Havas & Timár, Franom Hordóválogatás (Cabernet Franc), 2018

Havas & Timár Winery, Eger Region

Villány is not the only Hungarian region which produces notable single varietal Cabernet Franc wines. Cabernet Franc also thrives in the cooler climate and volcanic soils of Eger, which provide the impressive structure-building acidic backbone. Winemaker Balázs Havas is a big fan of this grape (Franom means “my Franc”). This wine has the herbaceous, leafy note which is evident in the best Cabernet Francs, as well as juicy fruitiness and plenty of spiciness. There are pronounced aromas and flavors of eucalyptus, tobacco, autumn leaves, cassis, black currants, black cherries, cloves, vanilla, dried cherries, plums, and truffles. There is so much going on in this wine—even a bit of Worcestershire sauce and A1 sauce umami flavors. It has an amazing lively and long acidity, with a long and refined finish. This unfiltered Franom Hordóválogatás (Franom barrel selection) is a more concentrated version of the winemaker’s favorite Franom. For this wine, he chose the three best barrels of Franom, and continued to age them. It has been aged in new oak barrels for 21 months, with an additional two more years of bottle aging before release. This is a really complex and elegant wine, with a smooth and satiny texture, and fresh tannins. It’s a powerful wine, perfect for your finest steak. It really benefits from decanting. Just 880 bottles of this wine were produced, and only in the best vintages.

Read About The Eger Region

Read About Cabernet Franc