Sparkling Wines of Hungary Part 7 – Csányi’s Teleki Tradíció
“Csányi Winery. Bottled inspiration,” reads Csányi’s website. If it were only inspiration – the Teleki Tradíció traditional method sparkling wines of Pinot Noir are so much more than that! They caught me by surprise and swept me off my feet. Exceptional wines. I wish I could have brought some home. A girl can dream…
Csányi Winery is located near the town of Villány. It was first named Chateau Teleki after renowned viticulturist Zsigmond Teleki, who founded the winery in 1881. Today the winery is a blend of old and new – a marriage of the original cellars and the modern, state-of-the-art production facility – plus 12 ‘Villányi Cru’ vineyards of around 380 hectares, including Agancsos, Dobogó, Csillagvölgy, Hársos, Jammertal, Kopár, and Ördögárok. Two grow Pinot Noir – Dobogó (5 hectares) and Hajdus (9 hectares). Csányi uses Pinot Noir from Dobogó to make its sparkling wines – small-scale and notable.
I first tasted the Teleki Tradíció 1881 Villányi Pinot Noir Rosé Brut 2018 in August 2022 at the Hungarian Wines annual Gettogether at Pannonhalma Archabbey, a lovely event (I hope I can return in the near future!). However, it was during my return trip to Hungary in November 2022 for the 7th Annual Franc & Franc Forum that I had the pleasure of tasting Teleki Tradíció 1881 again two times, courtesy of Csányi’s CEO, László Romsics (and former head winemaker at Törley Sparkling Winery), who brought bottles to conclude one of our evenings – what a treat and an honor! – and hosted our group at Csányi for a tour and tasting.
I asked Romsics why Csányi chose to make sparking from Villány, a region known primarily for Bordeaux and traditional Hungarian red varieties. “First, I love world-class sparkling. It is one of the greatest challenges for a winemaker to make sparkling to demonstrate one’s competence. Second, we wanted to produce something unique in Villány and include it in our portfolio to prove our commitment to quality,” said Romsics. “I strongly believe in using classic sparkling varieties, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, whose base wines result in the highest quality sparkling for wine lovers and connoisseurs.”
The Teleki Tradíció Villányi Pinot Noir Rosé Brut 2018 is brilliant, with vibrant flavors like wild raspberries, ripe strawberries, and bright citrus wrapped in brioche and carried along the palate with the finest effervescence. “Taste it slowly with pleasure,” recommends the winery. And I did – three times. Lucky me.
The Teleki Tradíció 1881 Villányi Pinot Noir White Brut 2019 (a sneak peek tasting, if I recall correctly) is equally breathtaking, with flavors like crisp apple, ripe pear, and zesty citrus alongside freshly baked bread – made all the more lively by its delicately creamy mousse. I only tasted this once, but it is forever etched in my memory.
I would love to taste these in a blind tasting with examples from Champagne, California, and other regions producing fine Blanc de Noirs and Brut Rosé of Pinot Noir. Judgment of Hungary, anyone?
Zsigmond Teleki would be proud.
*This is the seventh of a series focusing on Hungarian sparkling wines.