Hungarian Wine Challenge – 21 to 25
I love visiting wineries! And I especially love visiting those which are family run and smaller vineyards. Let’s face it, being a winemaker means every year you are risking your entire livelihood based on the combination of weather, the outcome of a fermentation and the ever changing tastes of consumers. If you are a big producer, you can asorb those risks to some extent, but smaller producers risk it all with little in the way of a plan B.
Fata Cellar Badacsonytomaj
The Fata Cellar is a family owned cellar with a relatively small production. The cellar has been there since 1927. As a result the skills and knowledge has been passed down from generation to generation. This visit was a little different in that a couple of the wines were made with fruit other than grapes. And just in case you think that is cheating because legally they aren’t ‘wine’ if they use fruit other than grapes…I will ensure I do at least 102 wines!
So anyway, on to the next 5 wines.
Wine 21 – Fata Kéknyelű
This was a slightly creamy and oaky style of wine, but was still fresh and balanced. I found flavours of apple, quince, stone fruits, but not the sharpness which sometimes comes from those flavours. This was a very drinkable wine and as you can see from the photo had great legs.
Quality: Very good
Wine 22 – Fata Badzabor
Some will say this was a cheat wine, but it was made from a base of Olaszrizling with elderflower then blended into it. This was not a wine expert wine. And in many ways, that why I like it. Its pushing the boundaries, and this website is all about that. Indeed, the wine challenge itself. It was sweet and drinkable, but as a wine it was not well balanced and probably too sweet for most.
Quality: acceptable, but not strictly a wine.
Wine 13 – Fata Ürmös Wine
Again this was a fruit and wine blend. This time with a secret mix of herbs and spices. Herbal, gingery, and a finish that goes on for a very long time, undepinned by apples and Christmas spices. Sweet, but delicious.
Again, technically cannot be scored, but I’d rate this acceptable.
Wine 24 – Fata Cabinet Sauvignon
This was not the heavy Cabernet style that many will be used to, but something much more delicate and light with lighter tannin and spice. Its probably not my preferred style of this variety, but it was well made and had subtle dark fruit, but less jammy and more unripe.
Quality: Good
Wine 25 – Tokaj Eye Furmint
So I will admit I’m a bit of a Furmint fan, so cards on the table, this is my sort of wine! Typical of the variety I got hits of apple on the palette, which quickly became more like bruised apple. I also got some hints of stone fruit and florals.
Quality: Very good
Stay tuned for more!
I hope these posts are giving you the information you need. I’d love some feedback. Why not drop me a line and let me know what else you’d like to see here? Next time we check out the next five! And in the meantime, keep exploring this beautiful planet we live on, one glass at a time!