A wine of extraordinary depth and quiet power, Babba IV reveals itself slowly with each glass. Aromas of mountain herbs, dried chamomile, black tea intertwine with preserved lemon, dried apricot, while subtle notes of rosemary, pine resin and honey emerge with air. The palate is intensely structured yet remarkably poised, driven by a vibrant, almost electric acidity that carries the wine effortlessly despite its immense concentration. Layer upon layer unfolds across the palate before giving way to an astonishingly long, saline finish that echoes with herbs, citrus peel and spice long after the final sip. A truly meditative wine that continues to evolve for hours in the glass.

Winemaker | Oszkár Maurer

Region | Fruška Gora & Subotica, Serbia

Variety | Multiple vintages of Furmint, Bakator, Mézes Fehér & Welschriesling (including botrytised fruit)

Viticulture | Organic

Soil | Sand, loess, clay & limestone

Production | Extremely limited

Interesting Facts

The name Babba comes from ancient Sumerian mythology, where Baba was the goddess of fertility and birth. In the Carpathian Basin, generations later, people prayed to Mária Babba for safe childbirth and new beginnings. Fermenting a wine once is already an act of faith; fermenting it successfully three years in succession demands even more trust in nature. This wine is Oszkár's tribute to that enduring belief.

Clay Instead of Wax

In keeping with Oszkár's devotion to ancient traditions, every bottle is sealed with natural clay rather than plastic capsules, foil or synthetic wax. Sourced from the land itself, the clay forms a symbolic final connection between the vineyard and the bottle.

To open, simply drive the corkscrew through the clay, pull the cork halfway, brush away any loose clay, then remove the cork completely.

Vinification

Babba IV is unlike almost any wine made today. Instead of producing a new wine each vintage, Oszkár creates it over the course of three consecutive harvests, allowing the wine to evolve year after year. It begins with Furmint (2021), which undergoes spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts before, rather than being bottled, it is transferred onto the freshly harvested grapes of the following vintage for a second skin maceration and fermentation with Bakator and Mézes Fehér (2022). The process is repeated once more in the third year with botrytised Welschriesling (2023), each harvest contributing new layers of texture, aromatic complexity and phenolic depth. After its third fermentation, the wine matures in old oak barrels for a further three years before being bottled without fining, filtration or any addition of sulphur. The result is an extraordinary wine that captures not a single vintage, but the evolving character of three harvests—one of the most original and ambitious expressions of long-form, multi-vintage natural winemaking in Europe.