12/20/2018 - Zoltán Németi wrote:

An attempt to create a serious wine from Kadarka. The price is matching that intent too, at 20,000 Forints (approx. 65 Euros) this must be the most expensive Kadarka wine ever made. You might raise an eyebrow when reading about the approach, though: late harvesting of grapes, including Botrytised bunches too. No surprise then that the result has an alcohol level of 16%.

Like an overdone Australian red: rum and marzipan notes, overwhelming intensity, heat on the finish. An assault of the senses. High acidity does not help the balance but lends it a sharpness, the feeling of added tartaric. The Botrytis, on the other hand, is handled quite well, it certainly tastes like “noble rot”, well integrated into the aromas. It’s an extreme style of Kadarka, made with skill, but in the end, it’s still so raw. An untamed beast, kind of a caricature of a wine, but its richness is remarkable. Do not open it yet, time might help smoothen it.

(https://screwcapped.com/st-andrea-nagykadarka-2016/)

4/1/2020 - Zoltán Németi wrote:

In brief, whole bunches are lightly trodden, then the cement tanks are closed and no intervention happens until pressing – if I’m getting it right.

This old-new winemaking method must be popular in Spain these days, I tasted quite a few reds which showcased similar aromas and structure. And that’s my point – I’m not convinced by this approach, I think it has a special taste and it masks typicity. The most common feature is a distinguished type of reduction, similar to burnt matches – it appears here as well and completely hides the nose. The attack is smooth on the palate, but then coarse, drying tannins override everything, except the heat coming from alcohol. Not an enjoyable wine at all, hard and edgy, yet it’s quite interesting on the other hand. The intention to make a pure, honest wine is obvious and that makes it more likeable.

Read more: https://screwcapped.com/new-wave-priorat-terroir-historic-negre-2018/

2/1/2020 - Zoltán Németi Likes this wine:

A softer style of Nebbiolo. Less tannin, more drinkability - this is already kind of mature. A captivating nose of dried mushrooms, tar and old wood, a touch of Cognac. No sign of fruits, but it does not need them to be pretty. It's fragile, so gently extracted that many Pinots are more tannic than this. Good acidity makes the backbone here, perfectly balanced by the creamy texture and the salty taste. Great drive and length. Do not compare this to complex and age-worthy Barolos, but it's a complete, great wine.

Blog post: https://screwcapped.com/nebbiolo-for-current-drinking-cantina-produttori-di-carema-carema-riserva-2015/

5/20/2019 - Zoltán Németi Likes this wine:

Visiting Domaine de Cristia in May 2019 (Courthezon, Rhone Valley, at the domaine): Grenache at its best. Opulent but not overdone or sweet. An explosion of lush Grenache fruit, combining black currants with strawberries and some raisins, retaining freshness too. Smooth entry on the palate with pleasant sweetness, then it gets tight and dry on the finish, seemingly with the help of the alcohol, so that 15% actually fits the wine. Stunning wine, and one of the very best Grenaches I have ever tasted. To my question when to open a Chateauneuf, Dominique's answer was "starting from 7 years old", but here she noted: "this one, the pure Grenache can be opened already". I also think it's perfectly ready now.

1/1/2019 - Zoltán Németi Likes this wine:

If you read that Moulin-a-Vent makes the darkest and most structured wines of all the Beaujolais Crus, here’s a wine to prove the point. This is completely different from Gamay made elsewhere.

A Gigondas-like nose, black-fruited, ripe, with strawberries in the background. I would probably guess a Grenache given this blind, though there is no heat here. Hints of leather. Such an adorable, traditional Old World style. Proper structure, firmish tannins, and obviously low alcohol. No fat here, it’s bone dry and restrained. Full of personality, this is an exciting wine, I could only compare it’s charm to fine Burgundies.

(https://screwcapped.com/richard-rottiers-moulin-a-vent-foudres-2016-beaujolais-france/)

2/1/2019 - Zoltán Németi Likes this wine:

A lineup of wines from the South of France in Carpe Diem wine bar (Budapest): The house style is evident. Tastes like their estate Gigondas, but also very Syrah-ish. Extraordinary depth for a plain Cotes du Rhone. Ripe and opulent, with bacon and baked black currant notes. A bit of tomato scented specialty coffee and blood, and some herb notes. Full on the palate, really fills the mouth. So rich and decadent, but then quite tannic on the finish. A bit rough at this stage, but still amazing. Not for the faint-hearted.

12/31/2015 - Zoltán Németi Does not like this wine:

A friend showed this recently. Horribly faulty. Disgusting, extreme mousy taste. Worst wine I have had for years. 50 EUR or so.

9/27/2013 - Zoltán Németi Likes this wine:

Birthday party in Budapest: Textbook Cornas, with a little of the rustic edge attributed to the appellation. Rather a traditional style (and lovely for that): bone dry taste, slender proportions, tight and crisp. But the depth is extraordinary, just as the fact that it keeps it's classic shape while having such concentration. So far from being hedonistic or sweet. Allspice, black pepper, oriental spices lead the nose with blackberries, dried plums. Perfect alcohol (13.5%) and acidity (highish). Very firm, unforgivingly tannic - you can already adore the grandness, but better to let it age in bottle for at least 2-3 years, before the first check. Probably will evolve and keep for decades.

9/13/2013 - Zoltán Németi wrote:

From half bottle, cork seems a high-end one. Big, over-ripe, in-your-face wine. Hardly any subtlety or freshness here, just hedonistic concentration, although decidedly complex. Honey, sultana raisins, fruitcake, candied ginger richness, some petrolly Riesling notes. Full-bodied, sweet, enormously dense, acid highish, but it's still viscous, heavy. Some caramell edge to the flavor. Lacks finesse and vibrancy, aftertaste could be more intense. Still balanced and it's hard not to enjoy the richness. 91-92 points

4/25/2011 - Zoltán Németi Likes this wine:

Expirements are still ongoing in Hungary to reveal, or rather to re-discover the potential of the Kadarka grape, once a famous red variety grown in almost every corner of the country. Clonal selection is in progress too, but the current most widely grown clones produce lightly colored, spicy reds which often lack any kind of tannin. Interestingly, the most succesful and most complex wines come from this category, and particularly from the Eger region in the northern part of the country. Like this one, which may be the best Kadarka ever made in the modern era. It has a light ruby color closer to a rosé, than a red wine. The nose jumps out of the glass, it's really intense, and not less exciting. All red fruits, mainly cherries and redcurrants, flowers, lot of spice, accompanied by some regional dill and herbaceous notes. Beautiful crisp acidity on the palate, which carries the intense flavors of spicy red berries. It's not an extracted sytle, light on it's feet, still has a serious mouthfeel. No perceptible tannins, restrained alcohol (12.5%), lovely freshness - it is hard to spit, or even to stop drinking. A remarkable, unique wine to drink now.