There are two great wine regions I visit every year, both for their sensational unwooded whites. One is the Hunter Valley in Australia; the other is Somló Hill in North-Western Hungary. I love the fantastic and long lived Hunter Semillons and I adore the even longer lived and more powerful FurmintÂ’s, HárslevelűÂ’s and JuhfarkÂ’s of Somló but letÂ’s not forget their elegant Olaszrizling and aromatic Tramini, otherwise known as Gewürtztaminer.
As our car approaches “The forgotten hat of God†that is Somló on Route 8
Somló Hill is a lonely and dead volcano in the middle of lowlands. It draws your eyes as you drive by on route 8. Its unique microclimate and volcanic lava soil is one of the great terroirs of Hungary. Once you taste a good wine from the Hill, youÂ’ll always recognise it. This is a historical wine region. Somló Hill was first mentioned for her wines in 1093 under slightly different names such as “Sumla†(the Turkish pronunciation for cornel) and later as “Somlyó†in historical accounts. There are several grape varieties grown today, almost all white. The best wines are made from the indigenous Furmint, Juhfark (SheepÂ’s tail) and Hárslevelű (Linden leaf). Imre Györgykovács makes stunning TraminiÂ’s and the Kreinbacher winery believes in the potential of Olaszrizling (Italian Riesling). Béla Fekete grows Chardonnay that is enjoyable but this variety may not belong on Somló.
In the past many admired the local wines. The statesman Széchenyi, the poet Wörösmarty, and the writer Márai, all loved them. It was the favourite wine of philosopher Béla Hamvas whose books and writings I continue to study. In the 16th century a chemist noted: “Vinum Somleanum Omni Tempore Sanum†(The wines of Somló are always healthy.)
The reason why you may have never drunk wines from this famous region or perhaps never have heard of Somló Hill in Australia is because after the Second World War the communists came into power and spent the next 50 years trying EVERYTHING to destroy the reputation of Hungarian wines including Tokaj, Somló, Eger and other regions. But now the socialists are (almost) gone and their glory is coming back.
Somló is the smallest wine region of Hungary, with approx 550 hectares under vine. Wines from here are rarely available outside of Hungary but this situation is to change. Hugh Johnson wrote a couple of times about Somló wines in the Decanter (U.K.) magazine as he was most certainly impressed by them. At our Sydney club dinners, I usually introduce a bottle or two which are well received.
In this report IÂ’ll introduce you to the Fekete winery:
Established: More like re-established after the fall of communism in 1989.
Total area: 2,5 hectares
Grape varieties: Furmint, Juhfark, Hárslevelű and Chardonnay.
Production: About 800 cases.
Price range: AU $ 10- 40
Cellar Door visit: By appointment only.
This family estate produces authentic handmade wines. In actual fact there are only two permanent people who work on the small property: Mr. Béla Fekete (Béla Black in English) is the winemaker and his hard working wife Bori is always by his side.
Winemaker Béla Fekete with his wife Bori in front of their cellar
There is also a vineyard dog named Morzsi (Bread crumb) which is a black Hungarian sheep-dog (called "Puli†locally) that is very tame but will get aggressive should you make a move he doesn’t like. Grape pickers and cellar hands are hired as needed but Béla is always up in the vineyards or the cellar throughout the working months.
In winter, Somló sleeps and the Fekete family stays in the town of Veszprém. I came to see Béla as he has produced three great wines: the 1997 Hárslevelű; the 1999 Juhfark; and the 2000 Olaszrizling.
The date is 24th July. Our visiting group gets into the Opel Astra (in Australia this car is known as the Holden Astra) in Szombathely and off we go for the 45 minutes drive to Somló. As we approach the area, the flat top hill stands out. Long ago when I first drove here, Sándor Baráth, a good friend of mine, said: “Look Attila, the forgotten hat of God.Ââ€Â
That’s right, Somló does look like a hat carelessly thrown on the ground. As for the presence of God, I sometimes feel it when I drink her fiery wines.
Finding the Fekete Winery is not easy but I look for the small signs and follow them. The Astra climbs the dirt road and we park between the Furmint vines near the winery. Morzsi is viciously barking and attacks the car but I know the old rascal and get out of the car anyway. The wives are scared and stay put but after Morzsi retreats they venture out. Bori greets us first then Béla turns up smiling. Every time I meet this lovely old man (he is into his late 70’s) I get the same feeling as when I met a spiritual master from Japan years ago when I was into the philosophy of the East. But Béla is a different master, the winemaker kind. The view from the sunny Somló is beautiful. On a clear day you can see as far as Lake Balaton. Bori disappears into the kitchen to bring out her deliciously fresh cheese cones.
During my two visits to the region this summer, Mr. Fekete kindly opened many wines for me. I will not write detailed tasting notes as they are impossible to acquire in Australia. First up we tried a 2001 Somlói Furmint (Somló with an "i" means “of SomlóÂâ€Â) that was excellent. I brought a bottle back to Sydney and we had it at a club dinner. For details on this wine and that event, please click here: http://www.auswine.com.au/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1989
My brief impressions this visit:
2001 FURMINT - Very delicious, extremely authentic and varietal. I was impressed. A full flavoured dry whiteÂ…I called it liquid sunshine.
[b]2002 HÃ