The Southern Hungarian town of Villány has supported highly-organized grape culture since before the Romans. After Ottoman occupation, German settlers were invited to reinvigorate the dwindling population. With them came innovations in grape growing and wine making, and the local Kékoportó (Portugieser) vine. Attila Gere first took interest in Villány wines in 1978 while tasting home-made versions from his father-in-law. Gere became obsessed with the potential of Villány. When the Communist regime was dissolved in the early 90’s, Atilla Gere winery was established. Wine has been a part of Gere family life for at least 7 generations. Atilla’s great-grandmother lived in Villány; her husband was the local cooper. While the Gere production includes benchmark renditions of the local white Olasrizling and red Portugieser, Gere’s heart lies in the exceptional Bordeaux varietal wines and cuvees from top vineyard sites surrounding the mountain of Kopar that have brought international acclaim to Atilla Gere wines and the appellation of Villány.
The warmth of the southerly slopes is enhanced by the hot air from the Mediterranean. However, the soils are rich in geothermic heat-sources and water, which nourishes the vines during the hot, often dry growing season. The appellation can be divided into the districts of Villány proper, and to its west, Siklós. Soils are primarily loess and red clay; along with a ridge of dolomite, and limestone that dramatically defines Villány. Gere farms 50 HA, grape yields are restricted to 1 kilo per plant and new vineyards are planted at high density to encourage plant competition. Gere has always used integrated pest-control and all-natural treatments in the vineyards.
Gere is one of Hungary’s largest premier producers. Still, all fruit is handpicked and hand-sorted again at the winery. Red wines are fermented with wild yeast. Generally, no sulfur is added until after fermentation. Over the years the Gere Winery has grown and modernized but the incorporation of technology has allowed the scale of production to increase without drastically adjusting his wine making principals. The large cellar contains a mélange of oak barrel types, though most are Hungarian, where the premium wines ferment and age under Attila’s sensitive watch.
Kopár Cuvée is considered the finest wine produced by Attila Gere. The fruit comes from vineyards on the extinct volcano named Kopár, which means “barren”. This is a reference to the sparse loess on limestone soil the vineyards are planted on. A small amount comes from other prime Gere vineyards also within the DHC - Villány. The wine deserves to be ranked among the best from Bordeaux, Tuscany and Napa. Full-bodied and fruity, it shows lots of depth in color, almost turning to black, with youthful tones. Sour cherry, raspberry, mulberry and minerality on the nose. Elegant, rich and complex on the palate. The fruits are accompanied by some chocolate cinnamon and mild pepper. Despite its young age, it is well-balanced with good aging potential.
PRODUCER: Gere Attila
APPELLATION: Villány (Veal-yan)
GRAPE COMPOSITION: 50% Cabernet Franc; 40% Merlot; 10% Cabernet Sauvignon
CLIMATE: Continental/sub-Mediterranean
SOILS: Loam and clay with a chalk and limestone base
EXPOSURE: Southern
MACERATION & AGING: Partly in steel tanks, partly in wooden vats; malolactic fermentation in oak. 60% aged in new barrique, 40% in big (10-25 hl) barrels for 16
months.
ALCOHOL: 14%
RESIDUAL SUGAR: 1.3 g/l
ACIDITY: 5.7 g/l