Steigler, Kékfrankos, 2020

Steigler Winery, Sopron Region

Sopron is somewhat of an outlier compared to other Hungarian wine regions. Lying just across the border from Austria, it shares its viticultural traditions with Austria’s Burgenland region, of which Sopron was once the capital. Just like in Burgenland, Kékfrankos is also the main variety in Sopron. The region’s climate is also unique, as its proximity to the Alps makes it a sub-Alpine region, with lower median temperatures, cooler and wetter summers, and higher rainfall than the rest of the country. Lake Fertő (called Neusiedl in Austria) straddles the border, and has a major tempering effect on the climate—ensuring that winters are relatively mild, summer is moderately hot, and fall is generally long and hot. This wine is a textbook Sopron Kékfrankos, capturing this terroir. It’s elegant and balanced, medium-bodied, and a little reserved. It has fresh acidity and a touch of minerality (from the schist in the soil). It is more spicy than fruity, but there’s lots of tasty sour cherry, cherry, and plum going on. Kékfrankos is a grape that really reflects its terroir, and this one is a perfect example of that. This is an organic wine, from vines that are eight to 20 years old. It was fermented in open vats for 12 to 15 days, and aged in 50 percent steel tanks and 50 percent oak barrels for 12 months. This wine is a crowd-pleaser. It’s really good to enjoy on its own, or with pasta and red sauce dishes, lasagna, or osso bucco.

Read About The Sopron Region

Read About Kékfrankos