Recommendation: After one taste this was a VERY special Merlot.
Winery/Producer: Takler Pince, Hungary.
Grape Variety: Merlot.
Geographic Region, Appellation: Szekszárd, Hungry.
Vintage: 2008
Price: 8,990 Hungarian Forint (about $31.80 U.S. dollars)
Purchased From: Wine store in Budapest, Hungary.
Paired With: Sipping with poppy seed Slovakian horns.
Tasting:
He said: Opened just before drinking. Clear, very, very dark purple color with a reddish color rim. Pronounced musty damp earth aromas with hints of dark fruit. Than a powerful EXPLOSIVE array of smooth, dry, ripe blackberry flavors with hints of vanilla and tar that absolutely fills the mouth and continues through a long finish. Very concentrated, complex and chewy. This is quite a wine…the label says 16% alcohol but there is not the slightest hint in either the bouquet or on the palate. In spite of its mouth-filling fruit taste it was delicious with the Slovakian horns and became almost velvety. This was our first Hungarian wine and it was twice as expensive as most of the other Hungarian wines in the store we bought it, and after one taste this was a VERY special Merlot. And, it made for a very fun buying and drinking experience since we couldn’t read anything on the label. Two thumbs up from me and if your ever in Budapest this is worth a try.
She said: Dark red translucent, clear, with lots of thin regularly spaced zippy legs. In spite of the high alcohol content the mild aroma had no trace of an alcohol scent. Even more surprising was the HUGE flavor that followed with no alcohol taste or sharpness. The flavor was like a ton of bricks hitting the palate after the mild aroma but it had a touch of tar that was not pleasant. The wine was smooth, full bodied, almost chewy, and with a long finish. The poppy seed horns took the edge off the tar-hints in the flavor and made a great accompaniment to the wine. The taste was a bit strong for my palate so I would probably not buy it again but I think it has some excellent characteristics that make it quite different from any other Merlot I have tasted.
Comments: See also the notes from our Amsterdam to Budapest river cruise.
Alcohol: 16%
Bar code: 5 998109 720705
Imported by: NA