Bencze Birtok, Chenin Blanc 2021

Situated near Lake Balaton on the basaltic Mount Szent György, are the sloping vineyards of the Bencze Birtok estate. Founded in 2011, initially as a more personal experimentation project, István Bencze cultivates 20 hectares of both newly planted and old vines in partnership with nature. The overarching drive of the project is to reflect the terroir and local character through native and forgotten Hungarian grape varietals. Wild yeasts drive spontaneous fermentation, and the wines are produced without sulphites or filtration with a focus on ageing in various clay amphorae. Inspired by the Chenin Blancs of the Loire Valley, István planted several vines in 2014. After harvest, grapes are direct-pressed then split between Burgundy barrels and small clay amphorae where they undergo fermentation and ageing under the sous voile method. Here the barrels are not topped up as the wine evaporates, allowing for a fine layer of flor to develop, along with a sharp salinity in the final wine. After one year each container is blended and transferred into larger 1500L oval oak barrels to complete the ageing process for 1.5 years. Like many of those from Loire, this is an electric representation of Chenin. A pronounced 'woody' nose transports you to a sauna, while multilayered acidity like biting a lemon, peel and all pairs with underripe apricot and marzipan. Chenin Blanc 2021 would pair well with a South Indian Chemeen curry.