In Tokaj last year a finely tuned fizz from Demeter Zoltán caught my attention. Coming from a single vineyard, Újhegy-Rátka, this was a complex and layered wine with a long, sophisticated finish. On returning to Hungary, I took the opportunity of tasting traditional-method Hungarian sparkling wine across several regions.
The history of bottle-fermented Hungarian sparkling wine dates from 1882 when József Törley planted vineyards on the limestone soils of Etyek 30km (19 miles)west of Budapest. Törley imported Champagne knowhow and technology to produce the wines in Budafok on the outskirts of Budapest. This is still the most significant place for Hungarian bottle-fermented sparking wine. The bottles are aged sur latte in limestone caves created after the area was quarried in the late 19th century.
Törley exported two million bottles a year across Europe until the flow was interrupted in the Communist era, when the state took ownership of vineyards and shifted focus to produce cheap charmat wines for markets in the Eastern Bloc. In the 1980s it churned out an annual production of 30 million bottles.
With privatization came a revival of quality, but progress was limited by the security payment of 30 million Hungarian forint (around $91,000) that producers had to pay to acquire a licence to make sparkling wines, no matter which method (bottle-fermented or charmat) they intended to use. That meant the growing domestic thirst for bubbles was fulfilled by larger companies, with one in three bottles in Hungary coming out of Törley’s winery.
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Less well-heeled companies could send their base wine to licensed wineries, but many small producers only entered the fray when the downpayment was revoked in 2013, since when the production of grower-style bottle-fermented fizz has surged.
Hungarian sparkling wine: The Pezsgő question
It’s worth pointing out that wine labelled Pezsgő can be traditional-method or charmat, but where the region accompanies Pezsgő on the label (ie Tokaj Pezsgő) the wine will be bottle-fermented and adhere to regulations including permitted varieties and minimum lees ageing. However, high-quality bottle-fermented wines which do not conform on some count—if they are made for example with unauthorized varieties—will be labelled simply Pezsgő. It’s confusing and frankly I would look for “traditional method” on the label, rather than Pezsgő, since many producers now use this.
The two regions most rapidly growing their sparkling production are Tokaj and Lake Balaton. I paid a visit to Garamvári winery in Balaton, which has an annual sparkling wine production of 100,000 bottles. The secondary fermentation and ageing take place in their facility in Budafok, where they also carry out the same job for smaller producers that send them their base wine.
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Garamvári’s vineyards are located in Balatonboglár on the south shore of Lake Balaton. Here they have 2ha (4.8 acres) planted with the T85 Furmint clone from Tokaj. They also own a small Furmint vineyard in Tokaj planted on volcanic soils, from which they were the first producer, in 2011, to make a traditional-method wine from Furmint.
I was keen to compare the two bottle-fermented 2019 Furmints which were produced identically including the dosage. Lellei Furmint (from Balatonboglár) has a gentle palate with light herbal notes and a creamy finish. The Tokaji Furmint was more austere, energetic, straighter, and more focused.
The softer expression from Balatonboglár is not only a reflection of the loess soil typical of the south shore of Lake Balaton, which is very different from Tokaj’s volcanic soil, but the moderating effect of the lake which results in less diurnal shift than in Tokaj.
Balatonboglár: Pretty, fruity, and accessible
After tasting in Balatonboglár from a number of producers, I was left with the impression of pretty, fruity, and accessible wines. A range of varieties are used in Balatonboglár, most significantly Olaszrizling, but other aromatic varieties including Grüner Veltliner. This gives some of their sparkling wines rather a spicy profile. IKON Winery Extra Brut is an attractive example.
Sadly, Balatonboglár earned a reputation for producing cheap, low-quality wine to please an undiscriminating tourist market. To a certain extent this has been dispelled by better quality production, nevertheless the appealing white wines of Balatonboglár (still and sparkling) are presented by the Hungarian wine marketing board as inferior to those of those from the north side of the lake. They are more straightforward certainly, but better to distinguish them as more accessible and attractive.
It’s pleasing to see the new generation of producers gunning for something more ambitious. Young Ferenc Bujdosó, fourth generation at Bujdosó Winery in Balatonboglár, is not only making an accomplished barrel-fermented Sauvignon Blanc Our Sea 2021, but has ambitions to produce serious bottle-fermented fizz having notched up some experience in Champagne and Germany. He disgorged his 2021 prestige wine for me to try. This blend of Pinot Noir and barrel-fermented Chardonnay has 24 months ageing sur latte. If he gives it another 12 months on lees and adds little, or no, dosage I’d say he is definitely on track.
It seems the majority of traditional-method Hungarian sparkling wines tend to have 7 or 8 g/l dosage, some as much as 13 g/l. Winemakers contend with an expectation in the domestic market for off-dry styles in both still and sparkling wines. In Balatonboglár where the acidity is generally on the softer side, Chardonnay-based sparkling wines can taste overly sweet. Garamvári’s Brut Nature, based on 2019 Chardonnay, benefits from receiving no dosage.
It’s not only consumers with a sweet tooth, but producers who have a preference for sugar when it comes to Hungarian sparkling wine. In regions where the acidity is naturally high many producers argue that dosage is necessary for balance, particularly with the high-acid Furmint. I’d say that, where there is sufficient intensity in the base wine and breadth and richness from lees ageing, no dosage is preferable. It was encouraging to see some producers including a brut nature wine in their portfolio for those of us who enjoy a more austere style.
I liked Kreinbacher Brut Nature, a three-way varietal split of Furmint, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay, which was bright and steely. Some 56km (35 miles) north of the lake in the small volcanic PDO of Somló, Kreinbacher was purposely modelled on a Champagne house in 2002 and is overseen by Champagne native Christophe Forget. The winery is equipped with technology and kit from Champagne. Only Sauska (see below) utilise similar technology, but even they do not have a Coquard press.
Kreinbacher’s style is precise and the quality high. They blend 50-60 base wines with a little reserve wine. Very few producers in Hungary make a MLF, but Zoltán Prisztavok at Kreinbacher believes it is necessary “for elegance, purity, and clarity.” In the cellar under the winery ageing takes place at 9–10°C (48–50°F), which is typical in France. 65% of the fruit is Furmint from Somló, while Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are brought in from Etyek and Balaton. The Prestige Brut has tension and minerality. “Chardonnay contributes elegance. Furmint is for depth and richness,” says Prisztavok. You should also try Kreinbacher Égoïste.
This Champagne look-alike producer has played a significant role by demonstrating that consistent, high-quality Hungarian sparkling wine is achievable at surprisingly modest prices. Thanks to an annual production of 250,000 bottles, their wines are relatively easy to find in Hungary
Close to Lake Balaton, Badacsony on the north shore, also has volcanic basalt soils. Here the traditional-method wines are eclectic. A rollercoaster of style and quality among which the following wines appealed. Szászi Winery produce a light, pretty, lime-and-brioche Nyerspezsgö Brut Nature Furmint 2022, which they send to Budafok to József Szentesi who makes the second ferment and carries out the ageing for many smaller producers. Also from Szent György-hegy, Gilvesy’s punchy Furmint 2021 has a firm spine and combines ripe pear with minerals. While Bencze Recently Disgorged 2013, made from a Transylvanian variety Bakator, is an almond-bitter fizz, curiously oxidative. There was even a Brut Nature Kéknyelű 2021 from Elás Winery, which is engagingly sapid and more aromatic than autolytic.
Staying on the north shore in Balaton-Felvidék I visited Palffy Winery where I liked the delicate and fragrant 2018 Rosé aged for 4 years sur lie, made of Pinot Noir from a limestone parcel, while at Homola Winery in Csopak the showy gold-label 2019 Brut stood out.
As a brief aside, I encountered two pét-nat wines of interest on my travels. A fresh and charming example from Pálffy, while from the other side of the lake, Bujdosó Pét-Nat 2023 Olaszrizling, with its anchor label and miso-creamy palate, would be perfect for a hipster’s bar.
Etyek-Buda: Pinot and Chardonnay country
However, for the home of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay blends you must head east to Etyek-Buda. Etyek is among the coolest regions of Hungary, benefiting from a north wind and limestone soils. It produces crisp, fresh wines, 80% of which are white, but there is just over 100ha (247 acres) of Pinot Noir.
Surprisingly the majority of Etyek’s sparkling wine is simple frizzante infused with CO2 before bottling. Törley is still the big player with an annual production of 10-12 million bottles of bubbles. They have a perfectly pleasant bottle-fermented Chardonnay Brut, but I was more interested in small growers many of whom are not locals, but have moved here to make artisanal wines. Many have just a few hundred hand-riddled bottles and long lees ageing seems popular. I liked Hernyák Rosé NV which is bright, fruity, and rather refined, while Hernyák 2016 is full, rounded, and rich with autolysis and generous dosage. It had 72 months on lees. Osszhang Brut, which has 60 months on lees, was probably my favorite among the wines I tasted here.
The producers have come together to create a higher category of traditional-method sparkling wine by delimiting the central 800ha (2,000 acres) of heartland Etyek from the 1,652ha (4,082 acres) of Etyek-Buda PDO. In the new regulations only Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, and Pinot Gris (Szürkebarát) are permitted and there is a minimum 24 months of ageing on lees.
All this bodes well and I arrived to taste with high expectations for traditional-method Etyek which has become very fashionable. The Etyek style is creamy Chardonnay or fruity Pinot and there is good acidity, but the wine can lack precision. There was plenty of energy and ambition in the small group of young producers with whom I met, and quality was quite good, but nothing from Etyek made it into my favorite Hungarian bottle-fermented bubbles. At the end of my trip, I compared and contrasted 15 of the best wines from each region and Krienbacher’s Presige Brut kicked the best Etyek wines into touch. But it’s early days and Etyek has yet to fulfil its potential.
I hopped over to Budafok to visit Sauska in the industrial periphery of Budapest where 80% of Hungary’s traditional-method wine goes through its second fermentation and ageing. The limestone cellars hold a constant 12–14°C (54—57°F) and 75% humidity. Sauska’s facility has a gritty functionality unlike their glamorous winery in Tokaj. Their vineyards are located in Mád from which the base wine is made and blended before moving it to Budafok. I’ve had plenty of opportunities to taste from Sauska’s portfolio. They make 350,000 bottles annually and the wines are reliable. In the tasting at Budafok there were two standout wines: an elegant and creamy Blanc de Blanc (Chardonnay and Furmint) and a Reserve Furmint Brut from Medve vineyard. The latter, straight as a die, is a great ambassador for bottle-fermented fizz from Tokaj.
Tokaj: Something special
There is something special about Tokaj. We know Tokaj has stellar botrytized wine and eye-catching dry whites. But we should pay more attention to their top-notch sparkling wines, too. They have a distinct terroir identity from the volcanic soil transmitted through Furmint. Reserved, savory, and tense, they have edge. They can be austere.
Admittedly a few producers experiment with Hárslevelu. I’m not sure about these wines which have softer acidity and a spicy character. Hárslevelu has much lower acidity than Furmint and drops another 0.5-0.8 g/l of acidity during the bottle-ageing process. You can taste the softer, honeyed style from Béres Winey, where they specialize in Hárslevelu. However, in the hands of sparkling master Zoltán Demeter, Hárslevelu is delicate and fragrant, breezy and saline.
Another small artisanal wine I enjoyed in Tokaj is the taut, steely, and linear Kata Zsirai Brut Nature NV, while Nobilis NV, which is also made by a woman, is steely and savory.Basilicus Brut Nature 2019 is toasty, appetizingly dry, and good value, while Denis Szarka WineryExtra Brut 2022 is edgy and austere.
The winemaker behind the last of those wines, Denis Szarka, honed his skills making the wines for Pelle, which has 5ha (12 acres) in Mád from which they produce some single-vineyard sparkling wine, for which the base wine is aged in older oak. A standout wine is the muscular, Marmite-flavored, super-direct 2020 Király.
Such is the enthusiasm for traditional-method Hungarian sparkling wine that hundreds of producers across the country are adding one to their portfolio, even in the warm southern regions. On visiting Szekszárd to taste Kékfrankos and Bikaver, I was surprised by an attractive bottle-fermented Pinot Noir from Schieber, while further south in Villány, Jackfall Winery proffered a butch and autolytic Chardonnay. Both were made possible by harvesting in early August.
Across Hungary corks are popping, but Tokaj’s sparkling wines are those that most appeal to me. They are the most consistent, but more significantly they have the strongest sense of place. Many places in the world make attractive bottle fermented wines, but Tokaji Pezsgő is driven by nervy Furmint which becomes savory and austere on volcanic soil. This winning combination produces wines with distinctive regional identity
