Somló, Hungary’s smallest appellation, consists of a lone volcanic hill that juts out of the plains near Hungary’s border with Austria. The soils are rich in basalt and most of the vines sit at high altitudes with expositions to the southeast. Juhfark is the region’s most famous and sparsely planted indigenous grape, and yet hardly anyone knows it. Here’s the only entry you’ll find about Juhfark on Jancis Robinson’s website: “Very rare Hungarian vine associated with Somló.”

Fekete’s vines are farmed without any “manicuring,” irrigation, or chemicals, and are sorted/harvested by hand. In the winery, today’s 2018 Juhfark saw four hours of skin contact before a spontaneous fermentation in 1,000-liter Hungarian oak casks and 12 subsequent months of aging. The wine was then transferred into stainless steel where it aged for an additional 24 months. After three years in total, the wine was bottled but wasn’t officially released for another year! Only 216 cases were produced. 

Five years old, and this wine’s life has barely started! Even their importer—Eric Danch, one of my favorite people in the industry—endorsed its aging potential, saying he’s had decade-old Juhfark bottlings that were still zipping with energy. And while today’s 2018 is still a baby, there’s already a great deal of pleasure and exoticism to be had. This is high-intensity wine, filled with rip-roaring acidity and searing volcanic minerality, yes, but a delightfully plush and ripe body. Dip your nose in and it excites right away with quince, apricot, yellow apple peel, ripe lemon, yellow mango, crushed rock, volcanic ash, and various European spices. Enjoy now or in 5-10 years. Whenever you do pull the cork, buckle up—it’s a wild ride. Cheers!