In order to keep everyone on their toes—including ourselves—we roll out esoteric offers whenever suitable. But Hungarian wines have frequented our site so much at this point, they’ve now become normalized. Perhaps only on SommSelect will you find California Chardonnay as much as Tokaji Furmint or Loire Cabernet Franc as frequently as Kékfrankos or today’s extraordinary Kadarka. We are massive supporters of these delicious, wildly unique gems and, best of all, their stock is guaranteed to keep rising.

Because of communism, wine privatization is a relatively new model here, and the region is now replete with minds determined to restore local traditions and revitalize indigenous varieties. In other words, quality and exposure are on a rapid ascent while prices stay near the ground level—for now. On top of affordability, we also love anything that oozes terroir authenticity and can be described as Pinot Noir-esque, so we simply wouldn’t be doing our jobs without offering today’s thirst-quenching beauty from deep within Hungary's Szekszárd, near the borders of Croatia and Serbia. Kardaka has earned our respect and in the hands of Heimann & Fiai, a Gault-Millau “Winery of the Year” winner, it demands your attention: It has an ethereal nature reminiscent of old-world Pinot Noirs and a crunchy, snappy core that is found only in the finest Cru Beaujolais. This simply hits all the right notes, showcasing a purity of fruit and minerals that will please even the most cerebral wine drinker. So, no, I’m no longer prepared to call this an “esoteric” offer. This is an integral part of SommSelect’s core!

The Szekszárd appellation is steeped in history, turmoil, and transition: It was initially established by the Celts before flourishing under the Romans and weathering high wine taxes of the Ottoman Empire. By the dawn of the 18th century, the Turks had been pushed out and replaced with Serbian who had been forced to migrate north. It was the Serbians who brought over and planted the Kadarka grape. Soon after, the Swabians (southwest Germany) began creeping into Szekszárd where they resettled and brought their winemaking prowess. In fact, the Heimanns are of Swabian ancestry, and they’ve been continuously crafting wine here since  1758. So, to summarize today’s offer: We have a unique Hungarian terroir, populated by a winemaker of German descent that is growing a grape variety brought over from Serbia. If that’s not cultural diversity, I don’t know what is!  

Zoltán Heimann Sr. and his wife Agnes currently run the ship here, and have built up an impressive vine network of indigneous varieties, as well as Merlot, Cab Franc, Viognier, Tannat, and even Sagrantino! They’re certainly eager to experiment with their newfound freedoms (post-Communism privatization), but the bulk of their focus is on Kékfrankos and Kadarka. With over two decades of experience with various clone and the nuances of each micro-climate, Heimann & Fiai is now hellbent on restoring these two heritage varieties. 

Today’s Kadarks hails from their collection of loess-dominated sites and comes from manually harvested/sorted fruit that is farmed with organic principles. Spontaneous fermentations are carried out in 5000-8000-liter wooden and stainless steel vats. Excitingly, Sultan Jr. is now utilizing partial whole-cluster fermentation with twice-daily pump-overs and/or punch-downs by foot. Today’s wine aged a half-year in neutral oak. In trying to express the purity of fruit in Kardarka, there is zero fining and only minimal use of SO2 at bottling. Give this a vigorous 15-minute decant to blow off the slight prickle, serve it in large Burgundy stems around 60 degrees, and you’re ready to experience one of the most elegant reds in Hungary. It emits bright, floral perfumes of damp red and purple flowers, followed by tart red cherry, cranberry, black raspberry, wild strawberry, and plum skin. Hints of smoke, herbs, and crushed earth float into the mix but what’s really on dramatic display is immense freshness, finesse, and mouthwatering acidity. It’s absolutely delicious and playful yet serious layers are happening here, and I believe they’ll continue developing as this tacks on another 6-12 months of bottle age. Enjoy now through 2025!