From the beginning of December, anyone can taste the first wine of the premium wine family of the Archbishop of Veszprém Winery, the 1277 Rajnai Rizling. In May this year, the winery launched new wine families and a unique image, and several of their wines have received significant professional recognition in recent months.
“The 1277 wine family will be made up of varieties that come from the winery’s ancestral estate, the Bishop’s Hill in Mindszentkálla. Only the highest quality grapes, harvested at full biological maturity, from selected bunches are used to make these premium quality wines. The 1277 wine family includes two white varieties – Sauvignon Blanc and Rajnai Rizling – and the third wine is a red cuvée,” explained Antal Benesch, Chief Winemaker of the Archbishop of Veszprém Winery.
In May this year, the winery launched three new wine families and a unique identity. The three wine families – Vesprim Infula, Mandorla and 1277 – are closely linked to the archdiocese in both appearance and name.One of the elements of the name Vesprim Infula, infula meaning bishop’s cup, was inspired by the ceiling painting of the ceremonial hall of the Archbishop’s Palace in the castle quarter of Veszprém.The name of the Mandorla wine family refers to the glory surrounding the saints, as can be seen on the glass window of the eponymous saint of the St. Michael’s Cathedral in Veszprém, but the figures on the labels also appear on the ceiling of the Archbishop’s Palace.And the name of the premium wine family – 1277 – refers to the year when the Archbishopric of Veszprém and its predecessor, the Veszprém Bishopric, began to cultivate vines and make wine.
The Vesprim Infula and Mandorla wines have already been tasted by the public, and the first batch of the premium category, the 2022 vintage Rajnai Rizling, will be available from 1 December. The latter is characterised by apricot flavours with notes of coriander, orange, salt, mint and citrus. The wine was bottled in April and matured until December.
The He stressed that 2024 will be mainly about deployment. The Mindszentkálla estate will be replanted with their main varieties, sauvignon blanc and Riesling, and cabernet franc, syrah and pinot noir will also be planted. The new wine families were a success in the year of their debut. The Vesprim Infula Rouge was awarded gold at the 2023 National Wine Competition, the Mandorla Sauvignon Blanc silver, and the Mandorla Rajnai Rizling was included in the TOP 100 Hungarian Wines of the Year, which was published a few days ago.
“I am very proud of all our wines. My main goal is to be able to show the values of the winery’s two estates – Felsőörs and Mindszentkálla – in our wines. Both areas have qualities that are unparalleled in the country,” emphasised Antal Benesch.
This year they have harvested an excellent crop – despite the fact that the wet and humid weather made their job difficult. “Our white varieties have beautiful aromas and flavours thanks to the cold weather. We are expecting a lot from our Sauvignon Blanc and our reds are looking excellent. The next few months will be all about ageing, our white varieties will be aged for 4-6 months and our reds for 11-12 months,” said the head winemaker.
He stressed that 2024 will be mainly about deployment. The Mindszentkálla area will be replanted with their main varieties, sauvignon blanc and rizling, and cabernet franc, syrah and pinot noir will also be planted.
