The August issue of Austria’s leading gastronomy and wine magazine devotes an 80+ page special feature to Hungary. Among other things, it features a “Best of Ungarischer Wein” selection, in which the 2021 vintage of A.GERE Attila, rated 97 points, takes first place among the red wines, coming third overall after two Tokaj Aszú wines.
Alongside the Budapest restaurant scene, tourist destinations around Lake Balaton, and paprika-based dishes, the Austrian magazine – which has been published for nearly fifty years and is available not only in its home country but also in Germany, Switzerland, as well as in several other countries such as Italy, the Scandinavian countries, Slovakia and Portugal; it also receives significant attention from the industry in other European countries.
We are delighted that two of the four red wines featured in the selection of the nine best Hungarian wines are from Villány – the 2021 A.GERE Attila is followed by the 2018 Sauska Cuvée 5. This means our wine region has claimed the titles for the two best red wines; alongside them, a St. Andrea Bikavér from Eger and a Takler cuvée from Szekszárd have also made it into the magazine’s selection.
“Whilst the general public primarily associates our winery with Kopar, wine lovers who know our wines well realise that Attila actually stands at the pinnacle of the pyramid. We often refer to it as the essence of our winery, as it is through Attila that we wish to showcase the very best our family has to offer through wine,” says Andrea Gere, summarising why all the feedback she has received regarding these wines is particularly dear to her.
This is the tasting note provided by the magazine’s experts: “A deep, dark ruby-garnet colour, with an opaque centre, violet highlights and a subtly lightening rim. A multifaceted bouquet, with a hint of roasted coffee, dark forest berries and delicately spicy southern aromas such as thyme, red pepper and rosemary, gently complemented by sweet cherry. A complex, densely structured wine with notes of blackberry jam, ripe, velvety tannins and a refined acidity. A wine with a mineral character and a long, lingering finish.”
Last year, Falstaff also compiled a list of Europe’s top Merlots, and the 2021 Solus was included in that exclusive line-up. It featured alongside wines such as the 2021 Masseto, the 2023 Le Pin and the 2022 Petrus. This summer’s recognition represents two exceptionally strong endorsements for us from the German-speaking world, a region which, as we know, not only prioritises its own wines but also has a truly wide range of international wines to choose from, and is considered an important export market for any wine-producing country in the world.
