In 2014, the Villány wine region reached a milestone. Our community of local winemakers worked for several years to create a joint wine brand that reflects the character of the wine region and symbolizes our commitment to quality. To this end, we selected a grape variety that has long been present in the region but is not yet widely recognised as a varietal wine by consumers around the world.
Cabernet Franc is hugely significant in the history of wine because it is one of the parents of Cabernet Sauvignon. One of the world’s leading varieties today, Cabernet Sauvignon probably originated in Bordeaux, France in the mid-1600s. Cabernet Franc has more than one offspring to be proud of: Merlot and Carménère also originate from it. The family remains close to this day, with Cabernet Franc most often being blended with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot to create cuvées.
Cabernet Franc has been present in the Villány wine region since the 1920s, and was cultivated here before Cabernet Sauvignon, so when we decided on the first major plantings at our winery, it was natural to choose grape varieties that had long proven themselves in this region and were considered ideal choices in terms of both climate and soil conditions.
Cabernet Franc has therefore been part of the A.GERE portfolio since the beginning, in both blends and as a single varietal wine. Our first higher-category, select batch was produced in 1992 under the name Cabernet Franc Selection, and we intended it from the outset to be one of the winery’s flagship wines.
When we started thinking with our fellow Villány winemakers about what kind of wine could best express our terroir and shared values, we quickly settled on Cabernet Franc. Most wineries were already producing varietal wines from this grape, and more than 80% of these were in the premium category, so we were not alone in this. Furthermore, in 2000, we received an invaluable endorsement when the renowned wine critic Michael Broadbent announced that ‘Cabernet Franc has found its natural home in Villány’.
Finally, in 2014, we updated our origin protection regulations. We deemed it essential that our region’s flagship wine be of the highest quality, so we decided from the outset that Villányi Franc would be available exclusively in the “premium” or “super premium” categories, created specifically for this type of wine.
To be labelled Villányi Franc, a wine must comply with viticultural regulations regarding yield, for example, and wine-making regulations, including those related to ageing. Additionally, the wine must undergo rigorous, blind tasting by a panel of selected Villány winemakers. We considered this important because nobody knows better than us what message we want to convey to consumers through Villányi Franc wines.
Since creating the Villányi Franc community wine brand, our vision has been to produce single vineyard wines at the winery because we believe this to be the ultimate expression of terroir. Under the A.GERE name, wine lovers can now find two Villány Franc wines: one from Csillagvölgy and one from Ördögárok-dűlő.
We only produce these two wines in exceptional vintages, applying the same approach in the vineyard and cellar to both. The difference between the bottles therefore stems solely from the different characteristics of the vineyards.
Csillagvölgy is characterised by its vibrant fruitiness, lively acidity and elegance, which is why we always present it first. The Ördögárok vineyard, on the other hand, is a closed basin with higher temperatures during the ripening period. This produces wines with softer, more velvety tannins, which is why we age this wine in bottles for longer. Ultimately, it’s a matter of personal preference which wine one prefers, but serious red wine lovers will surely find their favourite.
We always find feedback on our Villányi Franc wines doubly rewarding, as we can be proud of them both as winemakers and as members of the Villány winemaking community. Master of Wine Peter McCombie recently summed up his thoughts on the wine as follows: „Villányi Franc is a confident, structured and age-worthy wine that speaks clearly of its origins; a deliberate regional identity balancing both precision and power.”
And this is how Finnish Master of Wine Pasi Ketolainen described the wine: „Villány Cabernet Franc is one of the most impressive global examples of this fascinating variety that deserves to be better known for its excellent quality-to-price ratio and wide drinking window, ranging from vibrant young wines to intensely charming ones that can be aged and enjoyed for decades.”
