23 July 2024 / Geri Ádám
The Szekszárd Wine District is often called the home of Kadarka. The Szekszárd winemakers have undoubtedly succeeded in building a distinguished brand from it, even though only 70 hectares of their 1,960 hectares of vineyards are planted with Kadarka. The region’s number one variety in terms of volume is Kékfrankos, with a total of 580 hectares under vine, one and a half times the area of Merlot, the second most planted variety.
Even before its revival following the phylloxera crisis in the 19th century, Kékfrankos was already an important variety in the wine region. Márton Németh, the offical vinedresser, listed it among the 29 black grape varieties in his 1828 survey. Article V of the Law on the restoration of vineyards destroyed by phylloxera, adopted in 1896, includes Kékfrankos (known as Nagy Burgundi) among the only four black grape varieties recommended for replanting.
And why does Kékfrankos love Szekszárd and the Szekszárd winemakers love Kékfrankos? “It seems that Szekszárd is the most ideal terroir for Kékfrankos, based on its soil and climatic conditions.” No less a personage than Dr Pál Kozma, the then director of the Research Institute of Viticulture and Oenology in Pécs (and son of the famous grape breeder Pál Kozma Sr) made this statement to the Szekszárdi Vasárnap newspaper in 2008. The variety is a good conveyor of the soil and terroir characteristics of the exceptional quality vineyards of Szekszárd. Local winemakers discovered this some time ago, and more and more of them are releasing premium single vineyard wines. Also in Kékfrankos’s favour is the existence of lime-tolerant clones. This is important, since besides the loess that is predominantly characteristic of the wine region, limestone is also present to a greater or lesser extent
Kékfrankos is used to make almost all types of wine in the wine region. From rosé, through siller (or Fuxli, as it is known locally) and light, fruity reds, to the previously mentioned top-end, single vineyard wines, you really can find it all here. This diversity can be seen, for example, in the portfolio of Dúzsi Winery. They boast a rosé made from 100% Kékfrankos, a rosé blended with Cabernet Sauvignon, a Kékfrankos-based estate wine called Szegzárdi Vörös Cuvée and premium single vineyard Kékfrankos from the Lányár and Görögszó vineyards.
And if this wasn’t enough, Kékfrankos also makes a real specialty in the Szekszárd area. And this is none other than the Lajver Winery’s Incognito white wine! (As with other white wines made from black grapes, the must is separated from the marc immediately after pressing. Thus, the pigments, mainly in the skins, have no time to leach into the juice.)
Fuxli, the Szekszárd siller
The history of siller dates back to the pre-phylloxera era, when both white and black grapes were found within the same vineyard. There was no sorting at harvest, the bunches were put into the baskets together and then into the press. Depending on the proportion of black and white grapes, this resulted in a pink or pale red wine. This is considered “őssiller” (ancient siller). Of course, modern law now stipulates that siller has to be made exclusively from black grapes. The difference compared to rosé is that the must is left to macerate on the skins for longer, with fermentation starting at this stage, with the small amount of alcohol produced also helping to release the pigments. So siller is really nothing other than a very light, very pale red wine. The modern Szekszárd version of this is Fuxli. The idea for the brand name was dreamt up in 2011 by Zoltán Heimann, a Szekszárd wine producer. The name alludes to the reddish fur of the fox (Fuchs in German) and Szekszárd’s strong Swabian roots. In line with the rules laid down by the community, Kékfrankos and Kadarka provide the backbone of the Fuxli. The alcohol content is capped at 13%, while good acidity and fruitiness is also required. The Fuxli label can only be used for wines that have passed the tasting panel’s blind tasting.
Kékfrankos is also the most important variety in Szekszárdi Bikavér: it must comprise at least 45 percent of the blend, while in comparison, only 5 percent of Kadarka is required. The Szekszárd winemakers believe that the lively acidity, fruitiness and moderate alcohol content of Kékfrankos are a good counterbalance to other blending partners, such as full-bodied varieties like Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Szekszárdi Kékfrankos and Kékfrankos-based blends are excellent food wines. They usually pair well with tomato-based dishes, grilled vegetables, paprika-based ragout soups, roast meats, stews, chocolate and sour cherry desserts and mature goat’s cheeses. As for local specialties, you should try them with rooster stew, Bogyiszló pepper and sour cream plaited loaf, fish soup or sauerkraut and sausage. And, of course, don’t forget that Tolna County is an important hunting area, where you can find, among other things, most of the Gemenci Forest! Venison steak or stuffed pigeon paired with Szekszárdi Kékfrankos can conjure up the unique atmosphere of the Tolna Hills from anywhere in the world!
