Nagy-Somló

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• At the eastern boundary of the Marcal Basin, where the Little Plain (Kisalföld) meets the Bakony Hills, three volcanic inselbergs rise up: Somló, Ság-hegy, and Kis-Somlyó; a significant share of the vineyards lies at elevations between 170 and 350 metres above sea level.
• The inselbergs are covered by Pannonian sediments of Tertiary and Quaternary origin — sand, gravel, and clay — which, mixed with basalt, basalt tuff, and calcareous tufa, form the bedrock of the growing districts.
• The characteristic soil type of the wine region, a well-drained brown forest soil, developed on this weathered parent material.
• The climate of the wine region is well-balanced and largely free of extremes, with an early onset of spring and winters that tend toward mild rather than harsh, while summers are generally moderately warm.
• Annual sunshine hours range between 1,950 and 2,000, long-term average precipitation is 650–700 mm, and the prevailing wind direction is north-westerly, though southerly and south-westerly winds are also frequent.
• The heat-absorbing property of the dark basalt capping Somló hill favours the ripening of the vines, as the heat absorbed during the day is radiated back evenly at night, keeping the vines in a continuously warm environment. (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)

• The Magyar tribes who settled in the Carpathian Basin during the ninth and tenth centuries brought with them grape varieties of Pontic origin, and through local selection of these, the modern Furmint and Hárslevelű were developed.
• According to an 1822 record, some 38 different grape varieties were grown on significant areas — including, for example, Furmint, Juhfark, and Piros Bakator — the majority being white wine grapes, though red wine varieties such as Kék Bakator were also represented.
• Following the phylloxera crisis, occidental, western varieties were introduced to cultivation, such as Olaszrizling, Chardonnay, Tramini, and Szürkebarát.
• After the political transition, the once-celebrated but nearly forgotten indigenous varieties — such as Juhfark, Járdovány, and Kék Bakator — were brought back into cultivation on Nagy-Somló.
• The success of quality sparkling wine production in Nagy-Somló dates back to the early 1980s, when the Hungarovin winery produced quality sparkling wine from Nagy-Somló base wines by bottle fermentation.

• The backbone of Nagy-Somlói wines is provided by their rounded acids, while the palate reveals a subtly sweet sensation derived from high glycerol content, along with lightly saline notes and a gently bitter character.
• It is characteristic of Nagy-Somlói wines that, despite their complex aromatic structure, their aromatic intensity is moderate.

• The more direct angle at which sunlight strikes the hillside, combined with the additional heat storage of the basalt cap, together guarantee high must weights, a full-bodied character, and richness of flavour and aromatic complexity in the wines.
• The minerals released from the basalt — including potassium, magnesium, calcium, and various trace elements — contribute to the mineral character of the wines, and their high concentration is reflected in the wines' saline sensation on the palate.

Facts drawn from the specification's terroir-link section by automatic interpretation — see the source.

All appellations in Hungary

Sources

• National product specification (PDF) — agrarminiszterium
• eAmbrosia register (EU) — File number PDO-HU-A1501
• Official trade body site — Somlói Borvidék Hegyközsége (Somlói Borvidék Hegyközségi Tanácsa)