Kékfrankos, Steigler - 2021

Hungarian wines have caught my attention recently as I explored the wonderful cuisine of the country. Stuffed peppers and goulash are two classics I especially enjoy, but I rarely had paired the wines of Hungary with them. When I first experienced this Steigler Kékfrankos (the local name for Blaufränkisch), I realized how much I had been missing! There are gorgeous aromatics at play here blending red cherry and plum with a hint of pepper. The palate is remarkably smooth. Tamás Varga, the vintner at Steigler, explains that the soil composition of mica schist (a dark, shiny metamorphic rock) brings forth another dimension to their wines, as does the unique microclimate, being located near Lake Fertó - a large saline lake. In this cool climate, the rocks work to hold heat in the soils while the lake tames the cold of winter.