Bussay Winery

Bussay Winery


Zala Region

The Bussay Winery is located in the Zala region, which is in the far southwestern corner of Hungary. It’s one of Hungary’s smallest and least-known regions. Much of the region, including the Bussay Winery, straddles the Croatian and Slovenian borders, and the River Mura moderates its climate. The Busy Winery is located in the Csörnyeföld village, on the border of Hungary, Slovenia and Croatia. The winery was founded by Dr. László Bussay in 1988, and until his death in 2014 he was a  leading figure in the region, in addition to serving as the local doctor. László’s daughter Dóra now runs the winery, and is the village doctor. At the winery she has a partner in her husband, Tamás Kis (who also makes wines at his own winery in Somló, Somló Vándor). Bussay has  5.5 hectares of vineyards, and has been fully organic for the past three years.

Mura, 2018

This bottle—a blend of Olaszrizling (50 percent), Pinot Gris (25 percent), and Riesling (25 percent)—nicely represents the regional style. It is named for the Mura river, which creates a triple border between Hungary, Slovenia, and Croatia. The soil here is a mixture of gravel, clay, and limestone, which are the sediments left by the river. This wine spontaneously fermented in 1,000 liter casks (made by a local cooper), and was kept on its lees for a few months before being racked to another 1,000 liter cask, where it aged for 10 more months before bottling. During the time spent on the lees, the wine was not pumped or stirred. In the glass, this wine shows a restrained and elegant fruit profile: ripe melons, nectarines, and acacia flowers. The balance on the palate is remarkable. The combination of the Pinot Gris next to the lees aging gives this wine a nice body and mouthfeel, without the need for oak influence. The Riesling component adds a fresh and crisp acidity, which balances the creamy body. Olaszrizling’s classic almond-like bitterness appears in a very soft and integrated way in the aftertaste. This is an incredibly food-friendly wine. Enjoy it with grilled white meats, vegetable-based dishes, spicy rice, or creamy dishes. This wine is both delicious and very versatile.

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Kövecs Olaszrizling, 2019

Kövecs is the name of the Bussay family’s best vineyard parcel, where they solely plant white varieties. The soil here is mostly gravel and clay, and is strongly influenced by sediment from the nearby Mura river. Olaszrizling is relatively easy to grow, not too sensitive to vine diseases, and produces wines with a balanced acidity that can be enjoyed fairly young. It’s no wonder that Olaszrizling does so well in the Zala region—it is surrounded by other fantastic Olaszrizling producing areas—Styria, Austria and the Prekmurje area of Slovenia are both known for their crisps Olaszrizling. This wine was spontaneously fermented in 1,000 liter previously-used oak casks. It spent five months aging on its lees, which gave it a creamy texture and fresh pastry-like aromas (like fresh baked croissants and crackers). There are also lovely rich and ripe aromas of peaches and pears. This wine has a balanced acidity, and a long aftertaste. It is a really good example of the type of high-quality wine that can be produced from the Olaszrizling grape. This wine would be delicious paired with grilled fish, smoked fish, fried chicken, or cheesy pasta dishes.

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Csókaszőlő, 2018

Csókaszőlő is a rare, ancient Hungarian variety, which is experiencing a small revival. In addition to Bussay, there are just a handful of other producers who grow Csókaszőlő. Like several other Hungarian grape varieties which have been revived in the past decades, Csókaszőlő owes its comeback to winemaker József Szentesi in the Etyek-Buda region. Szentesi has a passion for planting old Hungarian varieties, and then sharing them with other wineries. In 2004 Szentesi was the first winery to commercially produce Csókaszőlő after almost 150 years. Bussay was next. Csóka means jackdaw (a type of bird) and szőlő means wine. Its name comes from the fact that, like the bird, the berries have an almost black color. The Bussay winery has just 0.7 hectares of Csókaszőlő planted, and only produces one barrel of it every year. It was the favorite variety of the late Dr. Laszló Bussay, who founded the Bussay Winery. These days Dr. Dorottya Bussay, Laszló’s daughter, runs the winery, following her father’s vision. She also fell in love with Csókaszőlő, even though it is very difficult to grow, due to its sensitivity to vine diseases. This wine was spontaneously fermented in an open tank. Two-thirds of it was aged for 10 months in a 1,000 liter previously-used oak cask, and the rest was aged in stainless steel tanks. In the glass, this wine has a purple color and aromas of violets, cherries, and blood oranges. On the palate, it is crisp, fresh, and juicy. It has a nice spiciness, with blood orange and sour cherry flavors. This is a unique wine. It is worth enjoying with a simple pepperoni pizza or pasta dish.

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Charmes Pinot Noir, 2017 

Pinot Noir is well known to be a difficult grape variety to grow outside of its home in France’s Burgundy region, where it is most famous. It is a finicky grape, but winemakers won’t give up on it because it can produce some of the world’s most extraordinary ethereal wines. However, if not grown correctly (or in the right climate), it can produce heavy and charmless wines with high alcohol and baked-fruit aromas. With this Pinot Noir, Bussay has created a ground-breaking wine for the Zala region. This off-the-beaten path region was previously known mostly for its homemade wines. This is a pale, light, easy-drinking Pinot, with a flavor (and appearance) that is like strawberry juice. The name is inspired by the famed Burgundian clay-based Grand Cru vineyard, Charmes-Chambertin, since a Canadian wine writer once compared its flavor to a Charmes-Chambertin wine. Since the Zala region also has a clay-based soil, and the wine has a soft and charming taste, the winemaker decided to go with this name. Fermentation occurred spontaneously in open tanks, with 10-14 days of skin contact. It was aged for 12 months in Hungarian oak barrels (from the Trust cooperage). This wine benefits greatly from oxygen contact, so don’t hesitate to decant it! Enjoy this wine slightly chilled, next to spicy foods, grilled meats, or mushroom-based dishes.

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