Jammertal Wine Estate

We are being asked the same question on regular basis: Which is the most critical period of the winemaking? The answer is simple: winemaking is a chain of critical processes. “Ceterum censeo” … Great wine can only be made from perfect grapes. Approaching an otherwise promising vintage we need to wait patiently for the optimal ripeness of the grapes. This game more than often becomes a sort of gamble that includes the risk of failure. If - fearing a rainy spell - we pick too soon the wine will be full of green, immature tannins with all their concomitant incurable disadvantages. If we wait we may get caught by a few rainy, foggy days ( time is not measured in weeks at this stage!) that would ruin the crop. In this case all we can do is to emergency - harvest a questionable quality of grapes before they got rotten. The prices of great wines include this risk. The next challenge is the fermentation. Determining the length of cold soaking. Choosing the type of yeast for a given var...

In our days Malbec is almost a synonym of Argentine red wine. Yet most evidence suggests that the Malbec grape variety was originally known as Côt (Noir) which probably came from northern Burgundy. It should be noted that, despite the similarities in name, Malbec Argenté is not Malbec but a variety of Abouriou from south-western France. Out of less than 57,000 hectares planted with Malbec around the world Argentina boosts with 45,000 hectares ( 80 % ). Rest goes to Chile ( 5,500 hectares ) and Cahors ( 4,000 hectares ) in France. A couple of wine regions in the United States do trials with Malbec on a scale of 20 to 40 (!) hectares each. Historically Malbec belonged among those six grape varieties which were legal ingredients of Bordeaux blends. However, its presence in Bordeaux became insignificant for two reasons. The phylloxera plague in the late 19 th century almost completely destroyed it. The devastating frost of 1956 delivered the coup de grâce to the variety. Whereas the f...

  Szűcs Róbert, Jammertal Wine Estate Why do winemakers prefer using oak barrels to other types of wood? Fermentation and/or ageing of wine in small barrels specifically interfere with the type wood they are made of. Most commonly used species are a few kinds of oak. Obviously, winemakers experiment with chestnut, cherry, acacia and mulberry. Technically, a wide spectrum of woods could be used. It is a simple economic issue which prevents winemakers from changing their routine on a larger scale. Matured wines are intended for the high-end market. Customers around the world have an identifiable, well-established general preference for flavour. Their definition of aroma referred to " big reds " has developed over the decades in connection with ageing in oak barrels. A different type of wood would provide for a significantly different palate for the same wine from a particular terroir. There is no guarantee that such a wine would gain a large-scale of buyers beyond a few fanatic...

Hungarian wine estate wins gold in Madrid at International Magnum Awards 2020 As the only Hungarian prize-winner at the International Magnum Awards ( IMA ) 2020 competition in Madrid, Jammertal Wine Estate’s Cassiopeia MCS*Achird 2012 Magnum was awarded by Gold Medal. IMA competition, where only magnum formats of premium quality wine are considered, has been held in Madrid since 2008. This contest promotes wines in larger bottles because in the opinion of wine experts the magnum format significantly improves the quality of wine. The awards for the best magnum wines popularise this exclusive form of ageing wine.  About Magnums The word magnum is derived from Latin and means “big”. This format is twice the size of a usual 0.75 litre wine bottle. The larger size lends a more elegant appearance to the wine but the maturing effect the bigger bottle has on the wine is even more important. While ageing in the bottle the wine changes by absorbing minimal amount of air penetrat...

A good proportion of wines are bottled with cork stoppers although a few countries, such as Austria, Australia and New Zealand, have switched almost entirely to screwcaps. All the same, most of the world still use corks for red wines. In some large markets, such as China, selling screwcap products is unthinkable. Corks are taken for granted but they can sometimes cause trouble. The biggest problem far is when a wine becomes corked or “ corky “. What does this mean? In vast majority “ corkiness “ is NOT a fault of wine itself but corks are to be blamed.   Cork stoppers are made from the bark of an evergreen tree commonly called the cork oak ( Quercus suber ). Like all living organisms, the cork oak can be affected by pests. These mainly parasitic fibrous fungi live in its bark. The fungi may produce a special chemical substance called 2,4,6-Trichloroanisole, or TCA for short. If present, this would impart a penetrating “ corky “ odour which completely would taint the wine i...

Opportunities, challenges, return on investment. Conversation with Róbert Szűcs M.D., co-owner of Jammertal Wine Estate. In the wine industry, just as in any business, the trajectory of a greenfield investment with no previous involvement in the sector cannot be a smooth, straightforward ascent, or am I wrong? You’re not. Winemaking as an investment is a fairly complex issue. But, in spite of all its decision-making mechanisms, which at first hearing may appear a bit complicated, it can be modelled well. You should keep in mind that the rules of the trade and the reality of the market cannot be ignored. If you disregard them your dreams may go belly up very fast. Can you give us some examples? You need to be clear what you want to produce and whom for. This is the basic principle of any production / service company. First thing is to decide whether you want to get involved in red or white wine production. Each winery puts the main emphasis on one or the other. Producing whi...

The terms of eco- or organic wines have become very popular of late. Some wine merchants and sommeliers play it as a trump card or a conclusive argument when something is clearly not quite right about a wine’s price /enjoyment ratio. Regrettably, this is just another hype which has become trendy because it sounds good and spreads without criticism. Most of those who use it would never think through what it actually means. Winegrowers and -makers are not fools, not even those who do not advertise themselves as being eco-friendly or organic producers. No one wants to burden their vineyards with additional active substances unless they have to. If for no other reason because every intervention – such as chemicals and labour – costs a lot. Eco-friendly or organic growing is an exceptionally appealing idea. In theory, it combines the best environmental approaches: a high level of biodiversity and the conservation of natural resources. Let’s look at this in practice. The fundamenta...