2021 Abeles Crazy Red
Balatonmelléki & Somló, Hungary
2021
Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Furmint
Temperate & Cool continental
Volcanic rocks, basalt
On the skins for 2 weeks, and then pressed with 100+ year old wooden basket press. Aged for a year in Speidel tanks.
12.7%
1.1 g/l
6.9 g/l
Notes & Pairings
Co-fermenting red and white grapes is currently illegal under Hungarian Wine Law. While historically commonplace and celebrated today in places like Vienna and Styria, Imre is bringing this back even though it must be exported. The red grapes are from the clay and limestone rich soils of Aszófő near Tihany on the northern shore of Lake Balaton. The Cabernet and Cab Franc ripen early here, but they wait until the sugar gets pretty high (230-250 g/rs). Due to this high sugar, they add in high acid and structured Furmint from Somló into the same vat. The basalt rich mineral water flows into his plots near the bottom of the volcano and saturates the clay, limestone and sand. Everything is left on the skins for 2 weeks, stirring by hand every morning, and then pressed with 100+ year old wooden basket press. Everything is moved by hand, no pumps, no SO2 added, and no CO2 or dry ice. Aged for a year in Speidel tanks (high micro-oxygenation) then bottled by gravity. This was not picked early for an easy glou-glou co-ferm, but is instead a lively and pungent wine that eventually will be re-recognized as something truly special by Hungarian Wine Law.
