Tasting Hungary

Promotion

In partnership with Wines of Hungary

The mighty Danube as it divides Buda from Pest. Historic Art Nouveau architecture, grand coffee houses and decadent Turkish baths. Béla Bartók, Ferenc Puskás. All indisputably Hungarian icons – but volcanoes? Yes indeed, Hungary is dominated by a volcanic landscape whose impact is key to the character of the country’s wines.

Within this selection, you will find an array of grape varieties and wine styles from these volcanic terroirs. Of course, Furmint features as the main protagonist in many of these blends, testament to the versatility of the variety and the quality of the wines it produces. There is even a fantastic sparkling Furmint, which is an outstanding example both of traditional-method winemaking and the variety’s malleability.

The country’s volcanic terroirs have also produced outstanding interpretations of Olaszrizling (Welschriesling), Sauvignon Blanc, Kékfrankos, Zweigelt and Pinot Noir, as well as sweet wines that hark back to when Hungary’s Tokaji was prized throughout the royal courts of Europe. Of course, these wines have their distinct personalities, which represent a diversity of styles – but there are some clear commonalities.

There is a significant mineral component, which makes itself known through a stony, petrichor character, or a more intense flinty or ferrous note. And then there’s the high acidity that brings not only freshness and elegance but also, in many cases, longevity.

Overall, for lovers of ancient landscapes and modern, racy wines, Hungary has a lot to offer!

Caves within volcanic rock provide ideal conditions for ageing wine. Credit: Wines of Hungary

Sparkling

Kreinbacher Birtok Classic Brut NV

Mesmerising white florals, ripe orchard fruit and toasted brioche notes abound! Gorgeous citrus acidity, bouncy delicate foam and a long mineral finish. Outstanding! Gold medal winner at DWWA 2024.
Drink 2024-2028 | Alcohol 12.5%

Gilvesy Méthode Traditionnelle, Badacsony 2019

Fantastically Furmint in character, this sparkling wine is balanced and poised with a seductive smokiness and toasted brioche notes. Complex and layered with serious acidity that points to its elegant evolution and potential to age further. Great personality and structure.
Drink 2024-2029 | Alcohol 11.5%

Sauska Furmint Brut 2017

Fruit sourced from the winery’s Tokaj vineyards, vinified in Budafok. Lemon sherbet, pear and green apple on the nose. Whole-bunch pressed, unoaked and 7g/l dosage. Green apple, kiwi and lemon on the palate, whilst a buttery depth and texture nod to five years of lees ageing. Cleansing lime zest leads to a lingering, nutty finish.
Drink 2024-2027 | Alcohol 12%

Furmint is widely planted in Badacsony’s volcanic soils. Credit: Wines of Hungary

White

Benedek Pince Epreskert Sauvignon Blanc, Mátra 2023

Racy acidity and punchy citrus fruit dominate this Sauvignon Blanc from one of Hungary’s most important white wine regions, to the north of Budapest. With a pithy grapefruit core, this youthful and vibrant wine shows flinty freshness on the finish.
Drink 2024-2026 | Alcohol 12.5%

Gizella Hárslevelű Furmint Cuvée, Tokaj 2023

A lovely introduction to dry wines from the region: Hárslevelű (53%) brings a pretty floral component, while Furmint contributes typical structure and minerality. Juicy peaches, lemon and almond are immediately appealing. Just a touch of sweetness on the finish softens some of the Furmint’s natural bitterness.
Drink 2024-2026 | Alcohol 12.5%

Balassa Furmint, Tokaj 2022

Serious and layered but immediately enjoyable, this is a Furmint full of tropical fruit – orange blossom, guava and peach – balanced perfectly by intense salinity. Stony metallic notes intertwine harmoniously with the typical punchy acidity of Tokaj. Mouthwateringly mineral on the finish.
Drink 2024-2028 | Alcohol 13%

Patricius Furmint, Tokaj 2022

A crystal-clear wine with engaging aromas of apple blossom and fresh pear. It shows fresh, zesty fruit with notes of crunchy, ripe apple backed by vibrant acidity. This is a benchmark dry Furmint.
Drink 2024-2026 | Alcohol 13%

Sabar Kéknyelű, Badacsony 2022

Modern and fresh, this is a delicious interpretation of one of Hungary’s rarer white grape varieties. Spicy and lively with green chilli, grapefruit pith and white pepper. Stony and grippy, the wine has real drive and an attractive touch of fennel bitterness that lifts the finish.
Drink 2024-2026 | Alcohol 13.5%

Sabar Olaszrizling, Badacsony 2022

A delightful example of a lighter style of white, this is both elegantly simple and simply enticing. Springtime aromas of flowers and cut grass keep the wine fresh and light on its feet. Apple compote and lemon myrtle make for a long, minty finish.
Drink 2024-2026 | Alcohol 11.5%

St Andrea Mária Egri Cuvée Grand Superior, Eger 2022

From the most volcanic site in the region, this blend of mainly Furmint and Chardonnay offers a chalky, textural palate with a mineral backbone. Layered with lemon and lime, there’s a touch of white pepper and mouth-watering grapefruit on the finish. Tension and energy point to ageing potential.
Drink 2024-2028 | Alcohol 13.5%

Szeremley Riesling, Badacsony 2022

A classic white from Hungary, this blend of Olaszrizling and Riesling offers seductive smokey aromas and lime. The palate is weighty and appealingly syrupy with tinned pineapple sweetness surrounding a stony core. The finish has impressive lift from stone fruit and aniseed bitterness.
Drink 2024-2026 | Alcohol 12%

Bodrog Borműhely Lapis Furmint, Tokaj 2021

Wood spice notes combine with creamy coffee and vanilla in this oaked Furmint. The palate is quite rich, with ripe peach and pear, whilst a bitter almond note lends some freshness to the finish. This wine will continue to benefit from time in bottle.
Drink 2025-2029 | Alcohol 12.5%

Royal Tokaji Szt Tamás Furmint, Tokaj 2021

A stunning expression of the celebrated Szt Tamás vineyard. Complex and heady on the nose with mango, orange and grapefruit, the wine is broad and satisfying, balanced with sensational acidity. Pithy, puckering and powerful with a slatey, flinty backbone.
Drink 2024-2030 | Alcohol 12.5%

Gilvesy St George Furmint, Badacsony 2020

Hallmark Furmint aromas of fresh mango and macadamia nut. Combined with a touch of reduction, this makes for a heady and inviting wine with an impressively stony core and serious intensity on the palate. As a wine that offers both immediacy and substance, this should have broad appeal.
Drink 2024-2026 | Alcohol 12.5%

Füleky Mestervölgy Furmint, Tokaj 2019

Lusciously inviting, this Furmint is dry but offers up ripe peach and apricot, held together by racy acidity, typical of the region. The wine seems to have gained weight and richness after a few years in bottle, and while it will probably develop further, it is delicious to drink now.
Drink 2024-2028 | Alcohol 13.5%

Kolonics Furmint, Somlò 2019

Stony energy marks this light and more delicate interpretation of Furmint. More textural than overtly fruity, the wine displays a little reduction, which adds interest, together with inviting smoky notes. A good example of the ageing potential of the variety and region.
Drink 2024-2026 | Alcohol 14%

Kolonics Juhfark, Somlò 2018

It is interesting to taste this example of Juhfark with some age. Rich and weighty after time in bottle, there are pretty musk rose and wild fennel notes. Ripe peach and stone fruit bitterness dominate the palate, which has developed an oily, viscous texture.
Drink 2024-2025 | Alcohol 13%

Szeremley Kéknyelű, Badacsony 2006

There are only 50ha of Kéknyelű, a rare Hungarian grape, nearly all in Badacsony. It is a grape with ageing potential, evident in the surprising freshness of this 18-year-old white. With both umami and ripe fruity notes (shitake mushrooms and quince), this is a complex wine with a wet stone minerality.
Drink 2024-2026 | Alcohol 13%

Racks of sparkling wine bottles in a cellar

Törley Sparkling Wine Cellars. Credit: Wines of Hungary

Rosé

Zelna Rosé, Tihany 2022

An elegant rosé blend of Kékfrankos and Zweigelt, with strawberry fruit and a wonderful pomegranate and cranberry crunch. Following time on lees and a year in bottle, the palate offers weight and intensity resulting in a substantial yet lively rosé from Lake Balaton’s volcanic peninsula, Hungary’s smallest PDO.
Drink 2024-2026 | Alcohol 12.5%

Red

Benedek Pince Pinot Noir, Mátra 2022

Light in colour with delicate aromas of sour cherry and pomegranate, this Pinot Noir is destined for immediate drinking. Just on the right side of green, it is fresh and lively with an underlying stoniness that speaks of its volcanic origins. Would benefit from being chilled for summer drinking.
Drink 2024-2026 | Alcohol 11.5%

St Andrea Merengő Egri Bikavér, Eger 2021

Made from a selection of the best fruit from St Andrea’s nine vineyards. The base is Kékfrankos, bringing pretty floral notes and elegance, while international varieties offer blackberries and spice. After 16 months in barrel, it is already soft and succulent, but kept in check by impressive acid drive.
Drink 2024-2029 | Alcohol 15%

St Donat Magma Kékfrankos, Balaton 2021

From the Tihany peninsula, this is a delightfully light and lively red with pretty floral and sour cherry aromas. The palate is lifted with serious graphite drive and is very fruit-forward despite nearly a year in barrel, with a juicy, raspberry finish.
Drink 2024-2026 | Alcohol 12.5%

Gallay Zweigelt, Bükk 2020

Medium-bodied with lots of wild berry fruit, this Zweigelt was part whole- bunch fermented, which accounts for a certain freshness. Aromas of sundried tomato, brambly fruit and peppery spice are immediately appealing in this wine, which should be enjoyed young and possibly a little chilled.
Drink 2024-2026 | Alcohol 12%

St Andrea Nagy-Eged Egri Bikavér Grand Superior, Eger 2019

Wonderfully intense and powerful, this single-vineyard wine combines Kékfrankos with Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Syrah. Blackberries and black pepper aromas lead to a plummy, ferrous palate with great structure, with present but well managed tannins. This is young but will develop beautifully in bottle.
Drink 2024-2029 | Alcohol 15%

Gallay Kékfrankos, Bükk 2017

This red spends 24 months in oak, developing some vanilla and toast character, and showcasing the variety’s ageing potential. Jammy strawberry fruit combines with cigar box and leather in this seven-year-old wine, which is ready to drink now.
Drink 2024-2025 | Alcohol 12%

Sweet

Gizella Aszú 6 Puttonyos, Tokaj 2019

Winner of a Best in Show award at DWWA 2024. Winemaker László Szilágyi believes the 2019 might be one of his best vintages. A delightfully light style of Aszú wine, layered with lemon curd, fresh mango and honeycomb. It has a vibrant, stony core and is light on its feet, making it very approachable to drink young.
Drink 2024-2028 | Alcohol 9.5%