Sauska Cuvée 7
Villány 2019
An exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon- based blend complemented with Cabernet Franc and Merlot. Deep ruby colored wine with intense black currant fruit, cocoa bean, and dark chocolate aromas. In the palate is intense and vibrant, with concentrated currant fruitiness and an elegant yet present spicy finish.
The Year
The rollercoaster-like 2019 vintage produced inky wines with balanced tannins and acidity. It started after the driest winter in 10 years and with an earlier-than expected bud break. Then the warm and cool weather waves happened in a roller coaster fashion: warm early-spring, cold late-spring; cold early-summer, warm late-summer; cold early-autumn, warm late-autumn. Grapes for our Cuvée 7 wines were picked relatively late with a fantastic concentration of flavors, color, and freshness.
| Varietal composition: | cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, merlot |
| Recommended drinking temperature: | 17-18 °C ℃ |
| Alcohol content: | 15 % |
| Bottle size: | 0,75 l |
Unit price
Vineyards
Blend of three estate-grown vineyards: Ördögárok, Kopár and Konkoly. The backbone of this wine is given by the Cabernet Sauvignon grown in Ördőgárok vineyard. Its name (Devil’s ditch) is given by its shape: a V-shaped vineyard where the warm air gets trapped, creating an especially warm microclimate that suits perfectly the late-ripening Cabernet Sauvignon. Kopár is the most famous vineyard of the region. With a due-south exposure and a southern location it is believed that it is the warmest vineyard of Hungary, creating wines that are rich and concentrated. Konkoly is located behind the hill where the Kopár vineyard is (Sárszomlyó hill). Since it is protected by the hill, it never suffers from excess heat. On the contrary, the forest of the northern side of the Sárszomlyó hill offers cooling breezes to the vineyard. These three iconic -and very different- locations combined create the flagship wine of the Sauska winery: Cuvée 7 Villány.
Winemaking
After a 3-tier thorough selection of hand-picked clusters, the grapes were de-stemmed and after a couple of hours of pre-fermentative cold soak, the fermentation started. Fermented happened in stainless steel tanks. After 35 days of skin-contact, the wine was gently pressed. Aged for 15 months in 225-liter French barrels. 30% new oak was used. Bottle aging: 2 years.
The Year
2019 was the driest winter of the last decade in Villány. Thanks to the winter, bud-break came earlier this year. The period from bud-break to flowering started with a warm April, followed by rainy May, which was the coldest in the last 8 years. Then a very hot June came followed by rainy, cold July and a nice August. We started the harvest with speed-picking for Rose in the last week of August, with the focus to preserve fresh fruitiness. The rest of the season was a bit hectic with warm weather and even frost. In spite of the ups and downs, the berries arrived in the processing room with perfect phenolic ripening, high potential alcohols, low malic acid content, and high color intensity.
Details
| Type | Red wine |
| Acidity | 5,5 g/l |
| Alcohol content | 15 % |
| Varietal composition: | cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, merlot |
| pH | 3,85 |
| Bottle size | 0,75 l |
| Beginning of harvest | 2019-09-15 |
| Bottling date | 2021-10-05 |
| Vinification | An exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon- based blend complemented with Cabernet Franc and Merlot. |
| Ageing time | 15 Month |
| Vineyards | Konkoly, Kopár, Ördög-árok |
Tasting
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color | Deep ruby |
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smell | intense black currant fruit, cocoa bean, and dark chocolate aromas. |
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taste | In the palate is intense and vibrant, with concentrated currant fruitiness and an elegant yet present spicy finish. |