Blaufrankisch

Bikaver means Bull's Blood and is a red blend dating back at least to the 18th century.  The name comes from the comments of the defeated Ottoman soldiers who saw the dark red wines the Hungarians were drinking.  Today, they are having a rebirth of sorts.  Always a blend, it must contain a minimum of 45% Kékfrankos and 5% Kadarka and no more than 40% of the grapes Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot can be used.  This one is 47% Kekfrankos, 27% Merlot, 10% Kadarka, 8% Cabernet Franc, 4% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Sagrantino.  13% ABV.  Ruby in color with purple swirls, mostly opaq

Bull's blood wines are blends, traditionally from northern Hungary.   The name comes from the dubious story that says after the locals fought off the Ottoman's, the Ottomans said the people there were drinking dark red wine made from bull's blood which gave them strength.  This made from the "500 year old" recipe as a blend of Kekfrankos, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Zweigelt.  It drank nicely especially given its $12 price tag.  Purple in color, with ruby swirls, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is dusty with plums and black cherries.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, this has tart che

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

This is made from the Blaufrankish grape.  Really an excellent wine.  This is deep ruby in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is great with sour cherries, plums, dust, baking spices, anise and a slight meaty note.  Complex and big.  Full bodied.  On the palate, this is delicious.  Lots of upfront plums turning to sour cherries.  Underneath is a meaty/earthy quality with some black pepper.  Like a mythical cross of Cote Rotie and Oregon Pinot Noir.  This is complex and lively.  It seems like it is near peak but then again it drinks youthfully.  Without much experience with this grape