100% Cabernet Francs From Around Hungary (6-Pack)

One of Hungary’s red wine bastions, Eger, the home of Bikavér (aka Bull’s Blood), also boasts a diverse geological make-up which includes rhyolite tuff. It is also Hungary’s northernmost red-wine-producing region. Historic vineyards planted on these volcanic rocks make some of the biggest, fieriest wines in the region. As in Tokaj, this tuff lends itself perfectly to the carving of cellars. It hosts 99 percent of Eger’s cellars, including networks of passages dozens of miles long and the famous cellars under the city’s fortified castle.

Although historically a white wine land like its volcanic counterparts, red varieties displaced the whites and finally after the blight of phylloxera, Eger’s flagship red blend, Egri Bikavér, attained a worldwide reputation at the start of the 20th century. Winemakers here take this traditional blend seriously.
It has improved tremendously and has little in common with those past Bikavér’s which were exported to the West during the Communist-era of mass-produced wine. Varietals that find their way into Bikavér are Kékfrankos (Blaufrankish), Pinot Noir, Portugieser, Merlot, and Kadarka, and all of these are also bottled as single varietal wines.

At the start of the 21st century, Bikavér gained a white partner, Egri Csillag (‘Star of Eger’). Approximately 50 percent of the region’s vineyards are planted with white grapes and as no one variety dominates, so it was logical to make Egri Csillag a blend, in keeping with the region’s traditions. It is a very variable blend based on Carpathian-basin varieties, such as Olaszrizling, Hárslevelű, Leányka, Királyleányka, Zengő, Zenit and some Hungarian crossings. A minimum of four of these varieties must be included and make up at least 50 percent of the blend and each must represent a minimum of 5 percent. The blend may also include up to 30 percent of fragrant Muscat varieties, such as Cserszegi Füszeres, Zefír, Irsai Oliver, Tramini and Muscat Ottonel. With their blend of history, volcanic minerality, and native varietals, there’s a lot to explore in Eger’s cellars.

Badacsony is one of Hungary’s iconic regions. Along with Tokaj and Somló, it was famed across Europe for its characterful, full-bodied, mineral white wines. These three regions form a kind of Holy Trinity of Hungarian white wine volcanic winemaking regions, with unique, concentrated wines capable of long aging.

Located on the western reaches of the northern shore of Lake Balaton, the magnificent truncated volcanic butte of Badacsony Hill can be seen dominating the horizon across the lake. At 438 meters high, it’s the highest point in the region. Vineyards girdle the hill and are characterized by small, often terraced plots with beautiful press houses and villas. The region includes other buttes and cones that were formerly volcanoes—such as Tóti, Szent György, Csobánc, Szigliget, and Gulács—creating a stunning and somewhat surreal landscape of unusually shaped lunar-like hills.

Badacsony has a special microclimate thanks to its steep, southern slopes. They are sheltered from the northerly winds, and the lake reflects light on them. The lake’s waters ensure cool breezes, preserving acidity in the grapes. The wines are otherwise full-bodied, characterful and fiery thanks to their high sugar content guaranteed by the basalt hills and the lake’s proximity. Badacsony wines generally boast plenty of minerality and a frequent saltiness thanks to the basalt bedrock which releases minerals such as potassium, magnesium, and calcium into the soils.

The sand and clay in the soils ensure that the wines are also elegant, smooth, and round. Badacsony wines are typically white and dry, but sweet wines are also made from late-harvest or shriveled grapes. Like the rest of Lake Balaton, plantings are dominated by Olaszrizling, followed by Pinot Gris (Szürkebarát).

Viticulture has flourished here since the time of the Romans. During the Middle Ages, vineyards were owned by the church, royal estates, and a noble family who built the fortified castle on Szigliget. Viticulture declined during wars with the occupying Turks in the 16th and 17th centuries as people fled the area. It rapidly recovered by the 18th century, with modern winemaking methods and newly planted vineyards making the region famous.

Many noble families had estates and press houses on the volcanic hills, creating a bucolic landscape with vineyards surrounding white-washed buildings. The region was so renowned that families travelled from the other side of the lake to work the vineyards. The wines were traditionally sold using the name of the hill, with each having its own character. Szent György Hill, at 415 meters high, produces particularly characterful wines. Like every other region in Hungary, Badacsony suffered from the forced collectivization following World War Two and the lack of demand for quality wines. It also began losing vineyards following World War One, when holiday homes began replacing vines. Badacsony Hill is now part of a national park with strict building regulations. And winemakers have come a long way in undoing the damage done by Communism.

The Villány-Siklós region lies near the Croatian border and because it’s the warmest of Hungary’s wine regions, it’s often called the “Mediterranean of Hungary.” Known as one of Hungary’s prime red wine region, it specializes in Bordeaux varieties and some local varieties, such as Portugieser and Kékfrankos. There are 11 villages in the region, with the village of Villány itself being the focal point. It’s a quaint village, and its strong Swabian influence is evident in its neat main drag lined with traditional whitewashed wine cellars where the wine always flows. Villány steals the spotlight from Siklós, which is to the west, the part of the region specializing in whites such as Olaszrizling, Hárslevelű, and Chardonnay.

Villány was one of the wine regions which re-started the earliest after Communism fell. In the mid-1990s a slew of modern wineries were built, vineyards were re-planted, and families which had been making wine for generations could once again share their wines with the world.

The region’s success was an essential part in the re-building of the Hungarian wine industry as a whole. Hungarian tourists flocked here to spend wine-fueled weekends at the charming winery-owned pensions, and soon the word spread internationally. For wine tourists, it’s a great place to visit, and many of the wineries run their own inns, hotels, and restaurants.

Villány’s signature grape is Portugieser (formerly called Kékoportó), and Kékfrankos is also widely planted. Kadarka—a native variety that was the most widely planted red grape in 19th-century Hungary, but wasn’t suitable to mass production during the Communist era —has also been re-planted in areas.

Much of Villány’s wine is made with internationally known grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Pinot Noir. It has become clear over the past two decades of experimentation that Cabernet Franc is the super-star of the region. Tasting premier single varietal Cabernet Francs here (which winemakers have dubbed “Villányi Franc” to help with the branding) is pure pleasure. Cab Francs from Villány have received rave reviews from wine critics, and have won prestigious international awards.