A luminous and delicate expression of one of Hungary’s rarest indigenous grapes. Kék Bakator — late-ripening, thin-skinned, and almost lost by the end of the 20th century — thrives here in István’s biodynamic vineyards, yielding a wine of remarkable finesse. The nose opens with wild red berries, sour cherry, and lifted floral tones, layered with subtle herbs and a gentle earthiness. The palate is vibrant and pure, shaped by naturally high acidity and low pH, giving the wine its crystalline tension. Red raspberry, cranberry, and pomegranate notes glide over a fine mineral backbone, carried by the volcanic basalt soils of Szent György-hegy. Feather-light yet complex, this is a beautifully transparent, terroir-driven red — Hungary’s own Poulsard-like gem revived with precision and soul.

Winemaker | István Bencze

Region | Szent György-hegy (Badacsony area), Hungary

Variety | Kékbakator

Viticulture | Biodynamic (organic certified HU-ÖKO-02)

Soil | Dense basalt, clay, sandy-calcareous bedrock

Altitude | 130–135 m

Age of the vines | Planted 2020 & 2021 (massal selection)

Bottles made | 300 bottles (750 ml & a few magnums)

Vinification

The 2023 vintage — the warmest year since 1901, with exceptionally high rainfall — was harvested in two passes. The first harvest on 13 September from the Cseresznyefás plot (0.5 ha, guyot, basalt soils at 130 m) was foot-crushed, and the white juice was settled overnight. The second harvest on 21 September from the Sárgaház plot (135 m, clay–basalt–sandy calcareous soils) was hand-destemmed and fermented with a small proportion of whole clusters for seven days.

Both components were then combined and aged for 11 months in stoneware amphora, allowing the grape’s naturally vibrant acidity, delicate aromatics, and terroir expression to remain untouched. Bottled in August 2024, unfiltered, unfined, and with no added SO₂ — a raw, precise, and beautifully honest rendering of this nearly forgotten Hungarian variety.