Bott Frigyes is a small, certified organic estate in Južnoslovenská, southern Slovakia, farmed by Frigyes Bott and his son Frici along the Garam River near the Mužsla Hills. This is historically Hungarian wine country, ceded to Czechoslovakia after the First World War, and the family's varietal choices (Furmint, Kékfrankos, Kadarka) and winemaking traditions still carry that Hungarian imprint even though the vineyards now sit inside Slovakia. Ten hectares in total, planted on clay over volcanic bedrock rich in limestone, farmed organically.

This Kadarka is 100% varietal, sourced from later-ripening, thin-skinned vines suited to the estate's traditional "Hamburger method": alternating layers of foot-trodden juice, whole clusters, and hand-destemmed berries left together for three to four weeks before pressing. All fermentation is native, with no temperature control. After pressing, the wine spends nine months in barrel before bottling unfined and unfiltered with just a touch of SO2. The layered, partial whole-berry approach gives a semi-carbonic lift to the aromatics without tipping into bubblegum territory, and this far north the grape holds onto real acidity and spice.

Why You'll Love It

• A rare US import of Kadarka, a historically Hungarian grape now grown on the Slovak side of a border that didn't exist when the vines were first planted.
• Dark-fruited and spiced, with the aromatic lift that comes from the estate's layered, partial whole-berry "Hamburger" fermentation.
• Thin-skinned and later-ripening, so the tannins stay light even after nine months in barrel.
• Certified organic farming on clay-over-volcanic soil gives real mineral drive underneath the fruit.
• An elegant, food-friendly red for anyone who wants to get outside the usual Beaujolais or Loire options.

How To Serve It

• Serve lightly chilled, around 55°F to 60°F, to keep the spice and acidity in balance.
• A short 15-minute pour before serving is plenty to open up the aromatics.
• Burgundy stems work well here to concentrate the fruit and spice.
• Pairs naturally with Hungarian-style beef goulash and sweet paprika, or anything with a similar warm-spiced backbone.