Villány Fanatics
Press - 2021-01-26 10:43:17
“It became obvious that we had to build up our own team for the viticultural work of the Cuvée 7 and the big varietal wines, so that the same people cultivate these terroirs from the beginning to the end."
"These are people who are skilled, precise and have memories of prior vintages, and also understand from what point we are heading forward. We’ve formed two groups that are connected to the plots but what’s even more important is the way of pruning: Angéla’s nine-member female team understand cordon (spur) pruning at a top level, while Vali’s six-member team are specialists of Guyot pruning (one spur, one cane). Vali is also an expert in grafting, which requires serious precision.” - Norbert Wéber, head of viticulture
“I’ve been working here for 15 years and I’ve been taking part in the shaping of the Sauska plots since the beginning. I can even tell the number of vines in all the vineyards that belong to me. I’ve been constantly learning for the last four years, there has been theoretical education before the harvest when we talk about how and why we prune in a certain way in the given year. I also teach grafting to Évi who has been with us for nine years.” - Vali Költő, team leader and Évi
“There are some senior members in our group who started with us pre-retirement and had never really worked in vineyards before. They are conscientious and precise. And it’s an extra joy that I can work with my daughters, with Emese in the vineyard, and indirectly with Adri, in the office.” - Angéla Kőriné, team leader, Emese and Zsuzsi
“I used to work as a social carer in Beremend at the elderly people’s home. When I felt that I didn’t have the patience that the elderly deserved, I took a deep breath and moved. Fresh air has been part of my workdays ever since and I also enjoy physical work.” - Emese Kőri
“I can’t imagine being anywhere else but, in the vineyards, although I originally studied to be a baker. My mother always told me that I can do anything, but it should not include grapes. And now, it has been my life for 20 years. I only worked at the bakery for two years.” - Zsuzsi Dávidné
“After university, I worked in California and in New Zealand, but before that I also had an internship here at the winery. I started organising my return from abroad, which happened after a bit of a detour. One can learn here on all levels, because we treat all our plots as first-class. There are some that stick out in an upward direction but nothing ever does downwards. Every vine gets looking after. It’s also obvious visually. I know exactly which is the nicest from whichever point. For the Csukma, I came up with the idea of a Mediterranean garden with a wall that could work as a selfie wall. It will be ready next year.” - Bence Makó, viticulturist
“I’ve been working here for 11 years, I arrived as an assistant winemaker. At the beginning, I took the train back to Pécs every day, then once I felt that it’s important to be here all the time. I started university in 2012, the subject of my thesis was Cabernet Franc, or more precisely, the variety’s ripening dynamics in the Kopár, the Ördögárok and the Makár vineyards. I wasn’t short of data after eight harvests! I have a little house in Palkonya, so I’m at home here by now.” - Júlia Futó, winemaker
Sauska Cuvée 7 2017
“The vineyards that constitute the base of Villány 7 – Ördögárok (11 ha), Konkoly (4 ha), Kopár (10 ha) – all showed their best sides in this year, thus it’s little surprise that we fall back on the Cabernet varieties. The long vegetative season and the heaps of sunshine provided the perfect ripening conditions, and the promise of soft tannins, complexity, fruitiness was already there in the vineyard. The acids were harmonious, and we managed to harvest with low malic acidity, which is also extremely important from the aspect of the later wines’ flavours and freshness. These three vineyards give 25% of our plots. We are proud that over the last 17 years, we’ve managed to create such a reliable viticultural base in the most serious, most typically Villány vineyards.
Alongside the Makár (Merlot) that gives the backbone of the Siklós 7, the 3.5-hectare Csukma (Merlot, Franc) that has been an organically cultivated vineyard since the beginning has also become significant.
"In the parcel of the Zuhánya vineyard, which we call a ‘fishbone’ plantation (Merlot, Kékfrankos), we planted the rows in such a direction that the vines hold the soil themselves and prevent erosion. We set the clones depending on the thickness of the humus layer, based on the needs of the variety. It’s special as a spectacle and as an experiment.” - Péter Pohl estate manager
“After 9 years, these wines are just as much about the variety as about the vineyards. The Villány one is unquestionably Cabernet Sauvignon-focused, while the Siklós one talks about Merlot.” - Júlia Futó winemaker
