Hidden Treasures Nr.2 Somlo Kis Tamas 2019

At Hidden Treasures/A Moric Project Roland Velich promotes the regions, i.e. wines and winemakers from areas of Hungary that are still far too unknown. In this case it is about Nagy-Somló. Somló is an 832-hectare wine-growing region in Veszprém County in north-western Hungary. Most of the vines are grown on four extinct volcanoes

Nagy-Somló, Kis-Somló, Sàg and Herczeg. The Somló wines are exclusively white wines from the Hárslevelű, Furmint, Juhfark, Welschriesling and Traminer grape varieties. Tamás Kis moved to this region about ten years ago. Tamás is one of the youngest winemakers on the hill and one of the most successful Somló newcomers in Hungary's 2012 wine year. In 2015, Tamas was elected the first Somló member of Hungary's Junibor movement, an association that brings together the country's young winemaking talent.

The wine is a cuvée of 45 % Hárslevelű from the southern part of the cone and 45 % Furmint from the southern and western part of the hill, rounded off with 10 % Welschriesling from an old vineyard from the northern side. The soil consists of basalt rock mixed with sand, clay and some chalk. In the cellar, fermentation is spontaneous, partly in stainless steel and partly in Hungarian oak.

light golden yellow

The Nagy-Somlói smells distinctly individual. Olfactory power, body and density are mixed here, but also a lot of freshness. The Hidden Treasure No. 2 - Somlo smells of lime blossom, fennel and fennel green, anise pollen and freshly brewed white tea in combination with apple and apple peel, some citrus and grapefruit peel, dry herbs and stone.

On the palate, the wine seems far less massive than on the nose, although there is a lot of power here. The cuvée is also very independent here, juicy and acidic, herb-scented and stony with a lively minerality and a lot of salt. The wine shows itself to be ethereal and tonic, densely interwoven and yet transparent. A real surprise.