Martinus 2017

Olaszrizling (which translates as "Italian Riesling" and yet has no genetic link with Riesling) is the most common white grape variety in Hungary, often snubbed by those with discerning palates because it is found in bars and restaurants as the cheapest wine. However, we can make great and good wines, the proof with this complex vintage coming from the limestone hill of Tagyon. The grapes are harvested from old and young vines, grown organically without any herbicide . The harvest takes place on two different dates in order to obtain the acidity and maturity of the grapes. The wine embodies a beautiful purity and an accomplished aromatic concentration for a young wine which takes us to various citrus fruits , green apple , pear , toasted almonds and white flowers marked by a beautiful mineral framework.

It was the Romans who planted the first vines at a time when the Country was part of a region called Pannonia. It was at the dawn of the 18th century that Hungary, united with Austria, ensured the export of its most famous wine throughout Europe: Tokaj (from the Fürmint grape variety). As throughout Europe, in the 19th century, viticulture was destroyed by phylloxera. During the communist period, vineyards were managed in cooperatives which guaranteed a stable income for wine producers. Quite a few small winegrowers were unable to keep up with this growing economy, so the Hungarian vineyard was restructured, losing 30% of its surface area in the process. Nowadays, many family estates have emerged, some of which produce wines of incredible quality. As everywhere in Europe, viticulture is in decline as part of the European restructuring plan for the wine industry. Hungary, which is at the same latitude as Burgundy, has a continental climate with hot summers and cold winters. The rainfall is sufficient for non-irrigated viticulture and the soils are heterogeneous and of high quality depending on the region. With around a hundred indigenous and international grape varieties, the country has good varietal diversity. The fürmint and the hárslevelü from the Tokaj region, vinified dry and at the origin of the great sweet wines of Tokaj, are undoubtedly the best-known varieties today. The most widely planted grape variety is Olasrizling for whites and Kéfrankos for reds. International grape varieties, mainly Bordeaux grape varieties, flourish in particular in the south of the country where they produce high-class wines.