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HUNGARY
– RENAISSANCE –
Stéphanie Berecz, the ‘Queen’ of Hárslevelű, produces renowned,
elegant wines from the variety
soil delivers a more subdued and charming expression
of the Hárslevelü grape variety, boasting an elegant
acid structure.
In a bid to adapt to a very early harvest in 2013, then
more systematically for the following vintages, Stéphanie
produces a sparkling wine called Pezsgő in Hungary
– a blend of 70% Hárslevelü and 30% Furmint made
using the traditional method and matured on the lees
for 2 years. This is one of the rare examples of this
style to be entirely estate-produced, from the base wine
through to disgorgement. Very few producers have the
expertise to do so in the region and most sparkling wines
undergo their secondary fermentation and are disgorged
by major specialist co-operatives. The results are all the
more convincing. This 2017 Pezsgő brut displays great
aromatic balance, halfway between white flowers, pear,
apple and secondary brioche and toasted notes. This
harmonious and compelling wine is a great showcase for
the potential of sparkling wine in Tokaj that has yet to be
fully explored.
A typical underground cellar at Kikelet Pince
ZOLTÁN DEMETER,
A QUEST FOR EXCELLENCE
“The old things are around me to fill me up with the
spirit they preserve”. This quote from Zoltán Demeter
sums up his determination to take a long-term approach
by painstakingly crafting his wines and perpetually
seeking out perfection. This devotion won him the title
of best Hungarian winegrower in 2007. Zoltán was
born on the far eastern side of the Tokaj wine region,
in the village of Sátoraljaújhely. He still owns a family
vineyard that he is extremely attached to. After travelling
to France, the USA and the UK, he began producing his
own wines in 1996, whilst at the same time consulting
for other wineries, then devoted himself entirely to his
own winery in 2008. A dyed-in-the-wool visionary, he
pioneered production of sparkling wine in Tokaj starting
in 2009. He makes regular trips to Champagne to
learn the correct protocol and now produces extremely
complex wines grown on clay and tuff soils over the
volcanic bedrock. The 2015 Pezsgő is matured for 58
months on the lees. Its characteristics are akin to those of
a top vintage Champagne with distinctive notes of lemon,
72 WINTER 2021 GILBERT & GAILLARD - THE FRENCH EXPERTS ON WINE