I tried this about six months ago, and this has really opened up nicely since then. It is drinking great now. A proprietary blend made from Chardonnay, Roussanne, Viognier, Chenin Blanc, Muscat, and Vermentino from California.
The Prisoner Wine Company makes, ironically, a "Take No Prisoners" style of wine. They are lush, big and delicious and make no apologies for their style. And, why note, millions of people love them. This Chardonnay with a touch of Roussanne, and Gewürztraminer) is no exception. Golden in color, clear and bright. The nose is big with oak coming off as vanilla and crème brûlée, along with some lemon cream. With air, some baked apple notes emerge. Full bodied with light oak tannins. On the palate, this has a lot of oak but enough acidity and fruit to give some balance. Lots of vanill
From what is arguably one of the "Grand Cru" sites for red wine in Hungary. This is 100% Kekfrankos that is biodynamically grown. Purple in color with lighter ruby at the edges. Opaque and bright. The nose is earthy, slight barnyard with nice cherry fruit. On the palate, nice sour cherry fruit with medium tannins. Slight cough drop note. Slight forest floor. Long finish. This is complex and deep and also tasty. This seems like it has some upside and will improve over the next three to five years. Drink over the next ten to twelve. Certainly, this will work well with meat dishes
It is hard to track down aged versions of Kekfrankos but finding this (only six years from vintage) gives me hope that the better wines will not only last but develop with some age. Inky purple in color, opaque and bright. The nose is nice with black cherries and sour cherries with some char and a bit of roasted herbs. Very nice texture. Nice depth. Good acidity. On the palate, black cherries and black raspberries with a slight sour cherry notes. Great texture. Long finish. This seems young and would still benefit from three to five more years of cellaring and drink over the next t
This is a biodynamically made Kekfrankos (Blaufrankisch) from one of Hugary's top winemakers of red wines. This is the base version. Ruby in color, clear and bright. The nose has cherries and sour cherries with a bit of hay and a slight green herbal notes. On the palate, this is has a nice texture. Very nice tart cherry fruit over a bit of smoky char with a nice backbone of acidity. Light tannins. Nice finish. Very good value. Drink over the next five years. This will work well with Lecsó (vegetable stew) although carnivores might want to add Hurka & Kolbász (sausages).
This is 100% Kekfrankos (Blaufrankish) from Hungary. Deep ruby in color, mostly clear and bright. The nose is tight, but with air shows cherries. On the palate, this is medium bodied with good acidity. Nice cherry fruit with some sour cherries. It is young, so it would be interesting to see how this develops with age. Right now it doesn't show much complexity, but that could change with some proper cellaring. That said, it does drink fine right now, and would be a nice pairing for Paprikás Csirke (chicken paprikash).
This is Kekfrankos (Blaufrankish) from the northern side of Lake Balaton in Hungary. Ruby/purple in color, mostly opaque and bright. The nose has cherries and black cherries. Very nice. Nice mouthfeel/texture. On the palate, this has nice sour cherry fruit with underlying char and minerals. An almost seamless texture which is rare in a wine at this price point. Good balance. This should drink well for the next five to seven years. I imagine this would go well with Töltött Káposzta (stuffed cabbage).
This is 100% Kekfrankos (Blaufrankisch). Ruby in color, purple at the core, mostly opaque and bright. The nose has sour cherries with a note of mint. On the palate, this has chunky tannins. Nice sour cherry fruit with tingling acidity. Nice texture. 12% abv. This drinks like a cru Beaujolais although it may not age quite as well. Good value. This will do better with food. Drink over the next five years. A nice match with stew/Goulash.
This is a sparkling wine bottled with a crown cap and made from Kekfrankos (Blaufrankish). It is unique. On popping the top, it took a few seconds and then foam started to gush out despite making sure the wine bottle has not been shaken. Very foamy. It has a vibrant electric ruby color, mostly clear if a bit cloudy. The foam is white medium sized bubbles with a slight cherry red hue. The nose is very tight with slight strawberries. More come out with air. On the palate, this reminds me of Faygo Red Pop that I drank as a kid. Others said Cherry Ne-Hi. It is not dry but not particul
From the heart of Prosecco country in northeasy Italy, this is a serious Prosecco. Made from 85% Glera with the remaining 15% other varietals. Pale silvery/gold in color. Lots of smaller bubbles. The nose has minerals and Vernors soda (sort of carmelized ginger and seltzer). It has a bigger presence. Ginger and mineral notes, slightly candied. Not tart, but well balanced. Almost dry. Long finish. This drinks well on its own but will work better with food. Fried chicken would be a nice choice. A real crowd pleaser.
