Kali Kovek Kalamona

2021 Káli Kövek Kalamona

Balaton, Hungary

Grapes: Hárslevelü, Juhfark, Furmint

DAME WINE CLUB PICK

DRINKERS OCTOBER 2023

 While we do always like an underdog, and sometimes identify with a villain of a story, we aren’t sure we can get behind the actions of Kalamona—the infamous villain of a Hungarian fairytale. Kalamona is a three-headed dragon that among other dastardly deeds, steals the wind and brings about great heat and drought to the land, destroying crops and terrorizing people.

 But outside the fairytale, we are happy to get behind a bottle of this delightful blend of Harslevelu, Juhfark, and Furmint that happens to share a label with a monster. The grapes come from a vineyard on Somló Hill (an extinct volcano, with soils composed of volcanic basaltic tuff). The wine is mostly free run juice* with no botrytis resulting in a salty electric volcanic white. It’s got so much tasty orchard and stone fruit that is perfectly balanced with a mineral saline backbone—it’s bright joy in a glass. We love it!

 Winemaker Gyula Szabó writes, “In the beginning we didn’t have much, but we had an idea. We wanted to create a winery that evoked the spirit of the place and recognizably exhibited the attributes of these terroirs. In 2009, our idea started becoming reality. The first vintage tuned out to be excellent, which ensured and inspired us to keep going.

Our practices are based on humility and lots of handwork. We strive to achieve natural simplicity and high quality in our restless pursuit to do better. Our days are filled with the joy of learning and the excitement of a challenge.”

*free-run juice means that little to no pressure is applied to the grapes during processing; the wine that runs freely out of the tank by gravity when you open the bottom valve after fermentation.