{"api":{"host":"https:\/\/pinot.decanter.com","authorization":"Bearer ZjdiMzNkOTgwNmI2MTE3YzI0NGFjYzBjZjNiM2RiOWM0MzQ2NzczMzIyZGNkN2YxOTQwYWYwZjM0MWRlYjFlZA","version":"2.0"},"piano":{"sandbox":"false","aid":"6qv8OniKQO","rid":"RJXC8OC","offerId":"OFPHMJWYB8UK","offerTemplateId":"OFPHMJWYB8UK","wcTemplateId":"OTOW5EUWVZ4B"}}

PREMIUM

Hungarian red wines: expert’s choice

A strong performance in this year’s DWWA proved that Hungary isn’t just about white wines. Caroline Gilby MW picks 18 of her top-scoring reds, from both local and international varieties.

Hungary may be famous for its white wines, and especially for the glorious wines of Tokaj, but a third of its vines are in fact red grapes.

The Decanter World Wine Awards 2021 saw the country stake a strong red claim on the map, with its first ever Best in Show for a red wine. And not just any red, but a Bull’s Blood (Bikavér in Hungarian) – a name that may conjure up memories of cheap and rustic wine.


Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for 18 Hungarian red wines worth seeking out


St Andrea’s Nagy-Eged Dűlő Grand Superior [not featured here] is a world away from that era. To rehabilitate Bikavér as a flagship blended red for Hungary has been a lifetime’s passion for father and son György and György Jr Lőrincz, along with several other like-minded wineries in the two regions of Eger and Szekszárd (where Bikavér is a protected denomination).


See Caroline Gilby MW’s pick of 18 Hungarian reds worth seeking out


Caroline Gilby MW is a widely published wine writer, awarded author and consultant specialising in the wines of Central and Eastern Europe, and DWWA joint regional Chair for North, Central and Eastern Europe


Related content

Royal Tokaji 2017 Aszú: tasting the new releases
Zweigelt homeland: Neusiedlersee DAC regional profile and wines to try
Albariño versus Alvarinho: panel tasting results

Latest Wine News