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Wines of Hungary, by Cozzi & Boffa

Hungary is not a young country, its origins laying in the 9th century under the rule of Árpád, and at various moments along the subsequent timeline this nation has been central to European politics. The Hungarian Kingdom (as it was known until the mid-20th century) has been at various times a western outpost of the Ottoman empire, a Hapsburg territory and subsequently one-half of the powerful Austro-Hungarian Empire, and most recently of all an occupied communist-ruled state hidden behind the Iron Curtain. Its wine heritage reflects this long and complex history; indeed, the Hungarian language is one of only two (the other being Greek) where the word for wine - bor - is not derived from the Latin vinum. As a nation today Hungary is richly endowed with vineyards and an array of indigenous varieties (even if imported and international vines seem to be more commonly encountered) and the country is, from an outsider's point of view at least, a rich and largely untapped vinous resource. And it is not just the very famous sweet wines of Tokaj-Hegyalja that we should be paying attention to; there are many other regions too, turning out a mix of dry white and red wines, using a melange of familiar and more esoteric varieties. Some examples are very impressive indeed, distinctive wines which are certainly very distinct from the robust bottles of Bull's Blood that I may have consumed as a younger man. Hungary is a wine country I would like to know better, I think.

So here is my opportunity. The eponymous and independent wine merchant Cozzi & Boffa, home to Jason Cozzi, is now importing some of the finest examples of Hungarian wines into the UK, and I was delighted to be able to taste a selection recently, courtesy of Jason.

Hungarian Wine: A Brief History

The identities of those who planted Hungary's first vines are long forgotten, but if we consider that modern-day Hungary was once a province of the Roman Empire, when it was known as Pannonia, it seems likely that, as happened elsewhere in Europe, the Romans introduced the vine to region. Certainly within a few hundred years the vineyards were well established, and indeed it is written that the aforementioned Árpád owned many himself. With time new varieties arrived in the vineyard, and perhaps unsurprisingly landlocked Hungary has been influenced by her European neighbours in this respect. These newcomers came from across Europe, mainly but not solely from France and Italy; legend has it that Kadarka, the basis for the aforementioned Bull's Blood (known locally as Egri Bikavér), was imported from Serbia by Turkish invaders.

The long history of sweet wine production in Tokaji needs a suitably detailed analysis of its own, but even the briefest guide to Hungarian wine must mention the arrival and exploitation of noble rot in the region. This would seem to date to at least the 16th century, with references to the very sweet Tokaji Aszú having been made as long ago as 1571. But not even the vineyards of Tokaji and Hungary are immune from the devastating vine disease phylloxera, and replanting after this disease saw a new focus which leant towards plantings of international varieties and eclectics such as Kékfrankos (known elsewhere - including in neighbouring Austria - as Blaufränkisch) in the regions focusing on red wines, and Furmint, Muscat and Hárslevelű around Tokaj-Hegyalja. Eventually a broad mix of indigenous and international varieties took shape.

Communist occupation did nothing for quality of course, but once independent rule returned in the late-20th century the way was open for investment and recovery. Today thirsty Hungarians, recognising the quality of what they have on their doorstep, are busy drinking up these locally produced wines. There is little impetus for them to export, hence many of these wines are difficult to source beyond Hungary's borders, and when they do escape this domestic demand is often reflected in high prices.

Cozzi & Boffa - Wines from Four Regions

There are in fact seventeen different wine regions scattered across the length and breadth of Hungary, but Cozzi & Boffa have honed in on the crème de la crème of all Hungarian wine, leading them to concentrate on just four regions.

First up is Tokaji, in the very north-east corner, clearly the source of Hungary's best known wine. For that reason I won't dwell on this region here, except to say that of the three white wines I tasted from the Cozzi & Boffa list, the two from Zoltán Demeter suggest that there is much more to this wine region than noble rot and puttonyos. The two cuvées presented, both single-vineyard dry table wines, were both remarkably individual, exciting and distinctive wines.

Much further to the west is lake Balaton, around which are dotted a number of small wine regions, including Balatonboglár. There are a mix of soils here, with volcanic types dominating, and the varieties planted are predominantly white, with Welschriesling, Riesling, Chardonnay, Hárslevelű and Furmint all putting in an appearance, and the style is typified by the wines of Otto Legli. Meanwhile, a little further to the south we find both Villány and Székszárd, both red wine territories. It is here that the wines of Hungary have real potential to surprise; both of these region's give us powerful, velvety yet fresh and appealingly balanced styles, and they are home to some of the great names in Hungarian wine, including Ede Tiffán, Zoltán Heimann, Attila Gere and Ferenc Takler, many of whom favour Bordeaux varieties alongside the traditional Kadarka and Kékfrankos, as well as the occasional interloper such as Sagrantino and Syrah.

At first glance the dominance of so many Bordeaux varieties caused some anxiety; would these not just be soupy, over-oaked, 'international' wannabe-cult-wines? Happily, nothing is further from the truth. Admittedly, a number of them do possess a prodigious level of alcohol, 15% in several cases, even 16% in one particular cuvée. And yet on the palate the vast majority of them hid this fact well, the alcohol well hidden behind a well-judged and not overblown layer of fruit, with good acidity and freshness in the mouth, giving the wines a sense of lift and balance which brought great pleasure. Quite a number of the wines feature Cabernet Franc, which shows through with a varietally true perfume, and Merlot also seems to possess a particularly seductive style here. There is a little oak here and there, but nothing obtrusive on the whole, and overall the wines are a stunning delight to drink, with some clearly capable of developing very nicely in the cellar.

Yes, as I indicated above, Hungary is a wine country I would like to know better.

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, as well as links through to Wine Searcher to ensure complete transparency. As usual I must make clear that at the time of posting my notes on these wines I have no business relationship with Cozzi & Boffa. (18/1/11)

Wines of Hungary - Tasting Notes

Tasted in December 2010. Click for stockists.

Zoltán Demeter trained in Budapest and the USA, gaining further experience in France and the UK, before returning to his roots. He started off working for a number of leading Tokaji estates, but has since built up a 7-hectare portfolio of his own, with a focus on small plots of the local Furmint and Hárslevelü varieties. These wines were both fascinating to taste, but the Szerelmi Hárslevelü was particularly thrilling.

Zoltán Demeter Tokaji Lapis Grand Cru Furmint 2008: Bottle number 335 of 1023. A fine golden hue in the glass, and a bright, striking, aromatic nose, with explosive notes of bitter peach skin and orange zest, with elements of pine kernel and freshly-squeezed tangerine. Very supple and fresh on the palate, broad, with drily-structured rather than sweet fruit, although there is a grippy, pithy bite to it which brings a lot of appeal as far as I am concerned. It does have a slightly oily edge to the texture, but that is more than matched by the pithy grip, even if the acidity does take a rather a back seat through the middle of the wine. Expressive, fascinating, delicious wine, for drinking now. 17.5+/20 (£34.50)

Zoltán Demeter Tokaji Szerelmi Grand Cru Hárslevelü 2008: Bottle number 1305 of 1804. An attractive, mid-golden hue that suggests concentration. And indeed that seems to be the case on the nose, which has just beautiful expression, absolutely brimming with fruit character but also with plenty of non-fruit complexities alongside. There is mango, pineapple, sweet pear, a real tropical fruit salad at first, all swirled with an icy, sorbet-like freshness. And alongside that are more grippy and characterful elements, furry peach skin, lychee, even a little bacon and cream. And the palate is everything we should expect after this olfactory onslaught; rich, broad, vibrant, fresh with delightfully piercing acidity cutting right through the fruit-laden substance on the wine, yielding in the finish to give a savoury, pithy, slightly tingly mineral edge to it all. It's not just sweetness though, there is a savoury, pepper-tinged grip here too. This is very impressive, showing remarkable concentration and also great focus, with sweet richness at its core but a fine, fresh, pebble-dry finish. Great wine. I want more. 18/20 (£34.50)

If there were a competition to find an elder statesman of Hungarian wine, a figurehead for what might be termed the 'New Hungary', then Ede Tiffán stands a good chance of election I think. Named by the Hungarian Wine College as their first ever Winemaker of the Year in 1991, the very year he started out, and today he is vice president of the Hungarian Wine Academy. His wines reflect his passion and status, whilst possessing a bright, perfumed and elegant character all of their own. Forget the iron fist, these wines focus purely on the velvet of the glove, with a delightful freshness as counterbalance.

Ede Tiffán Villány Cuvée Carissimae 2007: This blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot is named for an inscription found on a Roman tombstone ploughed up from between the vines. It is very dark at the core, with a claretty-dusty rim. Initially quite closed on the nose, it does open out with time to yield notes of soft dark fruits with a little twist of earthy-animal spice, alongside a light application of oak. Rather a cool entry, the fruit fresh and lively despite considerable substance to the wine, with a warm and solid power behind it all relating to the wine's 15% alcohol I think. There is textured fruit on the palate, quite supple with that spicy power sitting behind it, only really coming to dominate in the finish. Deep and concentrated, although with well-defined lines, the palate maintains a good presence here, all the corners tucked in as necessary. This is helped by a smoothly polished but still redoubtable character to the tannins, which do give a little to chew on the finish, and softly balanced acidity. A very young wine which will surely do well in the cellar, but is still approachable now for those that enjoy deeply concentrated fruit, creamy-grainy tannins and a polished oak edge. 16.5+/20 (£35)

Ede Tiffán Villány Grande Selection 2006: This is the top blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot from Ede Tiffán. It has a beautifully dark, black and yet vibrant hue in the decanter. The pulse really starts to race when encountering the aromatics though, which are just breathtaking, vibrant and alive, full of perfumed fruit, dark and yet with floral overtones, still with a little trace of oak but certainly nothing obtrusive, Sweet, expressive, with a dark but vivacious character, and with tinges of iron and burnt rust alongside the fruit characters. It is thrilling. On the palate it is broad and fleshy, yet well defined and direct, with plenty of grip and substance but always with a bright, concentrated style to it, along with a fine and meaty edge to the fruit. Its high status is conveyed by the lovely composition on the palate, a silky-cottony structure, fresh acidity and a fine, chalky substance to the fruit. What a fine, powerful and yet refined style. The finish is long, bright and very perfumed, with a sweet and softly mineral edge to the tannins, and a freshness to the core. Brilliant. For label images and more see my Wine of the Week write-up. 18+/20 (£65)

Standing next in line to Ede Tiffán in this line up of exalted Villány winemakers is Attila Gere, who established his winery right next-door to Ede Tiffán. He has quickly built up a comparable reputation, both locally and internationally, and his Kopár cuvée in particular seems to have garnered much praise. Having said that, it was his 100% Merlot Solus, which blew me away on this tasting.

Attila Gere Villány Kopár 2007: This is a blend of 52% Cabernet Franc, 46% Merlot and just 2% Cabernet Sauvignon, fermented in large oak vessels and aged in new French and Hungarian oak for 16 months. It has a deep colour in the glass, very deep at the core, with a dark claretty rim. A really dense and hot-smoked layer of fruit on the nose, with a slightly violetty, sweet-dried black fruit character. Plenty of substance on the palate, a great pile of fleshy fruit with a good frame to it, but also with pile of structure some of which has a rather dry, wood-tannin feel to it, which goes with the wealth of fresh oak staves also still in evidence here. This is showing a lot of embryonic substance and structure at present, and also a little heat, but some of this is just down to the awkwardness of youth I think. A big tannic finish, and stacks of extract. Some good points here - I like the fruit profile, frame and substance - but it does seem very intense and youthful right now. Give it time. 17+/20 (£36)

Attila Gere Villány Solus Merlot 2007: Produced from 100% Merlot from the Kopár slope, which has poor loess soils and a very favourable aspect. Matured in small Hungarian oak barrels. A dark hue in the glass, with plenty of red pigment, deep and dusty although no signs of maturity. A very fine definition on the nose, expressive and absolutely brimming with dry fruits with plum and damson-skin characteristics, rich in varietal spiced fruit-cake elements, intense and heady, nuanced with touches of liquorice, black truffles and smoke. And a very faint seam of rubber too. What sings loudest though is the wine's immense concentration. This character carries through onto the palate too, which shows a fine but plush texture, although it is well framed by a grippy structure. There is a framework of ripe and velvety tannins, with a svelte presence running through the core of the wine, with a spicy, heady fruit character wrapped around it, buoyed up by fresh acidity. Sweetly poised and well composed, but rich and spicy, the wine rolls into a ripe tannic grip at the finish which caresses the palate and slowly lingers. Rich, with great depth and substance, this is a very seductively composed wine, but clearly with the balanced structure to put some time in the cellar. Fabulous substance and presence here. Top wine! 18+/20 (£49)

Such is Attila Gere's reputation it is perhaps no surprise that we should find him engaged in collaborations such as this one. This 100% Cabernet Franc from Villány has been produced in a joint venture with Austrian winemaker Franz Weninger, a partnership which was formed in 1992, shortly after communist rule was overturned.

Weninger Gere Villány Cabernet Franc Selection 2007: There is certainly a dark, dense, claretty and somewhat dusty hue here. The nose is perfumed yet rich and warm at the same time, and it has the violet tinge of young Cabernet Franc, although it is set against a backdrop of ripe black fruits, with nuances of chalk, tobacco and hot smoke. There is also some residual oak at present lending a mildly flashy, toffee-honey-crunch edge to the nose. The palate at the very beginning is textured, yet underneath very firm and upright too, and towards the middle it shows - behind the flesh and perfumed redcurrant and cranberry fruit - a wealth of structure, appropriate acidity giving freshness, and a layer of charcoaly, rose-tinged tannins. It has a lightly polished finish, although the youthful substance gives it more grip and power than a glossy sheen, and towards the finish this has a lip-smacking, meaty feel to it. This is a wine with body and power, and while its breadth and warm fruit make it accessible now the seam of oak and ripe frame underneath it all suggest that this will blossom nicely in the cellar. 17.5+/20 (£32)

Tokaji is undoubtedly Hungary's most highly reputed wine export it seems, but which is the best known, the most infamous perhaps? I suspect it may be Bull's Blood, otherwise known as Bikavér, most commonly from the Egri wine region but also from Székszárd. A blend centred around the ancient Kadarka variety, this wine has perhaps not been a shining example of Hungary's vinous potential over the years. Winemakers such as Ferenc Takler and his sons, Andras and Ferenc, are proving that there can be more to this traditional blend than we might perhaps expect.

Ferenc Takler Székszárd Bikavér 2006: A fairly dark hue to this blend of Kékfrankos, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Kadarka, and on the nose a rich layer of dark fruits, black plums and ripe raspberries on toast, tinged with soot and smoke suggestive of some residual oak. On the palate there is a very fine and rich texture, although this is a coolly-styled wine, with plenty of fine-grained extract plus a little chalkiness to the texture, and a pebbly nuance behind the body of the wine. Plenty of flesh and substance though, a rich coulis of violet-tinged forest fruits, dusted with soot, swirled with fresh cream. Overall a great substance to the wine, ripe and composed, that stony-pebbly note keeping it fresh, and the 14% alcohol doesn't show through at all. And an admirable length too. Delicious stuff. 17/20 (£19.99)

Ferenc Takler Székszárd Syrah Reserve 2007: A really fresh, bright but deep colour in the glass. And with this intense hue comes a similarly intense, aroma-packed nose, initially showing a fruit-packed character, all plums, ebullient blackberries and sweet cranberries, but then later it shows more dense, smoky-toasty oak characteristics. The palate, despite this rich and oaky style on the nose, still manages to display a good, well-defined frame. Although it has a ripe flesh on entry, there is an immediately apparent frame of acidity and grip around it, and this accompanies the finely polished fruit right through the midpalate and into the finish. And I really like all the savoury components that come behind the fruit, meat stock and pickling spices, all dark and brooding. Towards the end the composition does show a little more rawness in its character, with the spicy grip also showing a hotter, more prickly character, all of which reflect this wine's rather prodigious 16% alcohol, which is otherwise rather well hidden. And, for my palate, the fruit character and meat stock complexity is very convincing; I would prefer it with a little less exuberant texture and alcohol, but that doesn't mean I don't like it, but lovers of big, rich, grippy, tannic (and spicy and alcoholic) wines will appreciate this most. 16+/20 (£45)

Zoltán Heimann is a man of his land, a firm advocate of regionality and tradition, unconcerned with passing fads in the little world of wine beyond the borders of his vineyards and of Székszárd. Nevertheless, he is also not afraid to innovate, and he has planted Sagrantino (which seems to have adapted very well to the region), Viognier, Tannat and other foreign varieties, and he has worked hard in selecting the best clones of Kadarka, from more than 30 types in his vineyards. Two very good wines show what he and his vines are capable of.

Zoltán Heimann Székszárd Barbar 2006: A fascinating blend here that could only come from Hungary I think, Kékfrankos (10%) blended with Cabernet Franc (30%) and Merlot (40%), with a southern-French interloper in the form of Tannat (20%). It comes in a slightly fat, heavyweight bottle which might cause an allergic reaction in some, but it's what's in the bottle that counts. The colour is dark and dusty, red-black at the core, claretty red at the rim. There are dark and smoky fruits on the nose, with a fresh and crunchy edge, and also a gravelly undertone. A lovely presence on entry, broad but very fresh and full of vigour, absolutely brimming with fruit from one cheek to the other, yet all kept nicely buoyant by a very fine seam of acidity. There is a very supple style to the texture, and the fruit characterised by a dark cherry and plum style with a glassy clarity, nuanced with sweet violet tones, and the crispness of grey smoke. Most impressive is the supple, harmonious character through to the sappy, acid-tinged finish though. Overall, this is delicious stuff. 17.5+/20 (£26.99)

Zoltán Heimann Székszárd Franciscus 2007: This is a blend of Cabernet Franc and Sagrantino; the former is a grape familiar to all of us Loire-lovers, but perhaps not Sagrantino. This latter variety is at home in Umbria, particularly around Montefalco, although there are only around 100 hectares planted there. It has found a second home in Hungary it seems. The wine has a very dark hue, but one that is intensely crimson rather than inky or opaque, the wine having a shimmering brightness. Dark, smoky yet crystalline fruit on the nose, bright with crunchy plum, cranberry, plump but taut-skinned cherry, fresh but also with a vigorous, creamed layer of smoky, sooty black fruits. Wonderfully bright and broad on the palate, amazingly vibrant fruit character carried aloft, underneath a vivacious and very forward seam of acids. There is a sharp stone character to the texture of the wine, gritty in its presence, the acids following it through, the body of the wine coping well though, never for one moment does it seem lean or loose. This is a fine and tautly composed wine, somewhat challenging in its glassy finish, but it has a length composed of a bright roll of tumbling, refreshing, crystallised fruit, and overall I find this really delicious. 17.5+/20 (£23.99)

Around Lake Balaton, Europe's largest freshwater lake, there are a smorgasbord of multifaceted slopes perfect for ripening all kinds of fruit, with grapes no exception. Here Otto Legli tends his vines with the same care he affords his peaches. This late harvest Riesling is a fine example of the potential of his vineyards.

Otto Legli Balatonboglár Gesztenyés Late Harvest Riesling 2007: A late-harvest Riesling from vineyards very close to Lake Balaton. A mid-gold in the glass. The nose is just enticing, intensely mineral, with the richness of sweet apricots twisted with honey, spiked with lime and orange zest. The palate though is nowhere near as rich or sugar-infused as I perhaps expected it to be from the character found on the nose. Instead it seems quite dry, what residual sugar there is here swept away by the supreme minerality and vibrant, rubbed-stone acidity, giving the wine a very firm, intense character. Many often mistakenly think late harvest means high sugar levels, but it isn't so; this is only sweet in the same way Huet's premier trie wines are sweet, meaning it is more about intensity and complexity than simple residual sugar. In fact I would drink this with roast chicken. Delicious. 17+/20 (£21.99)