Hungary

This was purchased in the summer of 2022 in Budapest.  It was opened at a local Hungarian restaurant.  Very nice showing.  Golden in color with a tinge of red, clear and bright.  The nose is great with honey, apricots, Crème brûlée, and a slight floral note.  Full bodied.  Viscous.  Good acidity.  On the palate, this is deep and complex.  Nots of apricots, honey, slight brown sugar and spice.  Long finish.  Delicious.  This was great on its own and works well with Hungarian Tortes.  Drink over the next twenty years.  

This excellent white wine from Hungary is 100% Olaszrizling grapes that were barrel fermented.  Light golden yellow in color, clear and bright.  The nose has apples, slight grapefruits and a hint of nuttiness.  Medium bodied.  Creamy texture.  On the palate, this is tasty.  Notes of apples and slight almonds on the finish.  This is very food friendly and would work well with stuffed peppers.  Drink over the next couple of years.  

This is a blend of Furmint, Hárslevelű, Leányka, and Cserszegi Fűszeres, four white varietals.  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose has  a nice minerality with a bit of peaches.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, this is past prime but still some peach fruit.  Moderate finish.  If you own a bottle, drink up.  Better with food at this point.  A nice wine with chicken paprikash.  

This is a white wine from Hungary made from the obscure Budai Zöld grape.  Golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose has a (white) floral note with a bit of orange citrus.  Medium bodied, slightly viscous.  On the palate, this is lightly sweet with some botrytis.  Notes of citrus.  Good acidity.  Moderate finish.  A very pleasant and different wine that should be consumed soon.  Nice on its own, this will work with lighter foods and would be nice with a spicy soup.  

Purchased in Budapest this summer.  Golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose is mild but nice.  Aromas of ground cherries and slight dill.  Interesting.  Viscous texture.  On the palate, much more intensity than the nose.  Ground cherries and peaches.  Good acidity.  Long finish.  Tasty.  This should drink well for another ten years.  It is great on its own and would work well with an apricot or peach pastry for dessert.  

Perhaps the best red wine that I have yet tried from Hungary.  This is world class Merlot.  14.5% abv.

This is 100% Chardonnay from Hungary.  Gold with green hues, clear and bright.  The nose has a nice lemon cream with a bit of chalk.  Creamy texture.  Medium body.  On the palate, slight oak showing with lemons and slight vanilla.  Solid acidity.  Good finish.  This is a very nice Chardonnay especially for the price.  It went very nicely with a lavender and goat cheese salad at Callas Café in Budapest.  Drink over the next few years.  

This is a very nice, light Pinot Gris from Hungary.  Pale green/gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose has lemons and slight minerality.  Light bodied.  On the palate, the lemon comes thru with some green apples especially on the finish.  This drinks well on its own and will work with lighter foods.  It worked well with Tomato & Basil Soup at Callas Cafe in Budapest.  Drink over the next year or two.  

This is the flagship wine of one of Hungary's leading wineries.  It is a blend of 50% Cabernet Franc; 40% Merlot; 10% Cabernet Sauvignon with the grapes coming from the Csillagvölgy, Konkoly, Kopár, and Ördögárok vineyards.  Purple in color, opaque  but a bit cloudy.  The nose is nice with dust, spice and cherries.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, this is deep and complex.  Black cherry fruit with some cherries and a sli graphite note.  Pinpoint balance.  Nice, silky finish.  This is drinking well now and should continue to for another ten to twelve years.  It will go well wit

This is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.  The label list 15% abv.  Purple in color, garnet at the rim, opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with cassis, black cherries, spice and slight cigar box.  Full bodied.  Medium to firm tannins.  On the palate, cassis and black cherries with some underlying spice.  Very ripe for Hungary.  Quite delicious.  Enough acidity to work at the dinner table, it also drinks great on its own.  This needs strong flavors to stand up to it.  Pörkölt (Meat stew) would be a nice choice.  Drink over the next ten years.