Hungary may be famous for its white wines, and especially for the glorious wines of Tokaj, but a third of its vines are in fact red grapes.
The Decanter World Wine Awards 2021 saw the country stake a strong red claim on the map, with its first ever Best in Show for a red wine. And not just any red, but a Bull’s Blood (Bikavér in Hungarian) – a name that may conjure up memories of cheap and rustic wine.
Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for 18 Hungarian red wines worth seeking out
St Andrea’s Nagy-Eged Dűlő Grand Superior [not featured here] is a world away from that era. To rehabilitate Bikavér as a flagship blended red for Hungary has been a lifetime’s passion for father and son György and György Jr Lőrincz, along with several other like-minded wineries in the two regions of Eger and Szekszárd (where Bikavér is a protected denomination).
{"content":"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"}
See Caroline Gilby MW’s pick of 18 Hungarian reds worth seeking out
{}
{"wineId":"52670","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"52671","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"52672","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"52673","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"52674","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"52675","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"52676","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"52677","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"52678","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"52679","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"52680","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"52681","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"52682","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"52683","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"52684","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"52685","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"52686","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"52687","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{}
Caroline Gilby MW is a widely published wine writer, awarded author and consultant specialising in the wines of Central and Eastern Europe, and DWWA joint regional Chair for North, Central and Eastern Europe
Related content
