Somlói

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• Somló, Ság-hegy, and Kis-Somlyó are volcanic inselbergs formed through volcanic activity beneath the Pannonian Sea during the Tertiary and Quaternary periods of geological history, approximately 4–5 million years ago.
• The basalt making up the hill has a varied mineral composition, containing feldspar, olivine, augite, and magnetite, and the weathering of these minerals gave rise to the cultivable soil.
• A significant proportion of the vineyards are situated at elevations between 170 and 350 metres above sea level.
• The inselbergs are covered by Pannonian sediments of Tertiary and Quaternary origin — namely sand, gravel, and clay — which, mixed with basalt, basalt tuff, and calcareous tufa, form the parent rock.
• The characteristic soil type of the wine region is brown forest soil with good water-retention properties, developed on weathered basaltic and Pannonian sedimentary material.
• The hill rises to 432 metres and stands at the western foot of the Bakony Mountains, already emerging from the plain of the Little Hungarian Plain. (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)
• The long-term average annual precipitation is 650–700 mm, and annual sunshine hours range between 1,950 and 2,000.

• It is believed that the Romans introduced viticulture to Nagy-Somló, cultivating primarily grape varieties belonging to the occidentalis variety group.
• The Magyar settlers who arrived in the 9th–10th centuries brought with them grape varieties of the Pontic variety group, from which Furmint and Hárslevelű developed through local selection.
• The autochthonous Juhfark variety, native to Nagy-Somló, was developed by crossing the Pontic varieties introduced by the Magyar settlers with local woodland vines.
• According to an 1822 record, some 38 different grape varieties were cultivated on a larger scale, including Furmint, Juhfark, and Piros Bakator.
• The spread of occidentalis western varieties in Nagy-Somló can be dated to the period following the phylloxera crisis, when Olaszrizling, Chardonnay, Tramini, and Szürkebarát were brought into cultivation.
• After the political transition, once-celebrated indigenous varieties that had been almost entirely forgotten — such as Juhfark, Járdovány, and Kék Bakator — were returned to cultivation.

• Somlói white and orange wines are characterised by flavour notes typical of white-fleshed fruit, while the rosé and red wines are complemented by flavour notes typical of red-berried fruit.
• The wines are characterised by a mildly saline flavour derived from the microorganisms present in the tuffaceous basalt rock, along with the delicate bitter note or lightly spiced aromas typical of the local varieties.
• A characteristic of Nagy-Somlói wines is that, despite their complex aromatic structure, their aromatic intensity is moderate.
• Quality sparkling wines display restrained aromatic and flavour intensity, with fruity and mineral aromas, lively acidity, often saline-mineral and characterful flavours, and occasionally a mild bitter finish.
• The mousse of quality sparkling wines is moderately intense and persistent.
• In aged quality sparkling wines, the fruitiness may be replaced by, or complemented with, aromatic and flavour notes derived from yeast autolysis.

• The additional heat retention of the basalt caps of the inselbergs, combined with the greater angle at which sunlight strikes the hillsides, together ensure high must weights and the wines' medium-bodied character, richness of flavour, and aromatic complexity.
• Owing to the potassium, magnesium, calcium, and trace elements released from the basalt, the wines display a mineral character, and the high concentration of minerals is reflected in a 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-A1376
• Official trade body site — Somlói Borvidék Hegyközsége (Somlói Borvidék Hegyközségi Tanácsa)