PETER WETZER
PAST WINES
2020 PINOT NOIR
Two vineyards in Sopron are used for this cuvée. Krafter features thirty-five-year-old vines planted on limestone. Kogl has forty-five-year-old vines planted on iron rich schist. Each vineyard has its own clonal selection, but sadly that information has been lost. Each vineyard contributes equal quantity to the final wine. The wine was fermented in open-top wooden vats with 100% whole-cluster inclusion. After three weeks on the skins the wine is pressed off into barrel until it is racked for bottling the next year.
2020 KÉKFRANKOS
This wine is made from parcels all around the ancient town of Sopron on the Austrian border. The vines are all well over thirty years old and are planted on a variety of soils including schist, loam, limestone and loess. The grapes are fermented in open top wooden vats with 5% remaining whole-clusters. It then ages in old neutral barrels on lees without stirring.
2020 WEISS
Peter was able to get his hands on 0.8ha of Zoldveltlini (Gruner Veltliner) planted in Sopron on pure schist. He kept the winemaking fairly simple, crushing the grapes and then pressing them into tank for fermentation. The wine was racked and bottled by gravity without fining nor filtration. 13% ABV
2018 KÉKFRANKOS SPERN STEINER
Steiner Vineyard has been called western Hungary’s grand-cru since the 15th Century. This east facing site features primary mica schist and gneiss. This site is warm and dry, but low yielding due to extremely low levels of soil nutrients. This wine was fermented in open top wood vats with a tiny amount of stem inclusion. After several weeks on the skins, the wine is pressed off into neutral barrel. It is released later than the rest of their red cuvées to allow the tannins time to settle. It’s been nearly three years since our last allocation.
2019 KÉKFRANKOS BLUMENTHAL
This cuvée comes from a small plot in Sopron called Blumenthal. The vines are 50-60 years old and were planted with old massal selection. Soils here are slightly richer loam with gravel and limestone. The grapes are nearly all destemmed before being fermented in open-top wooden vats. After a couple weeks of maceration, the wine is pressed off into neutral barrel. It tends to be the richest, most bombastic cuvée he releases.
2019 SÁG
After four years of patience we finally received an allocation of Sag. This vineyard is located on a volcanic mound in Southern Hungary. Soils are primarily black basalt and tufa. Many of these vines are well over 100 years old and Peter has started replacing some of the dead vines with selection massale from healthy plants. The vineyard is mostly Olaszrizling (Welschriesling) although there’s a large section of interplanted varieties. The grapes were partially whole-cluster pressed and partially fermented on skins. After nearly a year in barrel the wine is racked and bottled by gravity without fining or filtration. There are typically less than 600 bottles made each year. 12.5% ABV
2019 PINOT NOIR
Two vineyards in Sopron are used for this cuvée. Krafter features thirty-five-year-old vines planted on limestone. Kogl has forty-five-year-old vines planted on iron rich schist. Each vineyard has its own clonal selection, but sadly that information has been lost. Each vineyard contributes equal quantity to the final wine. The wine was fermented in open-top wooden vats with 100% whole-cluster inclusion. After three weeks on the skins the wine is pressed off into barrel until it is racked for bottling the next year.
2018 KÉKFRANKOS
This wine is made from parcels all around the ancient town of Sopron on the Austrian border. The vines are all well over thirty years old and are planted on a variety of soils including schist, loam, limestone and loess. The grapes are fermented in open top wooden vats with 5% remaining whole-clusters. It then ages in old neutral barrels on lees without stirring.
2019 WEISS
Peter was able to get his hands on 0.8ha of Zoldveltlini (Gruner Veltliner) planted in Sopron on pure schist. He kept the winemaking fairly simple, crushing the grapes and then pressing them into tank for fermentation. The wine was racked and bottled by gravity without fining nor filtration. 13% ABV
2019 SOMLÓ FURMINT
The grapes for this cuvée come from the eastern side of the Somló volcano. Soils here are Basalt, Tuffeau, and Loam as one might expect. The grapes are crushed by foot and then whole cluster pressed in an ancient and tiny hand-cranked basket-press. The wine then ferments in neutral puncheon over the fall and winter. Once the wine is dry it gets racked into stainless steel for five months. A small amount of Sulphur is added at bottling. (Sadly, the 2018 vintage from this vineyard was totally lost so it’s been a long time since we’ve seen this cuvée.)
2019 ROSÉ
This wine is mostly made from Pinot Noir, macerated on the skins for a short period of time before being pressed off into tank for fermentation. A small amount of Kekfrankos is also used for structure. The aim was to make something between rosé and red wine, so after a year in barrel the wine is bottled. Only 450 bottles were produced this vintage.
2018 KÉKFRANKOS SILBERBERG
This is one of the most spectacular vineyards I’ve ever seen: Silberberg really is a Silver Mountain. Sadly, it is sparsely planted anymore, most grape growers long abandoned the steep low-yielding hill in favor of flatter, easier to farm sites. The vines that are still there are well over fifty years old and have their roots deep in schist and quartz. Higher density plantings keep yields perfectly in check. The wine is fermented in open-top wooden vats with 5% whole- clusters. After being pressed off the wine ages in neutral barrels until the following summer.
2017-18 TOKAJ FURMINT
This wine is made exclusively from Furmint grown in Tokaj, North-Eastern Hungary. The organically farmed vines are 45 years old. The grapes are crushed by foot before being whole-cluster pressed into a combination of stainless steel and Hungarian oak puncheon. After a short élevage the wine is racked and bottled.
2016-18 Pinot Noir
Two vineyards in Sopron are used for this cuvée. Krafter features thirty-five-year-old vines planted on limestone. Kogl has forty-five-year-old vines planted on iron rich schist. Each vineyard has its own clonal selection, but sadly that information has been lost. Each vineyard contributes equal quantity to the final wine. The wine was fermented in open-top wooden vats with 100% whole-cluster inclusion. After three weeks on the skins the wine is pressed off into barrel until it is racked for bottling the next year. Only 1000 bottles were made this vintage
2018 Rosé
This wine is mostly made from Pinot Noir, macerated on the skins for a short period of time before being pressed off into tank for fermentation. A small amount of Kekfrankos is also used for structure. The aim was to make something between rosé and red wine, so after a year in barrel the wine is bottled. Only 450 bottles were produced this vintage.
2016-17 SOMLO FURMINT
The grapes for this cuvée come from the eastern side of the Somló volcano. Soils here are Basalt, Tuffeau, and Loam as one might expect. The grapes are crushed by foot and then whole cluster pressed in an ancient and tiny hand cranked basket-press. The wine then ferments in neutral puncheon over the fall and winter. Once the wine is dry it gets racked into stainless steel for five months. A small amount of Sulphur is added at bottling.(70 Cases Produced)
2016-17 KEKFRANKOS
This wine is made from parcels all around the ancient town of Sopron on the Austrian border. The vines are all well over thirty years old and are planted on a variety of soils including schist, loam, limestone and loess. The grapes are fermented in open top wooden vats with 5% remaining whole-clusters. It then ages in old neutral barrels on lees without stirring. (420 Cases Produced)
2017 BLUMENTHAL KEKFRANKOS
This brand-new cuvée comes from a small plot in Sopron called Blumenthal. The vines are 50-60 years old and were planted with old massal selection. Soils here are slightly richer loam with gravel and limestone. The grapes are nearly all destemmed before being fermented in open-top wooden vats. After a couple weeks of maceration, the wine is pressed off into neutral barrel.
2016 SPERN STEINER KEKFRANKOS
Steiner Vineyard has been called western Hungary’s grand-cru since the 15th Century. This east facing site features primary mica schist and gneiss dragged across Austria from the alps by glacial migrations. This site is warm and dry, but low yielding due to extremely low levels of soil nutrients. This wine was fermented in open top wood vats with a tiny amount of stem inclusion. After several weeks on the skins, the wine is pressed off into neutral barrel. It is released later than the rest of their red cuvées. 12.5% ABV
2016 SILBERBERG KEKFRANKOS
This is one of the most spectacular vineyards I’ve ever seen: Silberberg really is a Silver Mountain. Sadly, it is sparsely planted anymore, most grape growers long abandoned the steep low-yielding hill in favor of flatter, easier to farm sites. The vines that are still there are well over fifty years old and have their roots deep in schist and quartz. Higher density plantings keep yields perfectly in check. The wine is fermented in open-top wooden vats with 5% whole-clusters. After being pressed off the wine ages in neutral barrels until the following summer.