There are a few can’t miss places for wine lovers in Budapest and Könyvbár & Restaurant is one of them. Every time we pass through the city, we pay a visit to Könyvbár (which translates to ‘book bar’). It’s located in District VII as is one of only two establishments listed on the Raisin Natural Wine App in Budapest.

The reason we frequent the restaurant is because of proprietor Mihály Lippai. He is passionate about wines, focusing on small producers within Hungary. We have tasted many wines here that are not available anywhere else in Budapest. Mihály leans toward natural wines, he carries labels from around the world but heavily features those from his homeland.

“There are some youngsters and curious makers who are ready to break the rules and move Hungarian wine forward. I believe this country is going to be better with this new generation,” Mihály says.

It had been one year since I last visited the restaurant. After a 4-day press trip with hungarianwines.eu, I made a long-awaited return. It was great to see the cuisine had improved with a new chef. The dishes have traditional Hungarian flavors prepared and presented in a contemporary way. Another noticeable difference is the number of foreign wines on offer.

That evening, I wanted to focus on Hungarian producers (although there were a few international wines sprinkled in throughout the night). The number of small, high-quality producers in Hungary baffles me. While there isn’t a big natural (minimal-intervention) wine movement in Hungary but there are several high-quality producers leading the charge. Some of these producers are already producing some knockout wines.

Exotic Wine Travel’s Picks:

• Bencze, ‘Kék’ 2017 – Balaton

Bencze is a small producer on the North Balaton shore. The Bencze Kék is made from the grape Kékbokator and it’s an exciting wine. The nose confuses you because it is rather shy at first with a faint amount of yeast and yellow flower. However, the palate explodes with starfruit and intense salinity. Long, citrusy finish it has Riesling-like acidity. Score: 91/100

• Sziegl Pincé, ‘Kolostor Domb’ Kadarka 2017 – Hájos-Baja

Sziegl is a small producer in the Hájos-Baja, which is not one of the more renowned regions in Hungary. We’ve been fans of their Kékfranks in the past but this is a step up in quality. The Sziegl ‘Kolostor Domb’ Kadarka is a made in tiny quantities – one barrel was produced.

There are notes of rhubarb, strawberry, pepper, and earth. This smells delicate and easy on the palate but it’s full and rich in body. The mid-palate is silky and intense while the finish is peppery and long. Only 12% in alcohol, this is downright beautiful, light red wine. Score: 93/100

• Grand vin de Barnag, Schmutzig 2018 – Balaton

Grand vin de Barnag is a tiny project started by a sommelier who produces small batches of wine in Balaton. This is Zweigelt aged in the barrel for 8 months. This is a light and earthy red wine. Notes of cherry, fall leaves, pepper, and caramel. This is a raw, juicy, and fruity natural wine. It smells like a conventional wine but tastes like natural wine. Tart acidity and low level of tannins. This is a name to keep your eye on. Score: 86/100

• Organic, Cuvée Marie Vallis Rufus 2016 – Južnoslovenská (Slovakia)

Stefan Kasynik is a wizard in Južnoslovenská (South Slovakia). Like many winemakers in the region, he identifies himself as ethnically Hungarian. The Organic Cuvée Maria Vallus Rufus is a blend of St. Laurent, Andrée, Zweigelt, Blaufrankisch, and Alibernet. Crazy blend that is crazy complex and delicious. Notes of dark berry, cedar, pepper, and dried strawberry. This is juicy, medium-bodied and crazy complex. It has a lot of ripe red fruits with a touch of French stemminess to it. Score: 92/100

*Check out our article on the Organic Cuvée Marie Vallis Albus (orange wine).

• Grál Borpince, Pelzberg 2016 – Tolna

Grál Borpince produces beautiful wines in the Tolna region, which is adjacent to the more famous Szekszárd. The Grál Borpince Pelzberg is 100% Kékfrankos. Notes of juicy strawberry, fall leaves, earth, and pepper. This wine is red fruit-driven and has tons of delicious factor. Silky mid-palate with slightly grippy tannins and a long finish. Outstanding stuff. Score: 92/100

• Ráspi, Kékfrankos Selection 2006 – Sopron

Ráspi is a big name in the region of Sopron, which is basically an extension of Austria’s Burgenland. The Ráspi Kékfrankos Selection 2006 has an incredible nose with wax, fall leaves, mushroom, red fruit, and pepper. This is a true, cool-climate red. The age has rounded the palate on this wine. The tannins are developed and the wine has a beautiful spiciness to it. Long finish. Score: 92/100

• Stumpf, ‘Nagy-Eged Cuvée’ Cabernet Franc Merlot 2015 – Egér

Stumpf Pincészet is a small producer in Egér constructing exciting wines with the help of Master Sommelier John Szabo. They producer several red wines from the Nagy-Eged Cru including a Bikavér, Kékfrankos, Pinot Noir, and this cuvée. The Stumpf ‘Nagy-Eged Cuvée’ Cabernet Franc Merlot is darker and richer than their other reds. It has a core of dark fruit that is held together with a tight frame of acidity and fine tannins. It’s got a subtly spicy finish. I prefer their other reds a tad more but this is still a delicious wine. Score: 90+/100

• Királyudvar, Tokaji Aszú 6 Puttonyos 2000 – Tokaj-Hegyalja

Find or buy on Wine-Searcher.

Királyudvar is one of the legendary names in Tokaj and their 6 puttonyos is well regarded. The Királyudvar Tokaji Aszuú 6 Putonyos 2000 is dark in color from the bottle age. It has notes of caramel, lemon, natural gas fall leaves, coffee, and citrus peel. The wine is nutty, full-bodied, and rich. It’s an old-school Tokaj with a long and fiery finish. Score: 95/100

Bonus Vin Jeune

• Bénédicte & Stéphane Tissot, Château-Chalon 2008 – Jura (France)

Find or buy on Wine-Searcher.

Ok ok, the Bénédicte & Stéphane Tissot Château-Chalon is not a Hungarian wine. This is a French wine from the Jura and a marvelous one at that. Vin Jeunes are wines aged under a thin layer of bacteria (flor) like Sherry. This has notes of almond, pear, white apple, caramel, and pepper. It’s unique and full-bodied with lots of nuttiness on the palate. This complex wine finishes long and salty. The Bénédicte & Stéphane Tissot Château-Chalon is a true meditation wine. Score: 96/100

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Thank you to KönyvBár & Restaurant who provided the tasting. Please note that the opinions expressed in this article are unsolicited and have not been paid for in any way by governmental bodies, enterprises, or individuals. We do not sell editorial content as that would destroy the legitimacy of our reviews and the trust between Exotic Wine Travel and its readers. On occasion, we extend the option of purchasing the wines we review or/and the products we spotlight. Some of these product links are set up through affiliate programs, which means Exotic Wine Travel gets referral credits if you choose to purchase these items via the links we provide.

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Slovakia lies near the northernmost latitude of where wine grape growing is feasible in Europe. Within the country, the Malokarpatská (Small Carpathian) region is where the most northerly located vineyards are. With this in mind, one might think that only white wines are made here… Think again.

The most regarded area for red wine production in Slovakia is Južnoslovenská (South Slovakia) especially near the villages of Strekov and Mužla. During our second trip through the wine regions of Slovakia, we found a number of well-made and delicious red wines from the north. Terra Parna and Magula wineries are located in the village of Sucha nad Parnou. Their wines show that high-quality reds can be made in the Small Carpathian region if the right grapes are planted.

The village of Zemianske Sade lies 30 kilometers to the east of Sucha nad Parnou. The vineyards here also lie within the Small Carpathian region. Here Slobodné Vinarstvo produces fine minimal intervention red wines.

Magula

Vladimír (Vlad) Magula and his family farm eight and a half hectares of vineyards in Sucha nad Parnou. They are a certified Eko and Bio producer. Some of their vineyards are brand new and the existing ones have low yields, so the family’s current production is around 15,000 bottles per year. They produce minimal intervention style white wines from Central European grapes like Devin, Grüner Veltliner, and Welschriesling and reds from Frankovka Modrá (Blaufränkisch), Dunaj, Portugieser, and Rosa.

All Vlad’s wines are made with native yeasts and are not fined nor filtered. They are chewy wines with generous texture. Magula does produce a few whites, oranges, and a beautiful light red called Carboniq, but we feel more passion in his reds made from Frankovka Modrá. Vlad took us through his first ever vertical tasting of his Frankovka Modrá (2017 & 2016 barrel samples and 2015-2011 from the bottle). The wines showed consitency throughout the board.

Exotic Wine Travel’s Picks

• Magula, Frankovka Modrá 2011

This 2011 vintage of Magula Frankovka Modrá won a gold medal at the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles competition. It’s the virgin harvest from this vineyard. Flavors include red fruit, spicy, fall leaves, and white pepper. It’s medium bodied with a good balance of fruit and tertiary notes with developed tannins. This wine doesn’t have a ton of life ahead of it but it sure is fun to drink now.   4.2/5

• Magula, Frankovka Modrá 2012

The Magula Frankovka Modrá 2012 has flavors of sour cherry, raspberry, cedar, and earth. This wine is ripe and concentrated for this grape, thanks to the warm vintage. It is aged for 24 months in oak. There is wonderful texture in this wine. It’s juicy with layers of nuances – it is a serious red wine with a peppery finish. It’s one of the top Slovak reds we’ve tasted, it also happens to be one of the most age-worthy too.   4.3/5

• Magula, Frankovka Modrá Unplugged 2015

This is a full throttle, minimal intervention wine that wasn’t touched by electricity or machinery of any kind. It’s made with whole cluster fermentation. grapes for the Magula Frankovka Modrá Unplugged are foot stomped and juice was moved with hands and gravity. The wine is aged for 24 months in bottle. Spicy notes of cherry, raspberry, and brambleberry make up the flavors. It’s medium bodied and juicy in style with good fruit intensity and a long, pleasant finish.    4.2/5

Terra Parna

Across the village from Magula is Terra Parna winery. The two are good friends but farm and make completely different styles of wine. Terra Parna produces classic, conventional wines that focus on precision and balance. Joseph Zvolenská and his daughter Ivana head up the production of around 35,000 bottles per year from six and a half hectares of vineyards.

Stepping into the winery, you can tell that Terra Parna is focused on giving a wow experience to guests. The tasting room is bright and the windows give wide views of the gently sloping vineyards. This family-owned estate produces user-friendly whites from the likes of Grüner Veltliner, Riesling, and Sauvignon Blanc, but it’s their reds from Svätovarinecké (St. Laurent) and Alibernet that caught our attention. 

During our visit, Terra Parna assembled a vertical tasting of their Svätovarinecké from the bottle (2008-2013). We had a hard time assessing the wines at first because they were unlike any St. Laurent wines we’ve come across. These examples are bigger and beefier versions of the grape yet don’t suffer from over-extraction. Here are our two favorite vintages. 

Exotic Wine Travel’s Picks

• Terra Parna, Svätovarinecké 2012

This tastes totally Italian thanks to the generous acidity. The Terra Parna Svätovarinecké 2012 has notes of rubber, tobacco, black cherry and a touch of soil – like an aged, lighter style of Chianti Classico. The wine is aged for three months in French oak and is medium bodied and juicy with a silky mouthfeel. It has a long finish with developed tannins. This is an outstanding effort and one of the finest Slovak reds we’ve tried.   4.3/5

• Terra Parna, Svätovarinecké 2013

Find or buy on Wine-Searcher.

The Terra Parna Svätovarinecké 2013 is the current release on the market. It’s aged in French oak for three years before bottling. The wine has a true grapey flavor with additional notes of cherry, cedar, and a touch of smoke from the barrel. It’s a denser, more serious St. Laurent with a lot of barrel influence. Fruity finish with soft tannins.   4.0/5

Slobodné Vinárstvo

Just south of the town of Hlohovec is where you can find the family farm of Slobodné Vinárstvo. It’s a family run affair that produces around 30,000 bottles per year from 17 hectares of vineyards. Some of the vineyards are recently planted and not currently in production. The farm doesn’t consist solely of vineyards. There are an additional 300 hectares planted with various crops. We arrived just in time for the poppy seed harvest.

We spent a full day with proprietors and sibling-in-laws Mišo Kuropká and Agnes Lovecká. Mišo’s wife and Agnes’s partner also take part in the vineyards, winemaking, and marketing of Slobodné Vinárstvo. They make a wide range and one of their wines were featured in Simon Woolf’s book Amber Revolution. We found ourselves drawn to their two reds Partisan Cru and Alter Nativo.

The wines of Slobodné have found a nice niché for themselves on the export market. This means you should be able to find them in specialty wine shops, focusing on natural wines. We’re fond of their whole portfolio, but these are our favorites.

Exotic Wine Travel’s Picks

• Slobodné Vinárstvo, Partisan Cru 2015

The Slobodné Vinárstvo, Partisan Cru 2015 is the current release on the market. It’s a blend of Frankovka Modrá (Blaufränkisch), Alibernet, and Cabernet Sauvignon aged for 18-20 months in used oak. Beautiful red fruit notes with fall leaves and spiciness sit on a medium-bodied frame. It has good oak integration, Charine says it’s pretty darn close to smelling like a Bordeaux. Drinkability is off the charts and it’s very food friendly.   4.2/5

Check out Charine’s take on the 2012 vintage (also delicious) in the video below to see what the Partisan Cru label looks like. She also describes what the grape Alibernet actually is and where it comes from.

• Slobodné Vinárstvo, Alter Nativa 2014

The Slobodné Vinarstvo Alter Nativa is made from 100% Blaufränksich aged for one year in amphora and then another year in oak barrels. Notes of volatile acidity combined with fresh red fruit, spice, earth, and fall leaves make it feel very Frenchy. The 2014 Alter Nativa is rich and concentrated compared to other vintages of this wine, which is surprising considering the tough, rainy year. It’s round on the palate with multiple nuances of flavor and a long finish.   4.2/5

The photo below is the 2015 vintage (which is also delicious) and the label is the same as the 2014.

(You can find out more about our scoring system on the WINE RATING page.)

Magula, Slobodné Vinárstvo, and Terra Parna provided two nights of accommodation for us to visit. Please note that the opinions expressed in this article are unsolicited and have not been paid for in any way by governmental bodies, enterprises, or individuals. We do not sell editorial content as that would destroy the legitimacy of our reviews and the trust between Exotic Wine Travel and its readers. On occasion, we extend the option of purchasing the wines we review or/and the products we spotlight. Some of these product links are set up through affiliate programs, which means Exotic Wine Travel gets referral credits if you choose to purchase these items via the links we provide.

The post Fine Red Slovak Wines Defying Latitude appeared first on Wine Travel.

Special thanks to Tom Leitner who set up the appointment with these wineries and also acted as our guide.

Rebenhof Hartmut Aubell

Rebenhof Hartmut Aubell is located in Südsteiermark, perhaps the most celebrated area among the southern Austrian wine regions. The green rolling hills of this area are steep and make for a scenic drive. The Austrian border with Slovenia is here. In fact, one of the roads is built on the border. A few producers in Südsteiermark have vineyards in both Austria and Slovenia.

The proprietor and winemaker is Hartmut Aubel. He farms his 9.5-hectare plot biodynamically. Hartmut only uses native yeasts in his annual production of 20,000 to 25,000 bottles. All wines are bottled without filtration. The white wines get at least 48 hours of skin contact, with the exception of his amber wines, which see even more maceration time. Hartmut puts an emphasis on picking earlier to get higher acidity and it really shows in the wines.

We visited Weingut Rebenhof Hartmut Aubell on Hartmut’s birthday. He had a small celebration on his gorgeous tasting deck. It overlooks the border with Slovenia, which is only several hundred meters to the south of the winery. Several of his friends were there for the celebration including the family of Nikolaihof winery. Hartmut is best friends with Nikolaus Saahs who is the winemaker at Nikolaihof.

It was a fast and furious day. After a tour of the vineyards, it was time to celebrate Hartmut’s birthday. Over the course of eight hours, Hartmut brought out 16 of his wines and six from Nikolaihoff. Everybody else was drinking and celebrating so it was difficult to keep up with writing tasting notes. At one point, Hartmut took the spit bucket off the table. When I tried to replace it, he took it off the table again much to my dismay.

In the end, it worked out great. Hartmut brought out his entire portfolio including a few archive wines. Hartmut is a hardcore, natural winemaker and one observation is that there is no definitive house style. Rebenhof has dry and off-dry wines. They also have wines that are fresh and crisp while others are oxidative in style. Hartmut makes several barrel fermented wines and he also makes a few macerated whites.

Exotic Wine Travel’s Picks

(You can find out more about our scoring system on the START HERE page.)

• Rebenhof Hartmut Aubell Inox 500 2012

Hartmut likes to experiment and he makes several macerated white wines in different-size barrels. The Rebenhof Hartmut Aubell Inox 500 is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Morillon (Chardonnay), and Riesling macerated for 6 months and aged in 500-liter barrels. This is bigger bodied and stronger than the Inox 300. It also has more wood influence. Full of tangerine, sweet cedar, apricot, and autumn leaf flavors. The wine has dense fruit, high concentration, and a sweet tobacco finish.   4.3/5

• Rebenhof Hartmut Aubell Silt Sauvignon Blanc 2013

This is a barrel-fermented Sauvignon Blanc. The Rebenhof Hartmut Aubell Silt Sauvignon Blanc is loaded with minerals, chalk, herbs, white fruit, and citrus flavors. It’s medium-bodied on the palate. Nice weight without being too cumbersome. Squeaky clean and well made, this effort will make French wine geeks happy.  4.1/5

• Rebenhof  Hartmut Aubell Quercus 328 2012

This is a secret blend of white grapes matured in 328-liter cigar barrels. The famous winery Didier Dagueneau in the Loire Valley uses these same cigar barrels for its Silex line of wines. There is a small amount of residual sugar here and it works well. Full of fall leaves, pear, peach, and some tertiary notes. The Rebenhof  Hartmut Aubell Quercus 328 is medium bodied for a barrel fermented and aged white wine. It has mouth-cleansing acidity and a small level of tannins.   4.2/5

Herrenhof Lamprecht

The Herrenhof Lamprecht winery is just a 30-minute drive east of Graz. Fruit orchards, pumpkin patches, and cornfields dot the rolling hills of the area. It doesn’t look like a wine-growing region at all. However, that didn’t stop the proprietor/winemaker Gottfried Lamprecht.

In the past, the area was planted with vineyards for a monastery located 100 kilometers to the north. Gottfried’s grandfather bought the property and for many years the land was used for fruit orchards. Gottfried wanted to replant the land with vineyards and restore wine growing glory to the property.

His first vintage was 2008 and in a short amount of time, he has built up an impressive portfolio of wines. Gottfried’s vineyards are certified organic and he uses native yeasts for fermentation. He tries to bottle wines without filtration whenever possible and uses the low amount of sulfites.

The hard work pays off. Herrenhof Lamprecht wines consistently receive high scores from the Austrian wine magazine Falstaff. He also was the beneficiary of a few 90-point scores from Robert Parker in previous vintages.

All of the wines in the Herrenhof Lamprecht lineup are excellent. In fact, this was one of my favorite winery visits in 2017 so far. These wines all have bright, ripe fruit with some bite and balanced acidity. Gottfried plans to expand white wine production in the future, which he believes the area is best suited for. However, the reds here are nothing to scoff at. Both the Blaufränkisch and Pinot Noir wines display elegance and subtle power.

This is a highly recommended producer.

Exotic Wine Travel’s Picks

(You can find out more about our scoring system on the START HERE page.)

• Herrenhof Lamprecht Sand & Kalk 2016

Find or buy on Wine-Searcher.

The Herrenhof Lamprecht Sand & Kalk is 85% Pinot Blanc and the rest of the blend is Morillon (Chardonnay), Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Gris. Chalk, lime, peach, and smoke flavors are present in the glass. The wine has tart fruit flavors and juicy acidity with a long, mineral finish. Out of the winery’s portfolio, this is the wine made in the largest quantity. It’s a beautiful effort for an entry-level white wine.   4.2/5

• Herrenhof Lamprecht Sand & Kalk “r” 2015

A reserve wine made with 100% Pinot Blanc from old vines. The Herrenhof Lamprecht Sand & Kalk “r” is aged for 18 months in oak. Gottfried said that this vintage is the best Pinot Blanc he has ever made. The wine has explosive pineapple, yogurt, lime, and mineral flavors. There is a rich texture on the palate with a sandy feel from the barrel. The finish is long and mineral driven. This is serious juice that will taste beautiful with further bottle aging.   4.4/5

• Herrenhof Lamprecht Butchertberg Weiss 2015

Find or buy on Wine-Searcher.

The Herrenhof Lamprecht Butchertberg Weiss is a field blend of 65 grapes. Yogurt, dandelion, fresh cut grass, kiwi, starfruit are the main flavors. A big mid-palate punch with a wild finish. It is a wine with some bite. The wine has a lingering and tart end palate that has a touch of dandelion. Unique, bright, clean, and wild all at the same time.   4.3/5

Herrenhof Lamprecht also makes a macerated white wine with this field blend that is worth seeking out.

• Herrenhof Lamprecht Buchertberg Rot 2015

This is a field blend of mostly Blaufränkisch. Other grapes in the Herrenhof Lamprecht Buchertberg Rot include Pinot Noir, St. Laurent, Blauer Wildbacher, and Kadarka. The wine is aged for 18 months in oak. Flavors include red fruit pie, white pepper, violets and V8 juice. Juicy while being vegetal, nice balance of fruit and earth. This has the elegance and subtle power of a good Pinot Noir.  4.2/5

You  May Also Enjoy

• A Crash Course on Biodynamic Austrian Wine
• Gut Oggau Brutal Rosé 2016
• Austrian Wine from Rebenhof Hartmut Aubell and Herrenhof Lamprecht

The opinions expressed in this article are unsolicited and have not been paid for in any way by governmental bodies, enterprises, or individuals. We do not sell editorial content as that would destroy the legitimacy of our reviews and the trust between Exotic Wine Travel and its readers. 

The post Tasting at Rebenhof Hartmut Aubell and Herrenhof Lamprecht appeared first on Wine Travel.