For the latest Bitch Moan and Wine tasting we headed back to Villany, sampling wines from the new but very large Sauska Vineyard.  We tasted:

Chardonnay (green label) 2007 - 3180 Ft
Yellow-golden hued with shades of green flashes. A vibrant bouquet of tropical fruits and flower fragrances, well-integrated wood. It is a focused, full, but energetic Chardonnay with good balance, delicious acids and a long after-taste.

Rosé Cuvée 2008 - 1470 Ft
A blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Kékfrankos making a vibrant, fresh, and intense wine; strawberry and elderberry flowers for a bouquet while the taste buds swirl with flavors of red oranges and red grapefruit.  Fresh, nice, sweet, clean, bright and fruity with a vivid sense of acids.

Portugieser 2008 - 1890 Ft
A ‘must' in any Villány winery portfolio, this one has a deep magenta color with hints of fresh strawberry, sweet and sour cherry, and bits of bergamot and anise resulting in a blend of forest fruits for a good texture and a long vivid finish.

Cuvée 13 - 2008 - 2970 Ft
A blend of 56% Syrah, 29% Cabernet Franc, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon gives this wine a bright red/purple color with a distinct mix of spicy and fruity flavors. The bouquet is fully open to a variety of aromas from black currants to plums, with hints of white and black pepper. Great body allowing for a ripe fruity and spicy experience, a pleasant finish and bold young tannin taste.

Kékfrankos 2007 - 3840 Ft
Aged 8 months in new French oak (30%) and used French oak (70%) and bottled in June 2008, this wine has a warm purple color with violet tones. Ripe field strawberries and rose hips complete the bouquet while the alcohol-acid balance is good. The long-lasting finish, combined with tones of vanilla and gentle tannins from the new French oak barrels makes this a very special wine indeed.

Cuvée 7 2006 - 6900 Ft
Blend of 41% Merlot, 59% Cabernet Sauvignon and aged for 15 months, 100% in new barrels (97% French, 3% American oak).  Possesses a deep red purple color with scents of black fruits and cherry mingling with anise. Flavors of black cherry, dark chocolate, black pepper, and graphite extrude from a dense core just starting to reveal the full potential and depth of this wine.  It is a very meaty and ripe wine, the sweet tannins persist, creating a long and pleasant finish.

For my money, I was disappointed with the Rose and Cuvee 13, but loved the Cuvee 7, and enjoyed the Chardonnay.

SKP Bonbon provided a sampling of their exclusive handmade chocolates for tasting, including bonbons specially filled with Sauska Cuvee 7! Kriszta also gave a demonstration of the chocolate making art. The dark belgian chocolate chips were melted to 35 degrees, then spread on a cool marble slab to let to cool to 32 when the chocolate begins to re-crystalize. The form is banged a few times for the air bubbles to rise. The form is banged and then flipped upside down so that some chocolate dribbles out and leaves hollow chocolate forms in the tray. This chocolate is then mixed with a filling of cream and other desireables, and spread back into the tray where it hardens. SKP Bonbon hand-make their chocolates from preservative-free imported Belgian chocolate Some of their offerings include a melt-in-your-mouth truffle covered in crushed cranberry leaves, and rum truffles filled with real Puerto Rican rum. While the Cuvee 7 filled bonbons were great, but the the black truffle and balsamic vinegar dark chocolate bonbons were AMAZING. Hajos u. 14, 1067 Budapest. Tel: 70-557-2670. skp@hdsnet.hu

David Mark Erickson also launched his first photo exhibition "Fesztiválok" in Budapest. A perfect gift idea, or a reminder from Hungary if you happen to be moving away. Each of the 13 limited-addition mounted prints are for sale for 20,000HUF and under. To see some of Davids great photographs, check out his exhibition at Treehugger Dan's on Lazar u. 16 right behind the Opera House.