A.GERE | Villányi Franc | 2022
cabernet franc

© We will be evaluating wines in no particular order on no particular schedule. Just stay tuned and you will never miss our reviews. If the wine is tasted more than once, the rating table will be updated so as to reflect all the new impressions and observations. We hope you will enjoy it!

For seven generations, the Gere family has been a cornerstone of hungarian winemaking, respecting traditions while embracing innovation, with Attila Gere – a visionary winemaker who has played a pivotal role in establishing Villány’s reputation for world-class red wines. The winery is now guided by Andrea Gere, whose expertise and vision were recognized in 2025 when she was appointed president of the Pannon Wine Makers Guild. With decades of dedication, the Gere winery has become synonymous with crafting exceptional Cabernet Franc-based wines, often considered the region’s signature grape variety.

Today we are going to review a single-vineyard, single-varietal cabernet franc wine from Villány, which is Hungary‘s most famous wine region for red wines – Villányi Franc 2022 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 (which is an aromatic organic compound) inherited by the variety’s DNA. In Villány, cabernet franc sheds its lean and peppery character, developing a unique richness and complexity thanks to the region’s warm climate and mineral-rich soils. This trait has led to the creation of the prestigious ‘Villányi Franc‘ appellation in 2014 – a premium category reserved for 100% cabernet franc wines that meet strict quality standards.

Today’s wine is made with 100% cabernet franc grapes, sourced from the winery’s most prized, Ördögárok vineyard, with 27 to 29 year old vines. The 2022 vintage was marked by sufficient precipitation and enough warmth that led to a harvest of optimal quality, exceeding expectations and yielding grapes of remarkable health and ripeness. In order to preserve the varietal characteristics of the cabernet franc graps, the winemaking was extremely meticulous: cold soaking to enhance fruitiness, followed by a 25 days maceration, with alcoholic fermentation and malolactic fermentation in stainless steel tanks. The final wine has been aged for 16 months in in French & Hungarian oak barriques (80% in new, 300-litre Zemplén hungarian oak barrels, and 20% in 2nd fill french oak barriques), with additional time of bottle ageing before it was deemed ready for the market release – a technique designed to add complexity and texture without overshadowing the grape’s inherent character. Needless to mention that this wine is produced only in the very best vintages, therefore it is a rarity even in Hungary.

Nestled in southern Hungary, Villány is one of the country’s most prestigious wine regions. Benefiting from a warm and dry climate with mediterranean influences, the region provides excellent conditions for cultivating red grape varieties. The long and sunny growing season ensures rich concentration in the fruit, while cool nights help preserve freshness and balance. The soils here are primarily clay and loam, with limestone and loess sub-soil, offering both good moisture retention and mineral depth that encourage healthy vine growth and complex flavor development. This unique terroir yields structured wines that with remarkable depth. While Cabernet Franc is the region’s champion grape variety, producing elegant and complex wines, Villány is also famous for its Kékfrankos, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon wines.

Villányi Franc is the epitome of a terroir-driven Cabernet Franc wine. The Villány wine region has proven to be ab ideal microclimate for the cultivation of the Cabernet Franc grapes. With strong mediterranean influences, it is one of the warmest wine regions in Hungary, famous for its loess topsoil over a limestone bedrock. The abundance of sunshine ensures optimal ripeness and concentration in the grapes, while the loess provides excellent water retention and warmth, whereas the limestone imparts a distinct minerality and elegance to the wines. Unlike the cooler Loire Valley, where Cabernet Franc is often lighter and more herbaceous, or the warmer Bordeaux/Toscana pair, where it’s typically a blending partner rather a single varietal wine, Villány allows the variety to shine at its full potential, often producing a voluptuous and elegant expression with ripe tannins and a complex, spicy character that is nothing short of world-class. Known as Hungary’s benchmark region for Cabernet Franc wines, Villányi Franc consistently delivers robust yet refined expressions that stand shoulder to shoulder with most of world’s great terroirs.

color: deep ruby color
clarity: hazy garnet shades

In the glass, the wine presents a deep ruby color, suggesting immense concentration and depth, with hazy garnet shades at the rim of the glass, hinting at its developing maturity and vibrancy.

intensity: rich & dusty
fruit character: ripe

On the first nose, this wine reveals a distinctly dusty-earthy nose with a ripe fruit character that unequivocally speaks of a classic Villány Cabernet Franc aromatic profile. The foreground is a symphony of black fruits, led by notes of dark bitter cherry, black plum, blackcurrant, and blackberry. These rich fruit aromas are seamlessly interwoven with mineral-driven earthy notes of pencil lead, crushed granite, wet slate, and a delicate hint of dust, further complemented by appealing undertones of oaktree bark and subtle hints of violets. As the wine breathes, the background gently unfurls, revealing well-integrated oak nuances of cloves, vanilla, a whisper of nutmeg, and toasted oakwood alongside sweet tobacco. Savory hints of iron mingle with vibrant layers of peppercorn, while undertones of coconut add an intriguing exotic dimension, culminating in a complex and multi-layered aromatic profile.

sweetness: dry | acidity: high | alcohol: high | tannin: high | balance: fine
finish: lasting | aftertaste: seedy & crisp

The palate confirms the wine’s remarkable richness and dusty elegance, delivering a nuanced, multi-layered, and complex mouthfeel that achieves a fine harmony between its intense fruit and delicate, mineral-earthy notes. The wine feels bone dry, yet explodes with flavor, driven by a bright, vibrant acidity that lends incredible freshness and vitality, ensuring a lively and engaging experience. A well-integrated touch of alcohol contributes to its ample body, providing warmth without harshness. The tannins are ripe and pleasantly seedy, offering a firm yet velvety structure that supports the wine’s powerful presence. This culminates in a seedy and crisp aftertaste that lingers beautifully, leaving a lasting impression. This is an ample and firm Cabernet Franc wine, with a complex and well structured palate that is both round and powerful, yet retains an inherent elegance – the epitome of a modern-bred Cabernet Franc wine with its perfect balance of varietal richness, nuanced complexity, and formidable structure.

maturity: developing | drink now or age for another 3 to 5 years
verdict: great | a benchmark wine | a wine that has all the traits to become legendary

All in all, this is a textbook Cabernet Franc wine that masterfully combines the vibrancy and nuance of the grape variety with the unmistakable footprint of the Villány’s terroir. A pure-bred Cabernet Franc: expressive, firm, and complex, showcasing an admirable balance between power and finesse. Quite restraint in its use of oak, which allows the wine to combine nuance and structure with terroir-driven, earthy minerality, delivering both profound depth and refined elegance. While ready to be enjoyed today for those who appreciate youthful intensity, we highly recommend cellaring it for another 3 to 5 years to allow the wine to gain further complexity and aromatic sophistication, promising an even more profound wine tasting experience.

With its remarkably rich, dusty-earthy profile and firm body, this wine demands a pairing that can stand up to its intensity and complement its nuanced character. Consider pairing it with a ribeye steak dressed in red pepper sauce, so that the wine’s earthy notes would resonate with the peppery flavors of the dish, while the ripe tannins in the wine will find a perfect counterpoint in the tender texture of the meat, creating a highly balanced and deeply satisfying tasting experience. Egészségére!

A.GERE | Villányi Franc | 2022
variety: cabernet franc
country: Hungary
region: Villány
rating: 95.5

The ‘Villányi Franc’ designation is more than just a name – it’s a regional brand with one of Hungary’s strictest protection of origin regulations, solidifying Cabernet Franc’s status as Villány’s signature grape. This deep connection was famously articulated by world-renowned wine authority Michael Broadbent MW, who declared that Cabernet Franc has found its natural home in Villány.

© 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. Cheers!