A.GERE | Villányi Franc | 2018
cabernet franc

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Today we are going to review a single-vineyard, single-varietal, cabernet franc wine from the famous Villány region, which is Hungary‘s most famous wine region for red wines – Villányi Franc 2018 by Gere Attila Winery. The ‘other cabernet’ grape, cabernet franc is the parent grape for the two of the most famous international grape varieties: cabernet sauvignon and merlot. It is less intense and softer than cabernet sauvignon and it ripens much earlier, while it is also much more resistant to winter cold and spring frost than merlot. One thing that makes cabernet franc unique is that it can’t hide its nature – it has always been a bit more peppery, more savory and leaner than its pedigree children, due to the higher levels of pyrazines inherited by the variety. This wine here is made with 100% cabernet franc grapes, sourced from the winery’s hottest, Csillagvölgy vineyard. In order to preserve the varietal characteristics of the cabernet franc grape variety, 70% of the wine has been aged for 16 months in new, 300-litre Zemplén hungarian oak barriques, while the other part of the blend has been aged in used, second-fill oak barriques, with additional bottle ageing prior to its market release. Needless to mention that this wine is produced only in the very best vintages, therefore it is a rarity even in Hungary. 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: deep & noble garnet color
clarity: hazy garnet shades on the rim

//Olfactory
intensity: pronounced & vibrant
fruit profile: red fruits | dried fruits
__red fruits: cranberry | redcurrant | sour cherry | red plum
__dried fruits: dried cranberry | dried redcurrant | dried sour cherry
fruit character: overripe & dehydrated

//Flavor
non fruit: spice | oak | earth | savory | other
__spice: cloves | nutmeg | anise | thyme
__oak: tobacco | cigar box | sun-dried oak | cherry tree wood | roasted oakwood | rooibos tea
__earth: clay | loam | marl
__savory: brown olive | dehydrated olive
__other: cherry tree sap | dried leaves | sweet potato
primary layer: fruit & earth

//Palate
sweetness: dry
acidity: high
alcohol: high
tannin: medium
__grip: fine-grained
balance: good
__dominant: alcohol
body: ample | medium

//Taste
fruit profile: red fruits
fruit character: overripe
non fruit: oak & earth
finish: medium+
aftertaste: velvety-crisp

//Scoring
A.GERE | Villányi Franc | 2018
variety: cabernet franc
country: Hungary
region: Villány
rating: 95.2

//Conclusion
maturity: in its prime | drink now or within the next 2-3 years
verdict: great | a must try wine | a wine that has all the traits to become legendary

//Prediction
predicted RP rating: 91+

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This is definitely a great wine of Hungary and, with a total of 95.2 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 an outstanding cabernet franc wine and definitely one of the best we’ve tasted so far: rich, delicate and velvety-rustic, with a terroir-driven nose and a complex and ample palate. The wine is right there, at the peak of its prime form, therefore we would recommend to drink it sooner rather than later, preferably within the next 2 or 3 years, as it is always better to drink a wine a year too soon than a day too late. On the nose the wine displays overripe and dried red fruit notes in the foreground, supported by a very nuanced, earthy-savory background and a subtle, spicy-oaky layer in between the two. On the palate the wine delivers vibrant acidity, fine-grained and silky tannins and a firm touch of alcoholic warmth that is showing through on the mouthfeel, which leads to a velvety-crisp aftertaste. All in all, this is a textbook cabernet franc wine, with well preserved varietal characteristics and a terroir-driven, rustic delicacy – a wine that has both, a distinctive personality and the footprint of the Villány terroir. We believe it will pair lovely with delicate meats, like for example Tournedos Rossini or a peppercorn filet mignon steak. Egészségére!

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