A.GERE | Kopar | Villányi Cuvée | 2015
cabernet franc | merlot | cabernet sauvignon

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Today we are going to review a legendary wine, a masterpiece from Villány – Hungary’s most famous wine region for red wines – Kopar Villányi Cuvée 2015 by Gere Attila Winery. This is the winemaker’s flagship wine – a classic Bordeaux blend made only in the best years – a reference point for many other hungarian reds. Vinified in a traditional old-world style, made from cabernet franc (50%), merlot (40%) and cabernet sauvignon (10%) grapes sourced from the property’s best vineyards in Kopár, Konkoly, Csillagvölgy and Ördögárok, where cabernet franc forms the main body and brings on the local terroir notes, merlot adds up-front richness and suppleness, while cabernet sauvignon enhances the wine’s structure and color. In order to preserve its individuality, the wine has been fermented using only selected, indigenous yeast strains, then part of the blend has been aged for 16 months in new hungarian oak barriques, while the other part of the blend has been aged in used oak barrels, with some additional bottle ageing prior to its market release. Needless to mention that it has been produced in a very limited edition, thus the wine is a rarity even in Hungary. But enough with all that theory, that said and without further ado, let’s take a look at the wine tasting results.
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Take a look at the tasting notes below and our detailed assessment of the wine:

//Visual
colour: medium-deep ruby
clarity: hazy ruby hues

//Olfactory
intensity: powerful & noble
fruit profile: red fruits
__red fruits: sour cherry | red currant | cranberry | red plum
fruit character: ripe & overripe

//Flavor
non fruit: spice | oak | savory | other
__spice: red pepper | paprika | hints of nutmeg
__oak: lightly roasted oakwood | dried cherry tree wood | sweet tobacco
__savory: iron | leather | veal | capocollo | venison | barnyard | horse saddle
__other: dried cranberry | subtle hints of violets
__wood: old & new / light to medium toasted

//Palate
sweetness: dry
acidity: med(+)
alcohol: med(+)
tannin: high
__grip: fine grained
balance: fine
__dominant: none
body: round & noble | medium+

//Taste
fruit profile: red fruits
fruit character: ripe
non fruit: spicy & savory
finish: med(+)
aftertaste: velvety & appealing

//Scoring
A.GERE | Kopar | Villányi Cuvée | 2015
variety: cabernet franc | merlot | cabernet sauvignon
country: Hungary
region: Villány
rating: 94.7

//Conclusion
maturity: developing | can age for 3-4 more years
verdict: great | a must try

//Prediction
RP rating: 91
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This is definitely a great wine of Hungary and, with a total of 94.7 points scored, this wine is right there, among the best wines we’ve rated so far. Check our complete database on the wine rating page, where you can find all the wines that we have tasted and reviewed or go to the about us page and find out more about our exquisite rating system.

Verdict: this is a great and delicate wine blend indeed – fruity-savory, noble and rustic – a wine that is yet too young to be enjoyed today, therefore one that will definitely benefit from another 3 or 4 more years of bottle ageing. It feels round, harmonious and elegant, with a layer of finesse on the palate that we haven’t encountered for a long time. This is a well structured, complex and extremely appealing wine blend, with mouth-watering acidity and well integrated alcohol, that is supported by a firm yet fine-tannic grip on the mouthfeel. It delivers an amazing balance between fruit and oak, with a plethora of noble savoriness in between, making it a perfect pairing partner for any naturally scented meats, like for example venison or veal. This wine here is a fine example of how a terrior-driven blend can be crafted using tradition and modern technology, resulting in a velvety wine blend that has both: a distinctive personality and the footprint of the Villány terroir.

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© The WineStatistics ratings are based solely on our own knowledge of the world of wine and on our personal wine tastes, which may, or may not, differ from yours – the reader. Just remember that there are no absolutes of right and wrong in wine appreciation.