Known as “The Grand Old Man of Somló” since the ‘70s, Fekete Béla is a 90-something-year-old unsung magician that turned a few acres of an ancient volcanic hillside terroir into thought-provoking wines with fathomless depth. Every bottle he’s touched over the past 3+ decades has been utterly enchanting and profoundly speaks to the mysticism swirling around the microscopic Hungarian appellation that is Somló (pronounced ‘shoam-low’).
But Fekete’s single-vineyard take on the indigenous Hárslevelű grape stood out to us the most with its raw intensity and long lasting mineral verve. It has a certain profundity that is on par with the world’s most lauded wines, all while retaining the unique snapshot of Somló—a preternaturally ancient, basalt terroir
jutting from the earth. With all the factors at play, I still have a hard time processing the low price here—not only is it severely underrepresented, this is truly one of the great values on the planet. So what’s the big, looming ‘but?’ Its finality: Our unhinged joy upon tasting today’s wine was quickly tempered after learning, with a heavy heart, that 2013 was the last vintage Fekete would ever produce. They say all good things must come to an end, so grab everything you can because
this is it.
Prior to earning the “The Grand Old Man” label, Fekete Béla would make annual treks to Somló to purchase grapes for his microbatch ‘garage’ wines. But one year in the early 1970s, however, changed everything: A farmer on this fabled hillside asked Fekete if he would be interested in purchasing a couple hectares. He accepted, and for the next 30+ years, he built up his holdings to four modest hectares and crafted the region’s greatest expressions of wine. He retired at a very ripe age in 2013, selling the estate to a younger wine mind that, we are proud to announce, is determined to preserve the traditions and unique style Béla was known for.
With written mentions dating back nearly 1000 years ago and viticulture that can be traced to Roman times, Somló has a rich history—kings and queens revered the wines, and they took them seriously too. From their importer: “In 1752, local laws stated that if you were found adding water to wine, expect 25 lashings as the minimum punishment. If you were found to be labeling wine as Somló but using other fruit sources, you would be banned from making wine permanently and might even have your property confiscated.” The acclaim for these wines continued up until the second World War, where vineyards were appropriated by the state and redistributed under communism. Obviously, tumultuous times followed—until the arrival of Fekete Béla.
Somló is Hungary’s smallest appellation, consisting of a lone volcanic hill that abruptly rises 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. Fekete’s four hectares are farmed without any “manicuring” and are sorted/harvested by hand. “Aranyhegy” is essentially a lieu-dit (a notable parcel) in his vineyard. In 2013, the grapes saw a few hours of skin contact before a spontaneous fermentation in 1000-liter Hungarian oak casks and 12 months of aging. The wine was then transferred into stainless steel, where it aged 24 additional months. Finally, after three years total, the wine was bottled—but not released to the public until the following year!
Fekete Pince’s FINAL vintage of “Aranyhegy” Hárslevelű explodes out of the bottle with unbelievably exotic aromatics. Expect honey, spice, and everything nice, alongside white tea, dried mango, apricot, citrus blossoms, acacia, crushed volcanic earth, yellow apples, tangerine, and a juicy lemon-lime interplay. Some of the grapes at harvest were intentionally picked with a touch of botrytis, which adds beautiful waxy, intense yellow fruits to the nose. The palate is a sensation: medium-plus bodied and bordering high acidity, this has serious weight and textures that cling to your taste buds. This is a sensory experience that is very tough to describe, and what better way to find out then jumping right in? Don’t be shy either—you will find something to love about this wine during every new sip, and I promise you’ll repeatedly put hand to forehead if you short yourself. Even better: at five years old, it’s life is just getting started! Their importer endorsed its aging potential as well, mentioning that he tasted Fekete’s 2000 vintage last month and “it was still kicking ass.” Serve in all-purpose white wine stems around 50-55 degrees, and start with baba ganoush while ending with the attached peanut curry chicken. You won’t find many people throwing this pairing out, but they wouldn’t stop waxing rhapsodic if they experienced it just once. Enjoy!
