2017 Losonci Nyitnikék Mátra

Region: Mátra< Hungary Grapes: Magyarfrankos (cross between Muscat Bouschet + Kékfrankos) Vineyard/Cellar Stats: Organic farming; soils are andesite (volcanic), tons of iron/red clay, and chalk, one week of skin contact, left to settle naturally before bottling unfined/unfiltered with <20ppm SO2; 11.5% Winemaker: Bálint LosonciBálint Losonci entered the wine business as a writer for a  wine magazine and was exposed to a whole world of Hungarian wines in the late 1990s that was just waking up after Communism. After learning the ropes, he joined a few other like-minded small producers who believed in the future potential of the Mátra appellation, which has quietly become Hungary’s second largest appellation (7500+ hectares),but has been dominated by just a few larger industrial players – a Soviet cooperative era hangover.  Bálint doesn’t spray anything of any kind – he doesn’t have to, as the vineyard has the right exposure and is protected from harsh weather on all sides by the ta