At the Vinitaly exhibition, the Somló wine region is represented by the Kancellár Estate at the Wines of Hungary stand. We asked Gyula Bertalan, the winery’s wine and sales director, about the Somló wine region, the grape varieties, the style of the wines and, of course, the range of wines of the winery presented at Vinitaly.
What makes the Somló wine region special?
The special terroir. The Somló wine region is named after the Somló mountain, and it is inextricably linked to the volcanic witness mountain. The wines of Somló are fiery and show an unmistakable minerality and this is what makes the wine region so special. Somló is made up of basalt and the soil is mostly very stony. This has two important effects. The minerality shows in the wines, adding considerable body to the high acidity. The other particularly important effect of the stony soil is that the basalt absorbs the heat of the sun during the day and then radiates it back during the night. This has a very positive effect on the growth of the grapes and the ripening of the bunches.
The Somló wine region is the smallest among the Hungarian wine regions, with 385 hectares under vine. The grape varieties typical of Somló are partially known in other wine regions too. The most famous wine of the mountain is produced from Juhfark. This grape variety is produced in only one or two places outside Somló, in much smaller quantities, and the quality is not on par. The typically high acidity of Juhfark and the minerality of the basalt soil give wines a flavour profile unlike anywhere else, and this is what makes the Somló Juhfark famous. In addition to the established varieties of the mountain, such as Furmint, Hárslevelű and Olaszrizling, the Kancellár Estate also produces Irsai Olivér, Kékfrankos and Cabernet Franc. The latter two red grapes are used to make the highly successful Kékfrankos Rosé and the unique Cabernet Franc, which has won gold medals in Berlin and Asia.
How would you describe the style of Somló wines?
The flavour and aroma of the wines produced in the area are determined primarily by the terroir, not by the variety. Whereas in other regions the wines are mainly influenced by the flavours and aromas of the distinct grape varieties and the way they are processed, in Somló, these are of secondary importance. Here, the minerality of the basalt determines the character of the wines.
The flavours of the Somló wines converge over three years, so that ultimately what you taste is the unmistakeable Somló flavour. It also follows that once you have tasted a Somló, you can’t fail to recognise it the next time.
Somló wines reward those who are patient. When young, they rarely show the beauty and depth of aged bottles. If you want to do yourself a favour, you should lay down the wine and not open it before it is two years old, or, defying popular belief, you should buy 4-5 year old bottles of Somlói. Fear not, the majority of Somló wines age for a long time and can be found in perfect condition even a decade later. However, if you prefer fresher, younger wines, you can find wines to suit your tastes at Somló. Kancellár Estate produces award-winning wines made in stainless steel and also in oak barrels.
Tell us, please, about the Kancellár Winery’s range.
We’re working with all four main varieties of Somló, so in addition to the Juhfark, we also have Hárslevelű, Olaszrizling and Furmint. Each of these varieties strengthens our premium portfolio, we ferment each batch independently from vineyard to vineyard to improve our understanding of the potential of the varieties and the characteristics and potential of our growing sites. The blending of these varieties is the basis of our Birtok Cuvée wine, which is also blended from the premium vineyards.
We also want to appeal to younger wine consumers, so we also make lighter wines. For this we have selected Irsai Olivér, Kékfrankos and Cabernet Franc.
At the “Vinitaly and the City: In the land of volcanoes: a journey through powerful dry wines and the incomparable Aszú” wine show one of the wines presented will be the Juhfark of your winery. This grape variety has a special place in the Somló wine region. Can you tell us about it?
Juhfark is one of the most difficult grape varieties to grow, requiring attention both in the vineyard and the cellar. The bunches are so compact that the grapes almost burst, which increases their susceptibility to disease. The name – ‘sheep’s tail’ – refers to the shape of the bunch: there is a bend at the end, which is the risky bit because this is where the rot usually occurs if you are not careful. This is why it is not possible to produce the same quality every year, and we produce Juhfark only in the best vintages.
Harvest time is crucial for producing high-quality Somló wines. Hand harvesting typically commences in mid to late September. It is essential that the grapes are sufficiently ripe – if they are not, the wine can become too acidic, and if they are over-ripe, the alcohol content will skyrocket. For example, we aim to achieve an alcohol content of 13-14% in our Juhfarks, just as we do with our premium Olaszrizling, Furmint and Hárslevelű.
We won in Berlin with Juhfark, and also at the wine competition of the Wine Communities Association. This batch, like all our wines, was made with gentle processing, each vineyard fermented separately in steel tanks, matured for almost two years, then the wines from each region were categorised and blended. It is only a year or two after the harvest, that the final composition of the wines is actually established.
When tasting Juhfark, individual perceptions will vary, but basically it is a lean and masculine wine with a mineral rather than fruity character, with high extract and some yoghurt character.
What is the wine not to be missed at the Kancellár Winery’s stand?
Juhfark, Hárslevelű, Cabernet Franc, Irsai Olivér. 9 out of 11 lots have won gold medals in international competitions. All our bottlings have won gold or silver medals at the Winelovers wine competition. Four of our wines are on the Winelovers TOP 100 list. Volcanic basalt is present in all our vineyards and is reflected in our wines. This is perhaps the most important trademark and characteristic of Somló, so it would be a shame to ignore it when tasting.
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