Petit Bonsai Kadarka 2024

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 To come across a grape that you do not know is always an amazing moment that you can almost compare to when meeting someone you feel direct empathy to.

I may be exaggerating, but if it is a grape that directly connects to our senses then it may well be a not too wrong of a comparison. 

Last week I had the privilege to come across several expressions of Kadarka at an event organized by the Wine Academy in Hamburg aiming to promote the work of the Fine Wines Association of Hungary.   

At a given time a question has emerged on how to market grapes which are unknown to the major public. The same person who has raised the question has also suggested that the Hungarian producers should have a comparison table to what the autochthonous grapes could compare to.

I have to confess that this is a question that deeply irritates me as Furmint is not Riesling and Kadarka is not a spicy Pinot Noir. Having a huge passion for Portuguese wines this is a question that often occurs as people ask me what can they compare a Baga to. Simply said, there is no comparison possible. Baga is Baga, with a unique profile. The same way that Kadarka is Kadarka and not an Hungarian version of whatever.  The only way to make it known is through education and events that can help promoting the authenticity of a grape and how it reflects a specific terroir and the work of the winemaker.

Going to this Petit Bonsai it presents really lively red fruits with hints of pepper and nutmeg as well as some interesting smokiness. In the mouth it is really fresh, suggesting the possibility of drinking it slightly chilled. In fact, I can imagine it being a perfect drink for warmer days as well as to accompany charcuterie starters. 

What I have also found interesting at the presentation of the association was the deep awareness that all the winemakers had of living the beginning of a new era in Hungarian wines where a past deeply marked by the soviet influence and a future which is looking to reshape an incredibly rich tradition.

Something very exciting is happening in the world of Hungarian wines and I believe we should all live the change.  

 

16/20
Country: Hungary
Region: Szekszárd
Grapes: Kadarka
12%
Winemaker: Vida Péter

Website:https://vidaborbirtok.hu/products/petit-bonsai-kadarka-2023-copy

 

Location: Hamburg, Germany

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