Wines
Csóka
Csóka grape is an autochthonous grape variety in the Carpathian Basin grew in local vineyards even before Kadarka. For today, however, it practically disappeared. Our aim is to acclimatize this rarity again and bottle it year by year, as the emblem of the past. This is the third vintage of our Csóka wine, which surprises us with its strong character, deep colour and beautiful spicy aromas complemented with vivid fruitiness.
Earlier vintages:
Csóka 2008
Csóka is a Hungarian grape variety that already grew in local vineyards even before Kadarka but for today it practically disappeared. For its awakening we have grafted a part of our Kadarka plantation with the “rescued Csóka grape” from the gene bank of the University of Pécs Research Institute for Viniculture and Oenology. The experiment was successful! Csóka 2008 was the third vintage of our Csóka grape, giving us a rich, spicy wine with strong character. Our aim is to establish this rarity again and bottle it year by year, as the emblem of the past.
We started this interesting research in 2004 with the University of Pécs Research Institute for Viniculture and Oenology. We have grafted 300 Kadarka vine-stocks with an autochthonous grape variety, called Csóka. 300 Csóka grape vine-stocks bore for the first time in 2006, giving us 70 litres of wine.
What can we compare it to? In character it is similar to kadarka and pinot noir, considering its content, Csóka is richer than kadarka, and maybe heavier than pinot noir, it is a rich wine with spicy aromas.
Csóka grape is an autochthon grape variety in the Pannonian Basin. It was named after its dark blue, almost black clusters. This grape variety grew in local vineyards even before kadarka. It was also harvested together with kadarka and the two varieties were vinificated and matured together. During the time of Monarchy there was a famous blend called “Budai Ó-vörös” or “Promontori Ó-vörös” which was made of kadara (2/3) and Csóka (1/3).
Csóka couldn’t stand quantity production, and the variety practically disappeared, it was only rescued in the gene bank of the University of Pécs Research Institute for Viniculture and Oenology.
József Szentesi was the first one who planed Csóka in his estate of Nadap near Lake Velencei, he also gave us canes necessary for the subculture. He tasted many vintages and confirmed that Csóka grape is an ideal variety because its clusters have small berries and it gives a long-lasting wine, rich in acids and sugar.
Besides these, we don’t know much more about Csóka, we are still researching its history. Quality wine-making, however, can make Csóka an interesting variety again.
