Gal Tibór, "Egri Csillag" 2018

There is something fated about wine - that’s the story behind this cuvée, and it cuts to the core of the identity of this winemaking region in northeast Hungary. “Egri Csillag” loosely translates to Star Egri - in essence, it’s more of an idiomatic nomenclature because it refers to the ancient wayfarers, the founders of this place, having an intuitive “North Star” to Egri (the name of this  region of Hungary). And so this bottling is an homage to this sense of guidance and something foreordained. Gal Tibór certainly had a fated story himself - having achieved the position of head winemaker at famed Super-Tuscan winery Ornellaia, his future always pointed back home, Egri Csillag, to Hungary. Now headed by his son, Gal Tibór jr., the estate is producing profound natural wines in this nationally-wine-famous region. This is a traditional white field blend of a host of local varieties. 

Vinification: A blend of Királyleányka,Leányka, Szürkebarát, Pinot Blanc, Traminer, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier and Zenit. Grapes hand-harvested from vines grown in varied soils of volcanic rhyolite tuff. Lightly crushed, and once the must settles, it undergoes spontaneous cold fermentation with only native yeasts in stainless steel tank. The wine undergoes a few months of aging before being bottled unfined, unfiltered, and with a light dose of SO2 at bottling. 13% ABV

Tasting: In the glass, a pale straw color glows and glistens in the light. On the nose, the aromatic blend of grapes show hints of wildflowers, banana and mango. The palate is light-bodied and crisp, with notes of grapefruit and pineapple. This is a lovely, refreshingly simple white to pour before dinner or bring to the park.