Sauska Cuvée 5
Villány 2011
”Very impressive intense wine, wonderful black cherry, cassis and dark ripe plums, underpinned with fruit acidity and round tannins. Again the hint of chocolate and very clean lingering intense flavours. This wine has the intensity, ripeness, alcohol, and class of a top “New World” Bordeaux blend from say Napa, or Barossa, but still has a European fruit profile, less blueberries and eucalyptus minty sweet fruit. ” Christopher Burr MW.
| Recommended drinking temperature: | 17-18 ℃ |
| Alcohol content: | 15 % |
| Bottle size: | 0.75 l |
Winemaking
After rigorous hand selection, berries are gently crushed and briefly cold soaked in stainless steel tanks. Spontaneous malolactic fermentation in stainless steel and small French oak barrels. 30-day total maceration in the tank to preserve the varietal's character. Aged for 18 months in 80% new 20% used French oak barrels.
The Year
After the challenging last vintage 2011 was well-deserved fun for us all the way to the harvest. Timely bud-break, no late frosts and a lovely, rainy-humid spring marked the start, followed by a balanced and warm early-summer. Just enough water left in the ground to help the new buds growing. We had a 5-star June and July with slow and balanced ripening. The heavy wind in the last week of July caused some dehydration in the plants but this year –thanks to the otherwise optimal conditions- even this helped to develop aromas. The harvest started early, in the last days of August with the base wines of the Rosé, followed by the early reds (Portugieser, Kadarka) and later Pinot Noir. We were prepared for a “double harvest” in order to reach optimal quality on every single vineyard. It was a huge risk but we did it! We collected the fruit twice almost everywhere with a 17-20 day gap between the two harvests. The „big wine-grapes”- harvest started in September 17 and went on without any trouble until October 16. The nights turned chilly by the time we finished the vineyard-works but it was still warm with golden sunshine during the days. It was truly magical, especially because every one of us knew: we put something exceptional in the barrels this year.
Details
| Type | Wine |
| Acidity | 5,2 g/l |
| Alcohol content | 15 % |
| pH | 3,62 |
| Bottle size | 0.75 l |
| Beginning of harvest | 2011-09-04 |
| Bottling date | 2013-07-06 |
| Vinification | in new and used French barrels |
| Ageing time | 19 Month |
| Vineyards | Ördög-árok, Konkoly, Makár |
Tasting
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color | elegant deep purple- ruby |
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smell | Wonderful black cherry, cassis and dark ripe plums in the nose. |
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taste | Underpinned with fruit acidity and round tannins. Again the hint of chocolate and very clean lingering intense flavours. |