Cabernet franc - Sauska Winery
Krisztián and Andrea Sauska founded their family winery at the turn of the millennium in Tokaj, where they were among the first to produce dry wines in addition to sweet wines. In addition to the traditional Tokaji Aszú and late-harvest wines, the first dry vintage of Sauska debuted in 2009, followed by sparkling wines in 2011. The family opened their second winery in Villány in 2008. Their red varietals, Bordeaux blends and rosé have become some of the most accoladed and most sought-after Hungarian wines worldwide. Their sparkling wines have been made from Tokaj grapes with traditional aging in Sauska’s cellar in Budafok since 2019. Their new winery in Tokaj opened in 2023 in Padihegy, in Rátka.
Category-winner wine: Villányi Franc 2019
This cabernet franc is a blend of grapes harvested from two vineyards in Siklós, called Csukma and Makár. Both vineyards are close to our hearts: we only harvest premium grapes from Csukma, while Makár is the soul of all our Siklós blends. The roller coaster vintage of 2019 gave us lavish wines rich in colour, with balanced tannins and acids. 2019 started with the driest winter of the last ten years, with alternating waves of warm and cool weather. This vintage yielded concentrated wines with deep tones. Sweet blackberry and plum in its nose, with a hint of eucalyptus. A full-bodied and elegant sip with ample freshness.