BENCZE ONLY DOES BANGERS 🌋

Heyy, Fionn this Thursday!

IM SO BUZZED ABOUT THESE WINES FROM BENCZE BIRTOK, CAN YOU TELL?!? They landed at the tail-end of last week and went down such a treat chez Dan’s that I needed to do a little top-up before this week’s mailer! You lot propping up the bar clearly have good taste…

His vineyards are situated in Badacsony, north of lake Balaton, on south-east facing slopes at 118 to 180 meters altitude. Here the soil is pretty much all volcanic basalt with a mix of clay, loess, and sand thrown in for good measure. He works meticulously in the vineyards with biodynamic techniques to ensure pristine fruit. He also is very picky about when he picks. Often doing multiple smaller harvests in order the achieve the right balance in the final wines. In the cellar, he is more hands-off allowing the wines to ferment spontaneously, often in amphora and with no additions since being inspired by a visit to a certain Mr. Tscheppe.

First up we have Autochthon. a big old blend of Hungarian autochthonous varieties. New word for you too? Well, that is a variety that is local to a specific region. I guess you can consider this a snapshot of what the Hungarian wine of yesteryear might have tasted like. The fruit here runs the gamut. Key lime, mango, and lots of zesty orchard stuff, salty and mineral on the back end too! Case in point as to why we should expand our drinking horizons.

His Furmint takes acidity to new heights. You might know this from its role in Tokaj the sticky sweet stuff that traumatized me during my WSET exams. Another week, another bit of WSET shade… Anyhow, this is about as dry as a wine can get. A citrus bomb that slowly reveals layers of herbs and flinty minerality. If you’re a Riesling guy/gal then this will be right up your street, promise!

Finally, his Chenin. IMO the pièce de résistance. I drank this with a French man last week. Idk about you lot but most of the French people I know rarely drink outside of France. When they do, they often don’t like it. I promised him he’d like this. It’s Chenin for Christ’s sake! I explained István painstakingly planted it himself inspired by his deep love for the whites of the Loire! I saw the terror in the Frenchman’s eyes... He was half expecting some bastardized version. Fear not, all it took was a quick sniff and terror turned into delight. Sometimes, all it takes is a quick swirl and sniff to know the wine means business. Are you sure it’s not French he asked?

I proper love this Chenin so excuse the geeky stuff but I think this helps contextualise things and makes the wine sound even more delicious so just bear with it. The grapes get directly pressed into old burgundy barrels that weren’t topped up for a few months to allow for a little influence from our friend flor. Please don’t be scared of the world flor, we're not in oxy territory here, it just adds a nice salty component. The barrels were then blended into larger oak and this time topped up. After a year or two to mature the wine is gently bottled by gravity. The resulting wine is full of multi-layered citrus, lanolin, and nuts. That’s alongside a creamy mouthfeel and plenty of chalky, oyster shell minerality. All cut to shreds by lazer, and I mean, lazer sharp acid. A ripper of wine, and IMO way better value than what you’ll find back in the Loire. Don’t let my French pal hear that though.

His Pinot is also one of those wines that you’ll want to drink on the daily. The perfect balance between fruit and earthen spice. Restrained levels of booze mean we’re at a playful, pretty Pinot party. I recommend serving chilled, although not frozen, but do what ya want! The whole range is utterly delicious and thought-provoking, all encapsulated by Bencze’s signature driving minerality and puckering acidity. Check ‘em out, you won’t regret it.

Rambled on there, but when I do, it’s a good sign that the wines are cracking. Aside from that, we welcomed in a new Valot Cuvee. The talk of the town among natural circles in Beaujolais. As ever, this is widely charming. It’s had a little rest before release but it’s still got a smudge of reduction and spritz on opening. No bad thing in my eyes. As you watch this open up the wine comes into its own though with brambly fruit, anise, and minerals that feel apt for the current weather.

Plenty of dates for your diary too. The Salon is selling out fast, so act now if you don’t want to miss out on pretty much unlimited vino for £30. Quite frankly absurd for London in this day and age don’t ya think? Cantina Giardino will be a laugh too.

Catch you next week

Fionn

xox