Gábor Karner is the godfather of natural wine in northeast Hungary (as well as a progressive metal drummer with the band Æbsence). His daughter Fanni works with him in the wine region of Mátra, northeast of Budapest. Father and daughter farm organically and make wine with no additions of any kind in the winery (ØØ). Check out importer Eric Danch’s recent profile of the Karners here. Tavasz is a 60+ year old vineyard with deep brown clay soils. Kékfrankos is the Hungarian name for blaufränkisch, which is Austria’s and Hungary’s most significant red grape variety. The wine macerates with the skins for two weeks in open vats and then spends a year and a half in 500-liter Hungarian acacia barrels. The bottle age has unveiled something utterly compelling: a vividly alive wine of dark-fruited intensity and elegance. Pour it into a big wineglass and then drink it with smoked meats or eggplant.
