Gere Attila Pincészete
by
Terry Sullivan
Summary: Gere Attila Pincészete is a family operated winery who can trace their winemaking back seven generations. Today, the winery is a leading example of wine tourism. Wine enthusiasts can visit the tasting room and tour the facility. The family also operates the Crocus Gere Wine Hotel Resort and Spa and the Mandula Restaurant.
When we arrived at Gere Attila Pincészete, we met Andrea Gere, owner and daughter of Attila Gere. Andrea is experienced in all aspects of the winery from growing grapes to bottling and sales. She took us on a tour of the facility and conducted our wine tasting in the beautiful tasting room.
Andrea spoke of the story of her parents Attila and Katalin. There was an interruption in the family history of winemaking during the communist regime. After the Second World War, the family’s holdings were taken away and Andrea’s father had to select a career path. He chose forestry. Attila’s interest in wine peaked when he met and married Katalin. A wedding present in 1978 was a few acres of vineyards. They made their first commercial wine in 1986. In 1991, Attila gave up his forestry career and started the family winery. He started to purchase vineyard sites that his Grandfather, Adam Wéber, remembered were the prime vineyard sites prior to the communist times.
Vineyards
Today the Gere Attila Pincészete owns four vineyard sites for a total of 75 hectares (185 acres). These vineyards are organically farmed and the winery also follows several organic principles. The Kopár Vineyard is one of the prime vineyards in Villány. The underlayment of the surface soil is limestone. Varieties grown in this vineyard are Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Menoir (Medoc Noir).
The Csillagvölgy Vineyard was part of the wedding gift for Attila and Katalin. This vineyard has a limestone base covered by loess and weathered marly limestone. Varietal grapes grown in this vineyard include Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Syrah, Fekete Járdovány and Portugieser.
The Konkoly Vineyard is located at higher elevations on steep slopes. The red clay and loess soils are over a limestone base. Grape varieties grown here include Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Syrah and Portugieser.
The Ördögárok Vineyard is also on steep slopes and some terraces were developed. The soil is comprised of red clay and loess over limestone. Varietal grape plantings include Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, Tempranillo, Portugieser, Fekete Járdovány and Merlot.
Winery Tour
As we ambled through the winery we observed tradition blended with modern winemaking techniques. Stainless steel tanks stand next to wooden tanks. The cellar was clean. The walls were not covered in black cellar mold as in some wine regions. Barriques are stacked in the cellar alongside the larger wooden casks.
Wine Tasting
Andrea talked about the mission of Gere Attila Winery. She said, “We want to cherish the tradition and make eloquent wines. Wines that are like us. We want our wines to express the terroir of the region.
The 2017 Portugieser had an opaque dark ruby color with 12.5% alcohol. Black fruits were noticed on the aroma. The taste was reminiscent of black raspberries, black berries and baking spices. The wine was full bodied with medium tannins. The finish was fruity and spicy.
The 2016 Fekete Járdovány was a translucent dark ruby color with 14% alcohol. The wine is made from 100% Fekete Járdovány, an ancient grape from the Carpathian Basin. The grape almost became extinct after phylloxera destroyed vines in Hungary. Gere Attila is one of the first wineries to make a wine with the ancient grape variety. The aroma included black fruits while the taste had blackberries, black raspberries and spices. The wine was medium bodied with mild tannins. The finish was fruity and spicy.
The 2017 Syrah from the Konkoly was an opaque dark ruby color with purple hue. The 14.5% alcohol wine had black fruits and spices on the aroma. The taste had a velvety mouthfeel and offered plums, blackberries and spices. The wine had a full body and bold tannins. The finish was fruity and spicy. The long aftertaste was fruity.
The flagship wine of the winery is the Kopar; however, the wine is not produced every year. The 2015 Kopar was a blend of Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Aged for 16 months in Hungarian oak barrels, the wine had an opaque dark ruby color and 14% alcohol. Baking spices and dark fruits were on the aroma. The taste reminded me of blackberries, black plums and baking spices. The wine was full bodied with bold tannins. The finish was fruity with the fruit yielding to spices.
The 2016 Villányi Franc was crafted with 100% Cabernet Franc. This super premium wine had an opaque ruby color with 14% alcohol. Blackberries and spices were on the aroma and taste. The full-bodied wine had bold tannins. There was a nice integration of fruit and spice on the finish.
The 2016 Solas was made with Merlot grapes. The dark ruby colored wine had a purple hue and had 15% alcohol. The aroma included black fruits. The taste reminded me of black cherries, blackberries and baking spices. The wine was full bodied and had bold tannins. The finish was fruity and spicy.
Gere Attila Pincészete offers wine enthusiasts a great wine experience. Less than a minute away, by automobile, from the winery is the Crocus Gere Wine Hotel Spa & Resort and Mandula Restaurant. The hotel offers a centralized location for exploring the wineries in the area.
Gere Attila Pincészete
Villány, Baross Gábor utca, 7773 Hungary
Article written April 2019.
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