A short visit in February during which we tasted a number of wines he brought along, some of which the fledgling vintner made himself. Those who know me realize I exercise no leniency towards the products of friends and acquaintances, perhaps rather on the contrary, and those who believe there is conflict of interest if I write about them should remember that his wines, at least not yet at this early stage, are not commercially available. Ambrus asked me specifically not to post TNs on a couple of wines he felt suffered from travel shock (a Pouilly-Fuissé-like Olasz Riesling and a Rozsakö – I agreed they showed signs of travel shock but not that they could not be judged fairly) and another that was refermenting in bottle (a Rozsakö Late Harvest that would probably have been quite nice for the IMHO rubbery/artificial-tasting hybrid variety), and I have exceptionally respected that wish (fact is, there are so few wines nowadays on which I take notes at all, I have no patience for “special treatment” when I do).
The most memorable wine to me (and all to whom I showed the nine wines Ambrus brought along), by far, was the Kéknyelü. I have not yet visited the Badacsony region, but judging from what I have tasted so far, there is no doubt in my mind that this is the local niche product, as there seems to be truly unique potential synergy of grape variety and soil characteristics (as a matter of fact, though, it cannot be planted/farmed in monoculture, more on that further below).
Bakó Pince Badacsonyi Kéknyelü 2006
From 14-years-old vines from what Ambrus feels is a fair enough though hardly great site (and that is already the whole point: if it is true that better, perhaps even significantly more expressive and deep Kéknyelü can be made, it may indeed have the potential to be one of the most attractive, terroir-driven dry whites on the planet). Picked on the 31st of October, from a yield of 700 grams of fruit per plant. Also unfined, looks a tiny bit milkier and more yellow-green, if almost as pale as the Olasz Rizling. A bit flintier-smokier, more interesting minerality (more potassium to the basalt/volcanic soil here). A more tannic and firm wine, thanks to having spent three days on the skins, Ambrus says. 33 g/l dry extract. The higher 13.9% alcohol nonetheless integrate better. Tannic and viscous, tastes harmoniously dry, one can just sense the 14 g/l residual sugar is higher than in the Olasz Rizling. 8.9 g/l acidity, a goodly proportion of which malic. The longer this aired, the more its firmer grip, tannic, more structured mouthfeel, smoky-minerally expression and length convinced us of the potential of this grape variety. Quite concentrated. More power and grip on the finish, too. Steelier herb notes, pit fruit such as white plum. Fresher/more refreshing wine that even opened up some pineapple and grapefruit with airing. Quite obviously unique synergy here: the variety fits the typical minerality and metal notes here like a glove. Rating: 89+/90?
Bakó Pince Badacsonyi Muskotályos 2006
From the same 14-years-old vineyard as the Kéknyelü. Picked on the 8th of November. A bit deeper greener gold colour. The more “golden” apple and pear, some sweet corn/maize and straw, and comparatively soft tangerine liqueur notes are probably due to the 60-70% Sárga Muskotály, the partly aged linden/lime blossom probably to the 10% Hárslevelü. Nice body at 12.5% alcohol. A bit Alsatian VT-like at 58 g/l residual sugar, if with milder acidity at 7.25 g/l than I am used to there. Very good balance in an easy-to-approach way, goes well with food. Medium length. With airing, in fact within a few hours already, petrol and peat notes, along with some aged pineapple sweetness, aged pear, more Moscato di Pantelleria-like, showing fair smoothness and density. Not especially minerally, just a little grey pepper dust-like stoniness. Rating: 88+/~89?
Bakó Pince Badacsonyi Hárslevelü 2006
Again from the same 14-years-old vineyard, picked on the 8th of November. From “annoyingly high yields“ of 11’400 kg/ha. Surmaturité-picked, just 5-10% botrytis. 29 g/l residual sugar, 7.4 g/l acidity, 12.9% alcohol. Just 28 g/l dry extract, because of the high yields. A lighter-hearted, nicely medium-thick, nicely fruity-mild late harvest style Hárslevelü. Pale gold. Sulphur, golden sultana and apple aromas with a floral Amarena cherry top note. Nicely ripe and fairly flavourful acidity for the variety, and not too low. Very minor, actually fairly nice cheesiness to the seemingly clean botrytis. Little if any minerality. More open than Ambrus’s other barrel samples, but showing less intensity and grip. Rating: 88
Laposa Bazaltbor Badacsonyi Olasz Rizling 2006
From 15-years-old vines. Picked in mid-October. Refused to ferment dry, but really only just off-dry. Fermented in Hungarian oak, and aged in a new 500 litre barrel. Pale green-golden colour. A fairly spicy Welschriesling, albeit also rather oak-spicy, lots of dried thistle. Slight overripeness. Medium-plus body at best. Not too long on the finish. Oaky aftertaste. Showed more vinosity the next day, in a positive way. While grown-through with thistle-scented oak, it at least fits the variety and slight moëlleux character (the faint oiliness helps) to a greater extent than the Furmint (to which oak is really a nemesis the way it is to Riesling). Rating: 85(+?)
Laposa Bazaltbor Badacsonyi Furmint 2006
From 3-years-old vines. Picked in mid-October. Pale green-gold. More metal/iron-driven minerality here than in a comparable Tokaji Furmint, and the acidity is so much less steely, bland in fact almost as in many Swiss Chasselas (albeit there due the traditional malolactic fermentation). Nicer French oak, but whether any will ever fit Furmint is highly debatable. The 14.8% alcohol just sort of integrates despite mediocre concentration. Unnoticeable 6 g/l residual sugar. This apparently fermented a bit too fast – be that as it may, I wished it were not only fruitier but simply more concentrated, so it would at all have a chance to stand up to its oak. Noticeably fruitier the following day, even if the oak still takes away from the wine rather than support it in any way. Rating: 83(+?)
Homonna Tokaji Furmint 2006
From 70/80- to 100-years-old vines. 85% Furmint, rest mixed. Picked in late October/early November. From a yield of 700 litres per hectare, with 10’000 vines planted per hectare. Williams pear liqueur, faintly rubbery. The young, albeit not new Hungarian oak still shows, touch of vanilla. White and grey pepper. The acidity of a More blood orange, Albino remarked. Quite firm, more tannic than the other wines. Chalkier minerality than the Badacsony wines, intrinsically less attractive in a dry wine than in the more metal-driven Badacsony examples. Thanks to its superior concentration this integrated its oak a fraction better the following day. Must admit this wine secretly unnerved me more than any other Ambrus brought along. Why? Because it could easily have been outstanding – without the masking effect of the oak (new or otherwise noticeable oak, I am aware I am repeating myself, only takes away from Furmint, and gives it nothing in return). Rating: 88+?
Albino Rocca Barbaresco Brich Ronchi 1997
From my collection, a bottle we had with dinner. Deep garnet-ruby, black reflections, looked a tiny bit murky this time. A touch of oxidation on the nose, too. The modern style here, even though the wines tend to be as good as they get in this price category, has since then kept me from buying other vintages (some of which were almost on this level). The marzipan oak persists here, for example, and never fully integrated within the time span the fruit needed to taste reasonably, and now perhaps fully mature. But: despite the fact that the cork looked perfect and this bottle came from perfect storage (mine), I am not sure it was not affected by minor oxidation or the like, i.e. a case of bottle variation. Be that as it may, this was my second-to-last, and I am not planning to hold on to the last one forever. Rating: 92-/91(-?)
István Szepsy Tokaji Aszúessencia Nyulas-Hegyi Szölö 1993
A bottle I pulled out when I heard Ambrus had never had one of Szepsy’s legendary 1993 AEs. Bottle No. #142/390. Amber-brown, yellow hue. Honey, coffee, cocoa, sweet dried date. On the palate in addition dried fig, tobacco and quince, lovely sugary raisins on the back end. So youthful and precise orangey-lemony at the core. Viscous, thick and sweet. Clean still faintly bready botrytis. Orangey if not tangerine-like acidity. Not particularly minerally, on the next day even more loess-typical with exotic fruit, roasted mango, pineapple and caramel, if not Crème Brûlée. Some of the primary sweet paprika and curry of young Aszú. Sugary-glyceric, thick and smooth mouthfeel despite increasingly flavourful and aromatic acidity. The precision and cut of the vintage remains some of the most impressive I know, certainly in the modern era. I must admit this in-between stage, the combination of a youthful (as-if primary) core and nicely oxidative, autumnal-complex (perhaps slightly premature) surface, makes for such wonderful drinking pleasure, I am reluctant to make a prophecy on its future. It certainly appears in no immediate danger of decline. Rating: ~95?
Greetings from Switzerland, David.
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„J'ai gâché vingt ans de mes plus belles années au billard. Si c'était à refaire, je recommencerais.“ – Roger Conti
