Hungary in pictures

Last week db travelled to Villány in Hungary, a region on a mission to convince the world that it is the true home of Cabernet Franc.

While Cabernet Franc is a major international variety, beyond the cool-climate Cabernet Franc’s of the Loire it is rarely represented on its own. Argentina and Chile have recently taken up the challenge of untapping the potential of the grape; however, the southern Hungarian wine region of Villány has its own claim to as the true home of the grape.

Since 2015, Villány’s winemakers have set themselves the task of hosting the ‘Franc&Franc’ conference to promote Cab Franc, offering international press and trade members the chance to get to know the local expressions of the variety.

A conference co-hosted by Elizabeth Gabay MW and Caroline Gilby MW sought to establish how the region’s winemakers could launch their flagship product on the world stage, while a series of visits to some of the region’s most respected wineries, such as Gere, Csányi, Vylyan and Sauska, gave journalists the chance to understand how the local industry – and its wines – are evolving.

In the pages that follow, db presents a few pictorial highlights from the trip… 

The main topographical feature of Villány is the limestone ridge of Szársomlyó, which rises to a height of around 400m and is home to some of the region’s most prized vineyard sites. Here it is seen from Tiffan’s, one of the estates responsible for the resurgence of the Villány wine region following the end of communist rule in Hungary.

Another seminal Villány estate, Bock, was the venue for the second Franc&Franc conference, which gave international press and trade the chance to learn more about the local expressions of Cabernet Franc.

Here winery owner and president of the Villány Wine Community József Bock addresses attendees of the conference. The event was co-hosted by Masters of Wine Elizabeth Gabay MW and Caroline Gilby along with Csányi winery CEO László Romsics, conference organiser Zoltán Gyorffy and Croatian wine writer and consultant Saša Špriranec.

One visit took us to the highly rated Attila Gere winery. Seven generations of the Gere family have made wine in Villány. Here head of the family Attila Gere is pictured with friend and collaborator, the Burgenland winemaker Franz Weninger, who helped him to pick new vineyard sites for the estate when the family resumed its winemaking operations in 1991. The photograph shows the pair at the same spot on which they stood for the photo they are holding of themselves from more than two decades ago.

A tasting in the cellar with the public face of the winery, Andrea Gere (here pictured with partner and unofficial brand champion Chris), allowed us to try barrel samples from the 2015 and 2016 vintages…

…along with the three top wines of the Gere estate, which are only made in good years: Kopar (a Bordeaux blend from Kopar hill), Solus (Kopar Merlot) and Attila, a Cabernet Franc-dominant blend made from a selection of the best Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon barrels.

The view from the prized vineyard site of Ördögárok (Devil’s Ditch). The vines pictured are Syrah and in the distance, 7-8km away, the border with Croatia. Pictured: Caroline Gilby MW, Lilla O’Connor from Wines of Hungary, db‘s Darren Smith and Enotria channel expert Rohan Anderson.

A couple of highlights from the trip: Polgár’s Kadarka – a pale but concentrated and spicy native grape – and a Cabernet Franc from organic terroir-focused estate Malitinszky.

It would have been a shame to visit Hungary and not have sampled some Tokaj Aszú Essencia – thanks must to Christian Sauska who capped off a gargantuan feast with this 2003 vintage.