2024 Muzsla Cuvée

Muzsla is the name of the hill where the vineyards look down onto the Danube. These were also the historical vineyards of the Esztergom Basilica which now resides in Hungary (the largest Church in the country). Frigyes’s argument here is that despite these grapes being quite pungent on their own, this terroir supersedes those characteristics. This 2024 is more Riesling heavy, but it’s rarely that hard to find Sauvignon Blanc if it’s present either. The mixture of light maceration with whole clusters, plenty of juice to manage oxidation and volatility, and then some riper destemmed berries make this more like a refreshing tea than a classic white blend. Some sips feel like a skin contact wine and some hint at a reductive stainless steel like fermentation. Regardless, the Muzsla and Frigyes’s style are dominant over the grapes. The sum of all these parts give this wine a firm Goldilocks status in the Bott Frigyes lineup.