Bitch Moan and Wine Tasting: Before the Holidays Wine Bash! Heumann and Karadi-Berger Vineyards. 9 wines with yummy holiday handmade chocolate truffles from SKP Bonbon (Hajos u. 14, VI. ker) made with Heumann's Cuvee and Berger's Aszu 3 Pottonyos wine filling. We  introduced two wine producers: Heumann Winery from Villány-Siklós, and Karadi and Berger from Tokaji. Both these wine-makers are well-established with plenty of award-winning wines between them. Ben and I met the Heumanns at the huge international Vincze Wine Tasting earlier this year and were impressed enough to invite them to our Bitch Moan and Wine. I particularly enjoyed Heumann's Chardonnay Barrique 2008, Merlot 2007, and Segreto 2007 Cuvee.

About the Wineries:
Heumann Winery, founded by Evelyne & Erhard Heumann is located in Siklos and part of the Villány wine-making region. They initially took over a winery as a loving wine enthusiast pair but now are building a highly recognized portfolio of wines through their awards and achievements in well-known wine magazines like Decanter, Vinum and others. They have a philosophy "Wine is our passion and dedication - quality our overall maxime" Their passion and ideas are a fresh new look for the Hungarian market through the quality and standards they use in their wine-making process to fine tune their handcrafted boutique wines. Their son is studying to be an oenologist to ensure the future is bright for their small winery that is often over shadowed by the big names in the region. They treated us to:

-Chardonnay Barrique 2008 Is a brilliant yellow colour. Overwhelming perfume characteristics of apricot blossoms, brioche and hazelnuts. Full-bodied and creamy with a hint of lemon grass on the palate. Complex and concentrated. Beautifully balanced like a true Chard should be!

-Chardonnay 2009 (unoaked) to be sampled as this is not yet bottled. You'll have the experience to see, taste and feel the difference from just a vintage year between them. Light yellow with bright greenish
reflexes. Intensive flavors of apple and apricots. Fruity lemon acidity. Well-integrated in the creamy body. Well-balanced. Long-lasting so it is shaping up to be a very nice wine.

-Kékfrankos 2007 Excellent medium dark ruby color. In the nose hints of some vanilla, plum and raspberry. Mouth filling supple wine with fruity aftertaste. Contains a nice and comfortable good body and is long-lasting. Awards: Arany érem, Szent György Napi Borverseny, April 2009

-Merlot 2007 Enchanting dark ruby colour that is thick and opulent. Very well integrated tannins, lots of blackberry fruit flavors with hints of plum. Super texture on the palate. Long , long lasting. What a Merlot should be like! Awards: Nagy Arany (96 pont), Borkiállítás Villány 2008, Hely 4 (120 vörös bortól), Pannon Bormustra Június 2008, Arany érem, 9. VinAgora Nemzetközi Borverseny Július 2008, A Legjobb Merlot, Pannon Borregio Július 2008

-Segreto 2007 Cuvee Blend of 50% Cabernet Franc, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot and 10% Portugieser. This one has a warm nose of blackberry-jam. Very fruity palate of various berry fruits. Not such a "serious" wine as it's older brother (Terra Tartaro) but it certainly has potential for it's shape right now, with appealing cherry and sour cherry aromas, better texture and a fairly weighty body. Quite a polished style, the high alcohol still doesn't ruin it. Awards: Arany érem, Szent György Napi Borverseny, April 2009

Karadi and Berger Tokaji winery is based in Edrobenye. It is a true example of a small family-run winery that fits every part of the words "boutique winery." They are making hand-crafted wines using the bare minimum of technology, Their wines are traditionally fermented and matured in casks of the Gönc and Szerednye types, both made to order from local Zemplén oak. They have 3 vineyard areas where they grow and harvest wines from each, giving excellent fruit to make smashing wines with breakthrough features that is quickly giving this family-run winery a following.

We were treated to:
Tokaji Furmint 2007, (dry) The dry Furmint is a traditional grape in Tokaj, which tends to show a new, more modern face these days as more wineries make dry wine from it. Dry Tokaj is uniquely capable of expressing the richness of a terroir, faithfully rendering in its taste the miraculous minerals trapped in the volcanic soils, along with the fresh flavors of fruit ripened on the sun-drenched southern slopes. The notes of peach and pear are complemented harmoniously by hints of wood in this elegant wine. 4,500 bottles were produced and the retail price is 2500 Ft/bottle

Selectio 2007, (sweet) This wine is a tantalizing tough teaser, thanks to merciful weather through the vintage year, 2007 once again gave us a fine sweet wine whose sheer concentration rivals that of an Aszú but which impresses with the freshness of its fruit. The 2007 Selectio, made from a combination of selected overripe bunches, partially botritysed bunches, and hand-picked aszú berries, was fermented and matured in wooden casks prior to bottling. The scent of the wine is that of the overripe, orange-hued, shriveled berries with a hint of vanilla, followed by flavors of ripe pear and a markedly mineral-loaded aftertaste. Residual sugar: 110 g/l. 1240 bottles have been produced and thus is available for a limited few. Retail price is 3600 Ft/bottle.

Tokaji Aszú 2004 Tokaj's fame stems from the unique aszú wines produced here, one of the areas in Europe where sweet wines can be made best with little competition. Tokaj aszú is, however, not simply a sweet wine; it's vibrant fruitiness evokes the tastes of summer, it's delicious acids and mineralogical aspects that of the land on which the grapes are grown. Pear, quince and apricot are to be discovered in the 2004 vintage of the 3 puttonyos aszú. It can be an excellent accompaniment to goose liver, blue cheese and desserts. Again a limited amount was bottled and each one retails direct from the winery for
4000 Ft/bottle