Bleu de Hongrie 2022 - Kolónia 52 (VN)

Hungarian Blue, certainly a beautiful description of the characteristic blue grape. Call it an honor. The thick skin of the Kekfrankos can also withstand quite a bit of heat. Skins are pounded open before fermentation, releasing the elegant juice. What is created is dark, ripe fruit with slightly smoky tones, round and juicy and yet with the spicy and mineral character of the volcanic terroir.

Only a very small edition and so with this the rule, one per person. Share fairly.

Country / Region: Hungary / Balaton
Grapes: 100% Blue Franconia (Chekfrancois)
In the vineyard: Volcanic terroir. Grapes were bought from a local grape grower. Harvested by hand.
In the wine cellar: whole bunch maceration, 50% of the grapes are trampled by foot, the other half is left whole. After 10 days of maceration in open barrels, the grapes are pressed and the wine matures for 11 months in 600L oak barrels. Unfiltered, without the addition of SO2.
Quality mark: Vin nature

Annamária and Attila are still young but have already years of experience in winemaking behind them. For example, they have worked for Gut Oggau, Heinrich and Michael Gind since 2016 and are good friends with Franz Strohmeier, Horst Hummel and Sepp Muster, big names in vin nature. The experience is not small.

Seen a lot, learned a lot and who knows, maybe a natural talent somewhere. And so there was the very first vintage of Kolonia 52. The name comes from the very first place where the couple made their first cuvée together, a small cellar on Kolonia Street n. 52 in Villányi. Their wines are very impressive, certainly for a first vintage, and, without added sulphites. Energetic, clean and beautifully balanced, not everyone can do that in one, two, three.

After the First World War, Hungary lost large parts of its territory thanks to the Treaty of Trianon, which meant that direct access to the Mediterranean Sea disappeared. As a result, Lake Balaton became the new holiday destination to escape the scorching summers in Budapest. The surrounding country was built up with luxury hotels, land became scarcer and more expensive, and so buying vineyards became almost unaffordable.

The fact that the young couple managed to acquire the estate is thanks to the former owners, an older couple who lived in Budapest most of the year and could no longer take care of the land. Instead of selling the land to the highest bidder, Annamária and Attila were allowed to get to work. Together they renovated the winery, restored the old vines and planted new ones. The estate came back to life and immediately created beautiful wines.

The vineyards of are situated around the Szent György-hegy, a hill north of Lake Balaton, just outside the tourist area. A diverse and rural landscape where volcanic deposits such as basalt, thick limestone layers, sand and clay alternate and where the grapes enjoy varying degrees of sun exposure.