March 2011. Click for stockists.

If there were any wines I was looking forward to tasting it is these fine examples of Tokaji from Zoltán Demeter. I expand my experience here, looking not only at older vintages of the Lapis Furmint (delicious!) and the Szerelmi Hárslevelü, but some other single-vineyard Furmint cuvées, as well as two example of Sárga Muskotály, perhaps slightly better known as Muscat Blanc á Petits Grains. The sweet Anett was particularly impressive, but I think the 2007 Lapis Furmint was my favourite of all.

Zoltán Demeter Tokaji Birtokbor Furmint 2009: An unusual synthetic closure here, a multi-part piece made by Guala. The wine is clear with a light golden hue, and the nose is loaded with fruit salad, with notes of pear, apple, white grape and even a twist of tangerine. Fresh but rather fat on the palate, showing the same style through the middle with a nice substance and citrus and pear fruit substance at its core, with a bright and textured build. Appealing but rather soft and straightforward, and without a good frame of acidity to provide structure. There is a little grip to it. Overall this is relaxed and unfussy. 14/20 (£16.99)

Zoltán Demeter Tokaji Kakas Furmint 2007: Bottle number 42 of 1300. From a single vineyard. The colour here is pale gold, suggesting nothing of the enticing aromatic qualities found on the nose. There is vibrant yet honeyed orange citrus fruit character here, expressive and clean, polished down with notes of lemon zest and face cream, and a crumbling-stone minerality. In the mouth it has a beautiful purity and presence, with a crisp and slightly fleshy substance, very finely balanced by fresh acidity and more than a hint of citrusy, pithy grip. Great body and verve here, with a lovely richness very well framed by grip and acid. 17.5/20 (N/A)

Zoltán Demeter Tokaji Veres Furmint 2007: Bottle number 515 of 1633. A fairly rich golden hue here, and a very expressive, accessible nose to match. It is loaded with fruit, especially sweet stone fruit, most redolent of golden peach flesh, twisted with biting, pithy-punchy citrus fruit character. The orange nuances are swirled with creamy substance. On the palate, a fabulously cool but biting, integrated style, the orange fruit taking on a rather challenging, firm, structured and grippy character here, the fruit a little sour yet mouth-wateringly appealing. Just a little hint of barley water in the texture, too. A sappy, lively and charming wine, the biting fruit character countered by a minerally acidity. And there are soft nuances of lemon zest alongside. Very good indeed. 17/20 (£26.50)

Zoltán Demeter Tokaji Lapis Furmint 2007: Bottle number 1212 of 1550. The third in this trio of single-vineyard Furmint cuvées, the 2007 Lapis has a polished golden hue, and the suggestion of a greater softness than some of the other wines on the nose, conveyed by a sense of spicy, honeyed sweetness running alongside the peach and citrus fruit. There is a gentle purity to it, and yet it is also laced with more exotic nuances redolent of vanilla, minerals, orange-blossom honey and candle wax. The palate begins with this welcoming array of fruit, but also quickly declares a well-balanced structured underpinning it all, with a very appropriate presence for the fruit through the middle of the wine. It holds a lovely substance on the midpalate, bold and polished, yet with perfumed aromas, and lively acidity. Is there a little twist of botrytis running through this wine too? Grippy and gritty through into the finish of the wine, where more of the structure shows, keeping the wine firm and composed to the very end. It lingers for quite some time too. In this line up of 2007 Furmints this is without doubt my favourite. Delicious wine. 18/20 (N/A)

Zoltán Demeter Tokaji Szerelmi Hárslevelü 2007: Bottle number 552 of 1246. From a single vineyard. The colour has a gentle richness. On the nose there is certainly complexity, the aromatic characteristics fleeting and enticing, and yet somehow quite solid and reserved. There are elements of honeyed golden fruit which rather remind me of Richard Leroy's Les Noëls de Montbenault, perhaps there is some oak influence here still bringing this feeling, with little undertones of ginger cake, baked orange fruit and a savoury, polished finish. In the mouth all of these elements are swirled together in a complex melange of flavours but, as the nose suggested, backed up by a grippy, dry and forceful element that can only be related to the oak. There is also a little trace of tangible alcohol here at times, adding to the rawness of the mouthfeel, with the wine declaring 14.5%. It has a lovely weight to it though. I would have to give this time to get true pleasure from it, but I suspect it could be magnificent. 17.5/20 (N/A)

Zoltán Demeter Tokaji Őszhegy Sárga Muskotály 2008: Bottle number 399 of 597. From a single vineyard. Sealed with Vino-Lok. Rather a paler hue than some of Zoltán's other wines, and the aromatic profile is fairly distinctive as well, showing a broad array of perfumed characteristics that are eternally associated with Muscat. There is a sweet orange blossom character blended with the freshly pulped flesh of lychees, with notes of rose petal very reminiscent of sweet Turkish delight, along with elements of candied pear. Despite this exuberant character on the nose it has a dry yet fleshy style on the palate, albeit pervaded by many of the aromatic elements already noted. Nicely balanced acidity to counter this fleshy and feminine substance, leading to a finish showing some bitter, Seville orange grip. Certainly a well fashioned wine, appealing, but the flavour profile really needs something savoury or of greater substance to make this wine truly sing. 16/20 (N/A)

Zoltán Demeter Tokaji Anett Sárga Muskotály 2008: Number 551 of 581 half-bottles. In the glass this has an attractive, rich but bright golden hue. It is very aromatic and perfumed as we would expect from any strain of Muscat, but with a dense, golden and polished character rather than anything too flashy or floral. There follows a lovely presence in the mouth, just dripping with sweet fruit with a sense of citrus zest, orange blossom and blood oranges too. It is backed up by a lovely weight, not savoury but certainly adding a welcome note of restraint, a solid and mealy character counterbalancing the bright and vibrant fruit. There is a little sourness to the fruit which I like, a gentle grip, and a moderate acidity sitting against that rich layer of residual sugar. This is delicious stuff, with a lovely creamy edge of great purity, and it is incredibly long too, fleeting in and out on the palate for minutes. 17.5/20 (N/A)

Zoltán Heimann has an approach true to his terroir and homeland, although he does still incorporate international varieties such as Cabernet Franc, and other more esoteric varieties such as Sagrantino, with the native Kékfrankos and Kadarka. Here I taste his Barbar and Birtokbor cuvées.

Zoltán Heimann Székszárd Barbar 2007: A blend of Kékfrankos, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Tannat, with a declared concentration of alcohol of 15%. Like the 2006, it comes in a slightly fat, heavyweight bottle. A dark and glossy wine, black at its core, with a bright crimson rim. The nose is certainly showing a very toasted character at present, with a little papery walnut at the edge, although alongside there is also a good presence of plum fruit here, dark and spicy, and yet fresh and well defined. As the appearance and nose might suggest, the palate has a very rich character, although it starts off with a rather cool style. It shows a very bold structure through the middle of the palate, and the raw, peppery punch that comes through here may well reflect that firm backbone of alcohol. But then there are fresher notes too here, quite exuberant berry and plum fruit, and quite a sappy and tangible substance to it. There are crisper citrus notes too, orange peel, and underneath it all a ripe seam of tannins and some gentle acidity. Still very primary at present, but there is certain potential here. And there is a firm, sappy tannic length. 16.5/20 (£26.00)

Zoltán Heimann Székszárd Birtokbor 2007: This wine features Cabernet Franc, accounting for 50% of the blend, with 30% Merlot and 20% Kékfrankos. Fermented in stainless steel regulated to below 25ºC, with a 15-month élevage prior to bottling. In the glass the wine has a fine depth of colour, deeply pigmented at its core with a vibrant, cherry-claret rim. The fruit character on the nose starts off fresh and defined, slowly opening out to reveal richer and deeper fruit characters with a smoky depth, but always keeping that fresh, crunchy-cherry edge. This is matched by a lovely, sappy freshness at the beginning of the palate, with a lovely midpalate development, the wine showing here an fresh, almost juicy and yet very composed detachment, tinged with violets. And yet underneath there is a nice hint of grit and substance to it, the texture a little influenced by the fleshy Merlot perhaps, and towards the finish it shows a more grippy, slightly more chewy style. Overall an attractive wine. 16/20 (£15.99)

Around Lake Balaton there are planted all kinds of fruits, not just grapes; Otto Legli funded his first planting of vines with the sale of his peaches! Here he gives us a dry example of Olaszrizling, a good candidate for Hungary's most widely planted variety, and a less convincing Chardonnay.

Otto Legli Balatonboglár Banyászó Olaszrizling 2007: A late-harvest Olaszrizling (otherwise known as Welschriesling, a relative of Riesling) from vineyards very close to Lake Balaton. Beautifully pure and minerally fruit on the nose, intense but precise and challenging rather than soft and seductive. I like it! Very correct and upright start to the palate, showing a little more softness and warmth to the fruit in the middle of the palate, just a little though, together with a precise, firm, defining backbone of acidity. With this slightly softer fruit comes a little more texture to match the structure too. Delicious and rather powerful wine with plenty of character. Would be great with a little smoked fish. 17+/20 (£15.99)

Otto Legli Landlord Chardonnay 2007: From a single vineyard next to Lake Baloton. Picked on October 7th and 9th, fermented in a mix of 220- and 350-litre Hungarian oak casks, with élevage in the same. A moderate depth of colour, appropriately rich but not over the top. On the nose a captivating combination of tropical fruit, with different elements flitting in and out including pineapple, tangerine and lychee, alongside a rather oatmealy element which may well reflect the oak. It all comes together nicely, although does seem to declare a rather rich character, and this is found to be true in the mouth, where the wine has all the bright and expressive, sweetly ripe tropical fruit we might expect, together with a rather fat, creamy texture. There are some welcome notes of bitterness behind it all, giving some backbone, but what I would appreciate here is some acidity. On the palate this just doesn't come across. Just 9000 bottles produced. 14/20 (£19.99)

My last tasting of Ede Tiffán's wines afforded me an encounter with his Carissimae and Grande Selection cuvées, whereas here a more recent vintage of the latter of these two wines has been joined by the 2007 Elysium. Although both are impressive, rich, substantial yet nicely composed wines, I couldn't help but prefer the 100% Merlot Elysium.

Ede Tiffán Villány Grande Selection 2007: This is Tiffán's top cuvée, a blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Like the 2006 this vintage has a deep, dark and glossy-black hue to it. The nose is also just as stunning, first starting off with a real blast of blackcurrant cassis, before some time in the decanter brings forth an array of rich and striking aromas, with notes of charcoal and smoke over a layer of roasted berry fruits, with blackberry to the fore. The wine's dark appearance is matched by a very creamy feel as it hits the palate, carrying all that fruit character with a savoury edge, and backed up by a rich seam of ripe yet lightly grippy tannins which build to a greater dominance through the middle and toward the end of the palate. The style is cool and well framed despite the fleshy character of the wine, the backbone of tannin ripe and well judged, and the acidity also has a good presence in the mouth; this might be a richly styled imposing wine, but this is no fudgy, jammy or flabby affair. The fruit takes on a perfumed, floral yet minerally character, and most importantly the 15% alcohol doesn't show through in the substance. Beautiful wine, with a fading savoury, lip-smacking grip. Delicious. 17.5/20 (£N/A)

Ede Tiffán Villány Elysium 2007: Whereas Ede Tiffán's Grande Selection follows the well-trodden path of the full-blown Bordeaux blend, this cuvée showcases just one variety, that being Merlot. And it is certainly an impressive showcase. The colour is very dark, but closer inspection reveals it to be a dusty-claretty red rather than anything more pigmented. On the nose, we have notes of sweet and spicy sandalwood at first, quickly followed by some delightful fruit character, all roasted cherry and savoury plum skins, along with notes of cassis, smoke, minerals and flower petals. As we might expect fairy rich and velvety on entry, with beautiful density of fruit here, concentrated essence of red plum and cherry like the nose, with a firm charcoaly seam of tannin running through the middle of the wine, giving a real kick in the finish. Again, although carrying 15%, this doesn't show through. Nice if rather gentle acidity on the tip of the tongue here, backing up a really tangible texture to the wine, all grit and substance, giving the wine a rather cool and detached feel at times. Great wine, evocative and fine, polished and yet somehow relaxed at the same time. 18/20 (£55.00)

Attila Gere, who established his vineyard right next-door to Ede Tiffán, produces very similarly styled wines. He works with the Bordeaux varieties, and the wines are rich and expressive. This time, following on from the Kopár and Solus cuvées tasted previously, I take a look at his Grand Vin de Villány.

Attila Gere Grand Vin de Villány 2007: A blend of Cabernet Franc and Merlot, from the Kopár hillsides, Konkoly and Ördögárok vineyards, made in only the most favourable vintages. It has a dark and rich appearance in the glass, near-black at its core, with a cherry-claret rim. The nose is full of sweet and yet dusty fruit, well countered by the aromatic, violet-tinged perfume of the Cabernet Franc along with some more savoury, smoky, roast-meaty elements - oak-related, perhaps - that come with a little exposure to air. But more than anything it speaks of dark, primary, velvety fruit. Rich and creamy on entry, showing a great balanced structure underneath it though, with bright acidity keeping the wine fresh and crisp, and with a ripe and velvety yet savoury and detached seam of tannins alongside. The fruit here has a dense and ripe character despite the firm composure of the palate's structure. A very solid wine with a lot of reserve, slowly rolling into a long and lingering, softly creamed finish; this currently seems very fruit-orientated and straightforward, although it has a very composed, serious frame to it. It needs time. 17.5/20 (£89.00)

Ferenc Takler and sons Andras and Ferenc are based in Székszárd, and they work with a blend of local varieties such as Kékfrankos and Kadarka as well as internationals, not just the Bordeaux varieties but also Syrah. The 'house' style is one of richness and alcohol. Where this is reined in, such as in the 2006 Székszárd Bikavér (tasted previously) which had just 14% alcohol the wines can be delicious. Here, however, the higher figures begin to dominate the entire palate of the wine.

Ferenc Takler Székszárd Primarius 2006: A jet black hue here to this 100% Merlot cuvée. The nose starts of with a remarkably smoky, cigar-like character at first, although later on it displays a more fruit-dominated character, in a style that is really deep, intense and very concentrated. There are notes of blackberry and cherry, with a very sweetly spiced, substance to it most reminiscent of cherry liqueur, such as kirsch. Rather unsurprisingly in view of this domineering aromatic character the palate starts off in a very velvety character, with immediate notes of macerated cherry which marry well with the nose, although through the middle this yields to a more severe and hot structural element, with a harsh streak of alcohol here coming through and laying waste to any fruit elements that may have first seemed apparent. It is perhaps not so surprising if we consider the alcohol concentration here, which weighs in at 16%. It brings a rather hollow feel to the wine, and certainly doesn't do the wine any favours, dominating with heat and burn through the finish. 13/20 (£42.00)

Ferenc Takler Cabernet Franc Reserve 2006: Another very dark wine here, perhaps not as jet-black as some, but certainly very deeply coloured and concentrated. The nose carries a rather roasted and spirity fruit, with a very rich and ripe feel to it, albeit with a seam of Cabernet Franc perfume behind it as well. There is plenty of creamy polish here, with some very solid layers of fruit, but in the midpalate this all gives away to a firm layer of alcohol which reflects this wine's 15.5% endowment, There is a really nice texture behind this, a rather chalky-gritty edge, but over the top of everything there is this sweet and solid cloak of alcohol. A wine with a bold, structure, a full-on character and a grippy mouth-puckering finish with a long and savoury character. It has an appealing meaty-savoury quality which shines through, but unfortunately it doesn't shine as much as the alcohol. 14/20 (£35.10)