Olaszrizling - Figula Winery
The Figula Winery was established in 1993 in the Balaton region, known as the gem of the Pannonian landscape. The family carries out and supervises every process, from nurturing the grapes to bottling the wines in order to achieve the highest quality. On our currently 30-hectare estate, we present the diversity of the wine region by managing the harvests from our slopes separately and applying strict yield restrictions, in the spirit of the classical concept of terroir. As a tribute to his many years of work, Mihály Figula† was awarded Hungary’s highest professional recognition, the honorary title of Winemaker of the Year 2000. His son, Mihály Figula Jr, won the Winemaker of the Winemakers Award in 2019, and was also bestowed the title of Winemaker of the Year 2022.
Category-winner wine: Öreghegy Olaszrizling 2022
Öreghegy (Old Hill), at 300 metres above sea level, is one of the most beautiful areas of Balatonszőlős. The sixty-year-old vineyard with a south-facing slope is perhaps the most reliable in the area. This is the land of rocks with quarries following one another, between which you can find the grape vines. The olaszrizling of the Öreghegy vineyard is rich, with salty mineral notes, which, complemented by the character of the variety, has resulted in a genuine terroir wine. We usually stretch the harvest period until mid-October, allowing the grapes to fully ripen and even have some overripe clusters. From a winemaker’s perspective, we choose an entirely authentic method: 24 hours of skin maceration, spontaneous fermentation in oak barrels and 8-10 months of aging.