Moric is a paradox: Their steadfast commitment to crafting uniquely identifiable wines has resonated with the world’s top critics, yet they still remain safely hidden from the general public’s radar. However, judging by the diverse spread of offers and the volume that’s been trucked out of our warehouse over the last year-plus, our subscribership has eagerly bought into their alluring creations—something we consider a victory. But even those who do fervently support Moric probably aren’t privy to today’s limited “Hidden Treasures” label—a little-known micro-collaboration between Moric’s Roland Velich and a small Hungarian winery off the coast of Lake Balaton.
Why here, you may ask? Because, for centuries, wines from the sprawling Pannonian Plain were among the most sought after on the planet. Today’s bottle is essentially an homage to that golden age of winemaking and the result is an exotic, mineral-loaded Furmint/Riesling blend that is poised to trigger your next “aha” moment. With ancient volcanic soils, piano-wire tension, and the breathtaking marriage between two powerful grapes, this severely limited release is a truly unique buy.
After traveling and studying the world’s greatest terroirs for more than 10 years, Roland Velich came away with one defining principle he employs at Moric (est. 2001) every day: it’s all about individuality. Making a wine that has a raw identity, a wine that refuses to hide behind anything is, in fact, everything. From top to bottom, you will only find purity and distinction in his wines (although his top Grüner and Blaufränkisch bottlings constantly draw parallels to Grand Cru Burgundy!). One thing you can always expect is that Velich’s old vines and one-with-nature techniques in Austria’s Burgenland will deliver a wine of absolute distinction. Here he is digging in his heels:
“I believe the world of wine is so fed up with uniform wines, produced with the goal of achieving a maximum of points in a tasting and not with the motivation of creating from the raw materials that are at disposal, namely soil, climate and varietal, a product that is singular, because of the fact that it can only grow in this one place.”
With his “Hidden Treasures” series, Roland looks toward Hungary’s historically rich Pannonian plain, specifically to Furmint and Riesling from the preternatural volcanic soils of Lake Balaton. In collaboration with a small Hungarian winery, Villa Tolnay, today’s equal blend of sustainably farmed Furmint and Riesling—both high acid, wildly exotic grapes—saw a natural fermentation and an aging regimen in used Hungarian oak and stainless steel.
The lack of intervention in the winery really shines in this terroir powerhouse: It radiates with pulverized minerals and volcanic stone that reveal an abundant mix of high-toned aromas once introduced to about 15-30 minutes of oxygen: Expect wild white flowers, honeysuckle, white peach skin, underripe mango peel, yellow apples, hazelnut, citrus, lemongrass, and a soft touch of exotic spice. It’s lean and laser-like but there’s a surprising amount of heft on the mid-palate that makes it simultaneously fun and serious. Just keep the service temperature around 50 degrees and serve in all-purpose stems after a bit of air. I expect an outpouring of positive feedback after everyone tries their first bottle, so be sure and stock up on at least three—no need to stop there, though!
