Gál Lajos, Sík-hegy Egri Bikavér Grand Superior, 2021

Gál Lajos Winery, Eger Region

After tasting through a gorgeous lineup of wines with Lajos Gál, his philosophy seems especially fitting: “We could best describe our winery as a practical spiritual wine workshop, where we combine the practical and theoretical experience accumulated over many years with the old traditions of Eger. We are based on traditional values, the uniqueness of Eger, and quality. And we try to polish the results of our work to perfection, within a family framework.” His strive towards perfection certainly shows in wines such as this Bikavér Grand Superior, his top level Bikavér. This is a single-vineyard blend from the Sík-hegy vineyard near the city of Eger. This vineyard is one of Eger’s most prized, with soil over volcanic rhyolite tufa, dotted with lava stones. Local winemakers say this site produces very complex, well-balanced wines. According to Gál, this wine’s unique extraordinary spiciness is due to this soil, and the vineyard’s terroir overrides all of the wine’s other characteristics. This blend is 46 percent Kékfrankos, 32 percent Merlot, 15 percent Cabernet Franc, and seven percent Kadarka. All four varieties were harvested together on September 25, fermented on the skins for four weeks, pressed gently, and then aged in a combination of new and used Hungarian oak barrels (both large and smaller) for 18 months. This is a full-bodied wine (14.5 percent alcohol), with Eger’s typical combination of acidity, fruitiness, and mineral depth keeping it in good balance (and making it extremely enjoyable). The jammy nose has overripe red berries, blackberries, black currants, and some floral aromas. The palate has all of that, as well as rose petals and dark chocolate. The tannins are ripe, and the nice oaky finish makes it a good match for aged cheeses, spicy sausages, venison stew, or steak.

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