Vylyan
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Website: Vylyan Winery Country Location: Hungary In the span of about 15 years Vylyan has gone from unknown to Hungary's definitive and most awarded producer of the noble Pinot NoirVylyan means Villány. The name was coined from a 15th Century manuscript. Founder, Pál Debreczeni, aimed to set up a trendsetting winery subordinating all other aspects, to that of quality, – Villány is the terroir he selected. Its soil – loess and clay on sea-based crusty limestone – is ideal for striking, full-bodied red wines. The quality and characteristics of which are conditioned by the location of the vineyards and the vintage. The first vines were planted in 1992 and in 97 Vylan made their commercial debut. Vylyan's rise was meteoric. Tragically however, in 2004 Pál was lost in a car accident. His late wife Monika Debreczeni took over his position as managing director. Under her leadership, Pál's vision is today realized in the quality, site reflective wines of Vylyan. In 2008 Vylyan won the title “Winery of the Year“ in Hungary. Winery: The winery is located on the slopes of Fekete-hegy (Black Hill) near the village of Kisharsány, lying in the heart of Dobogó vineyard. In 1998 technical director and winemaker István Ipacs Szabó took over daily operations of the estate. Mrs. Debreczeni and István work closely with consultant Jean-Pierre Confuron of Burgundy who also joined the team in 98. The winery is spacious, uncomplicated and filled with a variety of oak barrels and tanks of various ages. This straight forward space is augmented by a large lab from where both the vineyards and wines are monitored on a daily basis. Vineyard: Vylyan only uses estate fruit sourced from their substantial 125 hectares of vineyards. Protected from the north wind by the east-western site of the hills, the southern slopes of Villány enjoy the highest number of sunny hours in the whole country. Vineyards are densely planted (7000 vines per ha) to increase vine competition. This restricts yields while encouraging downward root growth and access to nutrients. Ecological treatments in the vineyards that aim to strengthen the immunity mechanisms of the vines themselves are preferred. For instance integrated pest-control that forbids the use of many chemicals used in other methods is employed. Gombás a cooler easterly slope with heavier clay soil is where the majority of the Pinot Noir is sourced from. The remainder comes from the west facing Varerdo. Winemaking: Hand harvested Pinot Noir is sorted again at the winery before stalk removal, crushing and pressing. Gravity is used to move the wine through its vinification as well as in the cellar. In old form the grapes are foot stomped, fermented by native yeast and allowed a long maceration followed by elevage in traditional Hungarian barrique (Trust Hungary and European Coopers). The maturation period is 6 to 18 months. Bottling is done with minimum filtration. In the news: In 2008 Vylyan won the title “Winery of the Year“ in Hungary. Wines:
Pinot Noir2008 $24.95 Vylyan Pinot Noir is consistently classic vintage to vintage; Lithe and mineral, but with fruitiness, warmth, and a full supple texture t... more > |