ALAMÁN

Personal opinion:

The longer ageing made it commanding and serious this year. This variety is, incidentally, one of the favourites among the locals in this wine region. It is characterized by a varietal aroma, a more understated but elegant flavour; a real masculine wine.

Gastronomical pairing:
I made Hungarian ratatouille to go with it - naturally in a cauldron over an open fire, and we consumed it with fresh white bread. This is how it is best.

About the Rajnai rizling or “Rhein Riesling”:

The real Rajnai rizling (Weißer Riesling, Johannisberg Riesling) was born from the spontaneous interbreeding of the Weißer Heunisch and the wild grapewine (Vitis sylvestris). (According to other theories, the crossing of Vitis sylvestris and Tramini interbred with the Weißer Heunisch variety.)
The variety was first mentioned as Rüsseling in an Alsace source, around 1348. The famous German botanist, Hieronymus Bock, mentions in his Herbal (Kreütter Buch), published in 1546, that a grape called Rissling is grown along the Mosel and the Rhein, as well as in Worms.
The origin of Riesling is also vindicated by the winemakers of Wachau in Austria as the mountain named Ritzling in the wine region is already mentioned in 13th century writings. This is not an absolute evidence but it does not contradict the above either as several Eastern-Central-European (Czech, Hungarian) varieties migrated in the late Middle Ages towards the west and became acclimatized in the Franconia (the north-western part of today's Bavaria), in the Upper Rhein Valley and in western Switzerland (Wallis, Waadt, Savoyen). The stock of the variety is of strong growth, its canes are of medium density, inflexible and cylindrical. Its cluster is small, compact, cylindrical, slightly cone-shaped, and often of irregular shape. Its yield is medium, it ripens from late September in Hungary but it may also be harvested several months later. Its frost-resistance is perhaps the strongest among the Vinifera varieties. In a rainy autumn it is liable to rot and become sensitive to vine mildew.
Its wine is hard, but with fine acids; its extract-content is high, it is rich in aromas and bouquets, its sugar-content is medium but that varies. It may be varied depending on the production site and the processing - from the light, thin and acidic wine to the full-bodied dessert wine with a high sugar content.

The region and its history:

The past of the Mór wine region takes us back to historical times, but our wine law lists the first and second class vineyard cadastre border parts of Mór, Pusztavám, Söréd, Csókakő, Zámoly and Csákberény as parts of the wine region from 1996.
In the life of the settlements, vine-growing and wine-making played a definite part in the past.

It had a fundamental effect on the livelihood and enrichment of the people and the development of individual settlements. For centuries the natural rhythm of locals was adjusted to the cultivation of vine and wine-making, and several festivities, social events and cultural traditions were also connected to them.
The Mór wines are characteristically white wines. Besides the flagship variety Ezerjó, Leányka, Tramini, Riesling-Sylvaner, Green Veltliner and the Ezerfürtű are the most common varieties. Ezerjó - that is already one of the Hungaricums - became the main variety of the wine region during the re-plantations after the 19th century Phylloxera disaster.

Climate and geography:

The Mór wine region is one of the smallest in size among the 22 wine regions in Hungary but it belongs to the more famous ones.
The wine region is located on about 730 hectares in the valley of Vértes and Bakony in the boundaries of Mór, Pusztavám, Söréd, Csókakő, Zámoly and Csákberény settlements.
Its climate is continental.
Its topsoil consists of loess brown forest soil, clay, limestone and dolomite.
In the case of exceptionally good weather aszú wine can be made from shrunken berries that is a match for the Tokaj aszú both in aroma and quality. "The Mór wine is chalky, he who drinks it is brainy" - the saying goes even though the lime content of Mór wines is no higher than that of wines in other Hungarian wine regions. The Mór wines owe their masculinity to their high acid content. This, however, does not cause a headache, or a hangover, when consumed with moderation - unlike other wines with high carbonate content.

NAME: ALAMÁN

YEAR: 2014

VARIETY: Rajnai rizling

WINE REGION: Mór

CLASS: Dry white wine with protected designation of origin

Product of Hungary

Bottle volume: 750ml

Alc.13,5%vol

Contains sulphites