15 January 2025 / Dániel Ercsey
This may not make me popular, but I'll start by looking at the product descriptions of the two Hungarian wine districts where Bikavér can be made. The fact is that, by law, only Eger and Szekszárd can be the birthplace of the red cuvée called Bikavér, while anywhere else, even if the same wine is made with the same proportions, however good it is, at best, it can be called Javasasszony Cuvée, or even Gördülő Kövek, but definitely not Bikavér. Yes, but what is it that makes Szekszárd and Eger Bikavérs special? One of the (obviously not the most important) conditions of Hungary’s accession to the EU was that we had to submit so-called product specifications, i.e. we had to define which wines would be protected by geographical origin, under which name, made from which grape varieties, and of course we had to describe why these wines were special. This was done by the winemakers, so let's see what they came up with:
Szekszárdi Bikavér: “Deep garnet or ruby red in colour. On the nose, it boasts black berry fruit and mature oak notes. Besides decisive, harmonious acidity, it is dominated by ripe, elegant flavours.”
Szekszárdi Premium Bikavér: “Intense garnet red in colour, full-bodied with complex aromas and a full, rich flavour structure, with restrained tannins. One important characteristic is a velvety, elegant structure.” (Quote from the Szekszárd product description.)
In addition, apart from the technical details, the description of the wines stipulates that they must be a blend of at least three grape varieties, with a high proportion of Kékfrankos and Kadarka (for Bikavér 40% Kékfrankos and Kadarka, for Premium Bikavér min. 35% Kékfrankos and min. 5% Kadarka), but beyond that, whatever comes out of the tap, although depending on the category, no more than 10% of the varieties Blauburger, Menoire, Syrah, Zweigelt, Bíborkadarka, Alibernet, Turán, Tannat and Sagrantino are allowed. They also carefully specify one year of ageing in oak, at least one year of bottle ageing for premium wines and a minimum alcohol content.
In Eger, it is as follows:
Classicus Bikavér: “A blend of dry red wines based on Kékfrankos, ranging from garnet red to deep ruby, with a rich, spicy and fruity nose and palate, with restrained tannins. The wine is characterised by both ageing and fresh fruit aromas, while its complexity is illustrated by the fact that the character of a single grape variety cannot be the dominant characteristic of any wine.”
Superior Bikavér: “An outstanding quality blend of dry red wines based on Kékfrankos, deeper in colour than Classicus Egri Bikavér, ranging from garnet red to deep ruby, with a rich spicy, fruity nose and palate, but with restrained tannins. Characterised by both ageing and fresh fruit flavours, yet the long barrel and bottle ageing results in a ripe, full-bodied wine. Its complexity is illustrated by the fact that the character of a wine from any single grape variety cannot be the dominant characteristic of any wine.”
Grand Superior Bikavér: “A full-bodied, rich, mouth-filling red wine ranging in colour and depth from garnet red to deep ruby. Because of the obligatory use of Kékfrankos in the blend, it is a unique dry red blend, different from other red wine cuvées. It boasts a rich spicy and fruity nose and palate. Typically a wine with a long finish and restrained tannins. In many cases, wines labelled with a single vineyard designation are characterised primarily by their unique character (e.g. minerality). It may also have clear ageing aromas due to its long barrel and bottle ageing. Its complexity is illustrated by the fact that the character of any single varietal wine cannot be the dominant characteristic of the wine.” (Quote from the Eger product description.)
Here, the different categories are subject to different barrel ageing (6-12 months), a different fermentation period on the skins (minimum 8-14 days), there must be a minimum of four grape varieties in the wine, and the mandatory proportion of Kékfrankos is 30-65%, with maximum 10% Turán.
For those who have read this far, congratulations! Actual consumers are - quite rightly - left cold by the regulation, they ‘just’ want to drink good wine at an affordable price. It’s just icing on the cake if they can also “do the party trick” of being able to distinguish a Bikavér from a Merlot from Pannonhalma and a Cabernet Sauvignon from Balatonboglár, or Szekszárdi Bikavér from Egri Bikavér. Yes, but is this really the case? As a wine expert with some knowledge of wine, I must disappoint you all: not at all!
If you read between the lines, you'll see that there are no unique ideas in any of the product descriptions, apart from the 40% or so of Kékfrankos. The proportion of Kékfrankos is understandable, there is a lot of it, so it has to be used somewhere, and it is a good variety (read Péter Tüű’s opinion on this), thus it has its place in the Bikavérs. But what if there’s a lot of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon alongside it? If the Cabernet Sauvignon is unripe, are there green pepper notes? What if you creep up to the threshold of 10% Turán in the blend? What if your wine ages in new barrels for a whole year? It states that the final wine should not be dominated by tannins, yet there is no clear definition of this, so everyone interprets it as they wish. There is a mandatory tasting panel in each wine district before release, where it is decided blind whether a wine can be called Bikavér and if so, in which category. However, being familiar with the countless Bikavér wines on the market, I can say hand on heart that I have tasted some with prominent tannins and some with almost none. Similarly with acidity, I have tasted Bikavers with both soft and lively acidity, some with vanilla and smoke (from new oak) and some with a fruity, juicy character. Thus, the spectrum is so wide that in the end you don't even know which Bikavers grow on which tree, let alone whether they are from Eger or Szekszárd.
Moreover, so far, I have only written about the wines from producers which I consider to be top end, without daring to mention that there is still Bikavér on the shelves for 600 forints (around €1.50), in glass bottles, with corks and label. This not only makes marketing difficult, but destroys its opportunities. This also brings us to the cardinal question posed in the title. The majority of winemakers fear the name Bull's Blood like vampires fear garlic. They think that Egri Bull's Blood produced by the cooperatives in the socialist period was the devil incarnate - and we agree - and they don't want to see it back on the shelves. Yes, but the international market constantly demands the English name - at least in some markets. I know, I know, education is important, to educate our consumers and make them accept that this is now Bikavér… But is this really the most cost-effective solution? How about simply defining Bikavér better, so that, for example, a consumer can be sure that they are always getting a red wine with a high acidity and low tannins when they buy a Bikavér? Of course, I think the opposite is also possible, but it is better for everyone, and nobody other than the regulation should be offended if Bikavér could no longer be a dense wine with warming alcohol! If we had this - a precise, simple and understandable definition - then we would have to comply with the regulation, because you can only fool the consumer once, and he will never come back to turn the other cheek too. And when everything is done, we can call the final result Bull's Blood, because it will be unique and unrepeatable, showing the greatness and the ambition for quality of the Szekszárd and Eger producers. I’m off to open a Bikavér after all this…
Photos: Hungarian Wine Marketing Agency
