Villányi Blue Frankish 2015

Grape growing is completely chemical-free and utilizes 50 cwt/ha crop control with a crop load restriction of 1 kg per grapevine.
Manual harvesting is performed when phenolic ripeness has been achieved. Grape berries are also sorted manually prior to controlled fermentation and an 8-day circular racking that is followed by gentle pressing.
Ageing of the wine is performed in 225 litre medium-toasted Hungarian, French and American Bordeaux type barrels on fine lees for a period of 18 months.
Owing to the wonderful red berries, the wine features a deep velvety ruby red color with a slight touch of purple.
It is an overwhelming wine, oozing the typical aromas of Bordeaux.
In addition to ripe fruitiness, pleasant astringent aromas such as raspberry, blueberry, plum jelly and forest strawberry linger in the mouth accompanied by barrel spices, reminiscent of vanilla, sloe, chocolate and coffee.
This wine is typical of the breed and has a complex and high extract content, tight structure, nice barrel, well-integrated acidic content, wonderful texture, intense aroma and a well-rounded tannin structure.
This is a fiery, full-bodied, superb, balanced and elegant wine with long aftertaste and a slight ‘new world” touch.
The wine’s structure allows multi-annual ageing. It is a royal representative of the famous Villány Wine Region.
Drinking of the wine is recommended at 15-16 ‘C with red meat dishes or just on its own by Cabernet Franc connoisseurs, collectors and curio-hunters.

Awards:

• VILLANY WINE COMPETITION - GOLD MEDAL (2017/2018/2019)
• NATIONAL WINE COMPETITION - GOLD MEDAL (2017/2018/2019)
• On the List of THE 100 BEST HUNGARIAN WINES (2018/2019)
• EXCELLENT NATIONAL WINES (2018/2019)
• INTERNATIONAL FRANC & FRANC CONFERENCE - 12 BEST WINES (2018)
• VINAGORA INTERNATIONAL WINE COMPETITION - GOLD MEDAL (2019)
• INTERNATIONAL FRANC & FRANC CONFERENCE (2019) - our wine was selected to  
     represent Hungary by Master of Wine Joseph Darell who introduced and compared it with  
     two other Cabernet Franc wines of foreign origin.

Story of the wine: In 2018 we decided to enter our Villányi Franc 2015 for proof of origin.
The piquancy of the story is that oenologist Riczu Tamás happens to be one of the wine judges of the Committee for Protection of Origin of Cabernet Franc.
We were actually debating whether to enter the wine in premium or super premium category as it also met the specific criteria of super premium wines (crop control, ageing period, etc.).
Tamás insisted that they should enter the wine in premium category as ever since this category was introduced there has not been any wine yet that would meet the criteria of super premium.
“How embarrassing it would be to taste my wine and obviously recognize it as mine and then promote it as super premium” - explained Tamás.
Nonetheless, Ági did not let herself convinced by the winemaker and without telling Tamás, she entered the wine for super premium qualification.
"I was so sure the wine deserved this superb qualification as I figured all those great winemakers who had visited us from the Villány and other wine regions could not be wrong in their judgement, classifying it as a perfect and very special wine, notwithstanding its still young nature. Just in case it might fall through we can still enter it for premium qualification, however I knew Tamás would feel embarrassed. Nevertheless, I trusted that the wine would meet the highest expectations so I stopped worrying” - recalled Ágota Auer later.
Wines are listed for proof of origin anonymously so winemakers are only aware of the kind, vintage and the proof category the wine is entered for.
So Tamás is right in the middle of tasting in the knowledge that their wine is in for premium qualification. He would taste the first and second one and accept them as premium, then refusing the third one but appreciating the fourth wine as super premium again.
“Wow, this one is perfect and I think it is very acceptable as a super premium Villányi Franc.” Then came the next super premium franc. “Well, this wine is also perfect and for some reason it reminds me of our wine…..What a pity that ours is in for premium qualification, although I am sort of baffled that I could not recognize it. It is quite unusual that I can’t recognize my own wine….” said Tamás then.
Local wine judge:
“Let me congratulate you, Tamás! Yours is one of the first super premium Villányi Franc wines in the region with 9 unanimous votes.”
Riczu Tamás on the phone with Ági:
“Ági, please never listen to me any more…thank you and congrats. I really appreciate your tenacity. Without you our Villányi Franc 2015 wouldn’t have been selected as one of the first super premium franc wines in the region.”
No wonder this wine will be our special memory for ever.