It’s no secret that the first time I went to Mount Saint George (Szent György-hegy in Hungarian), I was immediately enchanted. Now, 27 years later, I understood the special whim of fate: and from this realisation our new wine, St. George, has been born.
Canada
My grandfather was called György. He emigrated to Canada in 1929, to the Great Lakes region, where I was also born. My grandfather cherished and observed Hungarian traditions, and among other things, the Hungarian church dedicated to St. George was built there with his assistance. The huge wall fresco behind the altar depicts St. George defeating the dragon. I recall the Sunday services from my childhood and the “bigger than life” image next to the sanctuary. That’s where I first encountered the legend of the martyr St. George.
Mount Saint George
To the best of my knowledge, Mount Saint George was named after the chapel that once stood at the foot of it. The Hungarians of the conquest called it Magashegy (High Hill), from which the name of the village Hegymagas comes. The history of the hill is intertwined with the legend of St. George and the dragon. On the north-east side of the hill, there is a cool cave where, according to the legend, the dragon was hiding.
The wine
The history of mystic Mount Saint George is now complemented by our new wine. Let me introduce you to St. George. It’s a blend of organically grown Riesling, Olaszrizling and Furmint. It’s made up of three varietals that have traditionally existed in the history of our wine region. In style, it is a rich, savoury wine, the product of the superlative 2019 vintage. For me, this is what an exciting Mount Saint George wine is like: traditional yet contemporary, and spiced with sizzling volcanic notes.
I am passionate about terroir wines, when a wine is not about one grape variety but about place. It’s not by accident that the history of winemaking is replete with superlative examples of multiple varietal wines. It’s enough to realise how different characters of even well known grape varietals come together in an excellent Bordeaux.
The first blend we brought to market, Bohém Balatoni cuvée, is a genuine Balaton wine. Crafted in stainless steel tanks, it is of Mount St. George grapes and other great north Balaton Olaszrizling. Our latest wine, St. George, is crafted with grapes only from our estate, and only from traditional varieties. In addition, some of the wine has matured in 500-litre Hungarian oak barrels which have been seamlessly blended to the final cuvée.
The Gilvesy St. George is available via a few clicks on our website, or if you’re around you could visit our wine shop.
The wine will also be available at the Bortársaság shops from February.
Cheers!
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