St. Andrea Merengö Bikaver

St. Andrea Merengö Bikaver from Eger, Hungary. Plum on the nose with fine red fruit, elegant, soft fruity attack with tannins and acids that are nicely balanced, slightly dry draw. Nice long finish. Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, Kékfrancos

Pinot Noir: in an old text from 1659 the grape is also called Rotkläffner. Pinot noir is a noble blue grape from Burgundy from which all great Burgundy wines are made. The grape mainly grows in a cooler climate and is very dependent on soil conditions. Therefore, it is not an easy grape variety to grow. But if the conditions are ideal, very complex, elegant wines of top quality can be made. Is also important in champagne must. It gives champagne backbone, strength and fullness. The famous Pinot Noir can be found in almost every wine country. In Germany the grape is also called spätburgunder. Blauburgunder in Austria and Switzerland

Merlot is one of the oldest Vitis vinifera varieties that ripens earlier than Carbernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Merlot is important in Bordeaux, especially in Saint-Emilion and Pomerol. Merlot plantings have increased significantly in recent years. The grape is very popular worldwide and people are increasingly realizing that Merlot must be planted in a fairly cool vineyard. This grape produces dark, cool, soft, spicy and fruity wines.

Cabernet Franc is a fairly productive variety. It is in fact the original cabernet grape. The much more famous Cabernet Sauvignon is a descendant of the Cabernet Franc. It probably comes from Bordeaux where it is one of the classic components of Bordeaux wines. In the 17th century it was taken to the Loire Valley where it was subsequently successfully planted. Cabernet Franc likes calcareous gravel, sand and clay soils and ripens about ten days earlier than Cabernet Sauvignon. It thrives very well in cooler soils.

Kékfrankos: the Hungarian name for Austrian Blaufränkisch.

Syrah, a strong blue grape of very high quality. This grape is usually not easy for wine growers, but it is the seasoning for many Côtes du Rhône Villages. Delivers incredibly powerful and complex wines under optimal conditions. Have a high tannin content, without being stiff. The Syrah grape quickly suffers from poor fruit set in cool weather during flowering (coulure) but is not very susceptible to grape diseases such as Oidium.