Szent István was the first Christian King of Hungary. He’s impossible to miss walking around Budapest or anywhere in Hungary really, and still resides on the 10,000 Forint. He tragically lost all of his children before his own death and is among other things, venerated as the patron saint of children suffering from severe illnesses. Perhaps less tragic, he’s also the patron saint of bricklayers, stonemasons and Hungary itself. Needless to say, he’s regarded to have a strong moral compass and gave Hungary 40 or so years of peace which for Hungary is saying something. The Szent István barrel is a long lived 100+ year old oak barrel. The biome of this barrel yields wines with a strong profile befitting the first King of Hungary. All the levels are up in this vintage. It’s like spiking the hard mineral water of the hill with plenty of structure, acidity and residual sugar. The barrel also lends some black walnut richness as well. After 6-12 hours on the skins, its gravity fed into barrel. A minimum of 12 months aging on the fine lees with zero racking and then an additional 2 years in bottle before release. The only addition is SO2.

Nimród is considered to be the forefather of modern day Hungarians. A ruler in ancient Mesopotamia, a prodigious hunter, commissioned the construction of the Tower of Babel, and had a reputation for being rebellious against God. Seems like a fun guy. He also had two sons Hunor (Aka the Huns) and Magyar (the name of Hungary itself – Magyarország). Many Hungarians like to think that their skill of shooting a bow and arrow while on horseback is a dominant Nimród gene. Dominant or recessive genetics aside, Nimród is a foundational figure in Hungarian lore and deserves a 1000 liter oak barrel filled with Hárslevelű. After 6-12 hours on the skins, its gravity fed into barrel. A minimum of 12 months aging on the fine lees with zero racking and then an additional 2 years in bottle before release. The only addition is SO2. The Nimród barrel is similar to the Attila, but with a stronger toast to emphasize the aromatics of the grape. It’s also the driest of the wines we are getting from 2021. The acidity and aromatics need to find the balance in the absence of residual sugar. Golden, salty, aromatic and structured Somlói Hárslevelű.

Attila the Hun might be one of the most known characters from this part of the world. Rightly feared by Western and Eastern Roman Empires, he invaded as far west as modern day France and Italy, sieged the Balkans, and definitively devastated the Byzantine Empire. He never took Constantinople, Rome or Paris, but did put a serious hurting on everything in between. There’s a reason Allied forces in WWI referred to the Germans as Huns – a clear call back to the barbaric fighting style of Attila. As a vessel, Attila is a super thick walled 1000 liter oak barrel from the Zemplén forest in Tokaj. As Károly puts it, wines from this barrel are “Distinct, clear, and straightforward.” It’s both one of the driest wines from 2021 but with far and away the most acidity. This is Juhfark leading the charge into battle. After 6-12 hours on the skins, its gravity fed into barrel. A minimum of 12 months aging on the fine lees with zero racking and then an additional 2 years in bottle before release. The only addition is SO2.

Juhfark (Sheep’s tail) is a distinctive, almost extinct white grape variety found almost exclusively in Somló. The clusters are long, tightly packed and curve a little at the end hence the Sheep’s tail moniker. Naturally very high in acidity, it’s also fairly neutral on its own and instead absorbs and communicates the volcanic terroir rather than pronounced fruit flavors. However, after a few years in bottle this wine really comes alive.

As Károly often says, “I have big feelings on Somló.” He’s also got big feelings about barrels. Some dating back to 1956 and the 1970s, each large Acacia and oak barrel has a specific name pulling from Hungarian history, folklore and culture. Each barrel is bottled on its own too. This 2021 spends 7-10 hours on the skins, pressed into the 1500L Töhötöm barrel, aged on the fine less, and zero racking until bottling. Töhötöm was one of the Seven Chieftains of the Magyar Tribes at the time of their arrival in the Carpathian Basin in AD 895. These were the founding figures in what is modern day Hungary. Brimming with salt, smoke, and the spiced honey from fermented try Botrytis, this is cool climate volcanic wine to a tee. According to Károly, “the real Somló minimum 3 years!” Still a baby, this drinks great now but if anyone can hide some away, please do so.