Gyöngyöspata, Mátra (Hungary)
This was really a quick visit here, we're here at Hoop Wines which is run by two childhood friends, Zoltán Németi and Zoltán Kerekes who make wine from a small overall surface 1,5 hectare, plus from the equivalent of 0,5 hectare of purchased grapes, for a total yearly production of 5 to 6000 bottles. We're here in a family house in the village that was refurbished as a small winery facility by Zoltán Kerekes who had himself a 10-year experience working in a local winery. Zoltán Németi is himself an IT specialist in Budapest and spends his weekends here for this venture.
This small facility has all the hygiene requirements needed for a safe winemaking, mostly there's the main room which we could call the chai (they press inside), and a barrel room on the side which does the job of a cellar. Asked if they got European funding for these investments, they say no, the conditions for these subsidies are difficult to gather and unfortunately they are designed mostly for big wineries, so they funded this by themselves. They're happy to have this facility which is now easy to clean and keep clean, something essential for thoughtful winemaking. Their first commercial vintage was in 2019 (before it was more like experimental and for themselves and friends).
This is the press, Slovenian-made Zottel (I'm not very familiar with this make), but they actually almost don't use it because they mostly work with the free-run juice, not the press juice. They started for their first vintage with Cabernet Franc and now make mostly Kékfrankos (Blaufränkisch)
__ Pink, Pet'nat rosé 2020 from Kékfrankos, appellation on the label is Felső-Magyarország (Upper Hungary) borrégió (wine region) which is a wide regional appellation regrouping Bükk [my favorite camping base when I travel around], Eger and Mátra. This pet'nat was the first recognized as such in this upper-Hungary appellation (If I remember, the appellation board changed its rules recently in order to include these new types of wines). Pressure here is 2,6 bar, it was bottled with between 10 and 15 grams of residual sugar. Bitterness notes but counterbalances well the sweet tongue. They tell me they made their first pet-nat by accident in 2016 when they bottled some Kékfrankos with residual sugar and they liked the resulting bubbly.
We have a look in the barrel cellar, which is a surface room, not underground. There are here barrels of different makes, Taransaud, Nadalie, Seguin Moreau (thry say the latter is doing a good job). They have an ozone generator that works on the evening to keep the air neutral. They plan to buy a new barrel every year, but a new 225-liter barrel imprints too much of an oaky character on Kékfrankos, so they prefer to use older barrels, or a large-capacity barrel for this variety. A 500-liter demi-muid would do the job, they think.
__ Pink 2021 in the making, we walk outside and they open the bottle, christening the whole place, quite nice scene under the sun ! This pet-nat has not been disgorged, high-pressure bubbles, not yet integrated. Asking about the pressure, I'm told it's 5,5. Very turbid (not disgorged). Not that much bubbly in the mouth actually, very fresh feel.
Speaking of winemaking, it's pretty basic, they say : they work with one-ton open fermenters with spontaneous fermentation which they say is usually slow, taking 2 or 3 weeks to complete. Last year they made only one Kékfrankos red (from the Gereg terroir). So2 at this stage in the barrels is total 30 or 40, with free so2 being almost nonexistant.
__ Kékfrankos 2021, tank sample (the tank in the barrel cellar). Smooth feel, nice integrated tannins already, refined wine, I love it !
__ Kékfrankos from barrel, harsher mouthfeel here, possibly because of the oak imprint. They say the barrel was steamed before filling, which is maybe why. The ratio of the blend will be 9 barrels plus a tank.
__ Zoltán Kerekes from yet another barrel among the 3 from the Gereg terroir : Love it, smooth, delicious. They say they plan to have no fining, but they may have a light filtering.
Zoltán Kerekes' cellar with a Flextank, which has some king of breathing plastic, he is in the process of experimenting winemaking here. Flextank is made in the United States and is imported in Europe through a Hungary-based importer.
__ Kékfrankos Gerek 2020, we taste a first Bordeaux-shaped bottle (not the one on the picture), also a blend. Screw cap.
__ Kékfranko Matra 2019 (pictured above), Zoltán Németi's own cuvée, bottled a year ago. From his own parcel in the Gereg terroir, I mean he bought grapes from a friend of his.Closure is a breathable screw cap (Stelvin Inside), something innovative that may alleviate the demand and pressure on cork producers. Nice nose. He uses a plastic tank with oak staves inside. Vety smooth. Alcohol a bit a bit forward but that's fine, the refined tannins make it. Already ready to drink but I feel it will be bettered after waiting a while. I marvel at the very interesting range of Kékfrankos in Mátra and Balint who joined us says that Gyöngyöspata has the highest number of Kékfrankos producers in proportion to its size, this is really a vibrant (if tiny) wine region... Only Szekszárd has more Kékfrankos producers, but it's a way bigger wine region (if mostly unknown in much of western Europe).
While we were chatting, the wine further opened itself in the glass, it was even better with dust notes and chalky tannins, just delicious !! Professional price is 5 € for this wine, really a terrific deal ! In Budapest you'll pay 4000 Forints on the shelves, or 10 € (at the time of writing). Some is exported to Luxemburg. Asked about so2 here, there were two addings, with 60 total, then the lab said free so2 mostly gone so they added 25 more before bottling.
Go visit the Vulkanikus Borok Fesztiválja [the wine festival celebrating the wines of Matra and of other volcanic regions] that will take place in Gyöngyöspata from august 26 to august 28, you'll meet all the producers profiled here in the relaxed and easygoing setting of these cellar streets [map from last year's event] with good food, nice wines and warmful people.
Participating vintners :
▪️ Szignárovits-Maka Pincészet
▪️ Itt és Most Pince
▪️ Páger Pince
▪️ Losonci Pince
▪️ Kovács András (ex-Borrajongó Blog szerzője!)
▪️ Németi Zoli Pincéje (Művelt Alkoholista szerzője!)
▪️ HOOP Wines
▪️ Kékhegy
▪️ Olivér Borműhely
▪️ Bata Loyal Estate
▪️ Nagy Tomi Pincéje
▪️ TÁDÉ
▪️ Fáczán Attila Pincéje
▪️ Tulipános Ház (ez nem borászat, ez a Pincedomb szívcsakrája!)
▪️ Erik Slooten Wines
▪️ Nandi Magdi Pincéje
▪️ RENÉE's Wine Heaven
▪️ Maka Zolibá Pincéje (Avagy: tényleg "a japppán istenit neki!")
▪️ TELEKI
▪️ Varga Magdika Pincéje
▪️ Laczkó Gyula Pincéje
▪️ Botond Pince
▪️ Czéhné B. Marika Pincéje
▪️ Sohajdané H. Virág Pincéje
▪️ Kosik Pince
▪️ Szerencsés Pince
▪️ Bálint Gyula Pincéje
▪️ Paziczki Laci Pincéje
▪️ Kecskés Robi Pincéje
▪️ Sóos Családi Pince
▪️ Önkormányzat Pincéje
Guests from other regions :
▪️ TR Művek (Tokaj-Hegyalja - Tállya)
▪️ SZÓLÓ (Tokaj-Hegyalja - Tállya)
▪️ H2 Pince (Mátra - Nagyréde)
▪️ Dominium Pince (Mátra - Farkasmály)
▪️ Sándor Zsolt Organikus Pincéje (Bükk)
▪️ ABELES (Somló)
▪️ Gallay Kézműves Pince (Bükk)
▪️ Barta Pince (Tokaj-Hegyalja - Mád)
▪️ Nagygombos Pince (Mátra, Nagyréde)
▪️ Vincze Tomi (Tokaj-Hegyalja - Sárospatak)
▪️ Orsolya Pince (Eger - Ostoros)
Comments