Egri Bikavér Superior Selection – Böjt Borászat

A special and historic wine deserves a distinctive bottle. In 2019, Eger—the semi-volcanic region in northeastern Hungary—further committed itself to their flagship Egri Bikavér blend with the introduction of a new wine bottle exclusively for this wine.The elegant bottle shape was inspired by a bottle that was used in the region in the 1930s, and then vanished. The “1552 Eger” inscription on the neck is a nod to the siege of Eger, during which Eger’s citizens successfully defended the town from the attacking Ottoman army. This new bottle is just one aspect of the young generation’s Eger’s march forward in reversing the image of Bikavér as a low quality supermarket plonk, to a world class blend made according to exacting standards. Not all wineries in the region have adopted the new bottle. The family-owned Böjt Winery has been run by the brother and sister team of Gergő and Boglárka Böjt since 2016, after being founded by their parents in 1993. They have 12 hectares of vineyards, and the winery is located in Ostoros, four kilometers from the city of Eger. As required according to the Bikavér regulations, Bikavér is built on a backbone of Kékfrankos (Blaufrankisch). This wine is 50 percent Kékfrankos, with Cabernet Sauvignon (18 percent), Pinot Noir (seven percent), Blauburger (15 percent), and Zweigelt (10 percent). The latter two varieties are both crossings involving Kékfrankos. Grapes come from Eger’s Kutyahegy vineyard. Each component was aged separately in oak barrels, for a total of 18 months of oak aging, and a further six months of bottle aging before release. This is a solid wine—with 14.5 percent alcohol, dominant dry tannins (in an entirely good way), and a great balance from the terroir. It starts with the lovely aromas: Szechuan peppercorn and star anise spices, smoky aromas of tobacco and cigar, very jammy cherry and blackberry, and a hint of Cognac. Additionally, the palate shows plenty of Eger minerality. The low yields in the vineyard, combined with the barrel aging, lend this wine a beautiful complexity. We recommend opening it when you have time to sit with it for a while. You’ll be rewarded as it opens up in your glass.