Vylyan
Our Story
Choosing a name for our enterprise was determined by our commitment to the region and respect for traditions. “Vylyan“was the name used for “Villány“in a 15th Century manuscript. And the manner in which it was written, using a quill pen, served as inspiration for the form of our logo.
Our plantations can be found on the beautifully located slopes of the Villány Hills and the winery on Black Hill (Fekete-hegy) in Kisharsány, lying in the heart of Dobogó vineyard.
The founder, Pál Debreczeni, aimed to set up a trendsetting winery that would stand its own in international circles of winemaking. Right from the beginning the main consideration, subordinating all other aspects, was that of quality, – from choosing the slopes for the vines, to marketing the wines. We planted our first grapes in 1992 and our first wines were introduced to the market in 1997.
Beside the special qualities of the soil, the hard, enthusiastic work of an open-minded professional team bore its fruits and today Vylyan is one of the most prominent vineyards of the Villány wine region.
Vylyan Chronology
- 1988
- Pál Debreczeni bought the first hectares of the Villány wine region that were later to form the basis of Vylyan Vineyards.
- 1992
- Grapes were planted on the first 30 hectares. Our existing small 30 year-old Blue Portugieser plantation gave our first bottles of wine.
- Our first viticulturist and winemaker was Károly Fekete.
- 1994
- We started building our three-naved cellar.
- The first Blue Portugieser and Cabernet Sauvignon wines were bottled.
- This was the vintage of Portugieser that won the first gold medal in the Bordeaux wine competition in 1998.
- 1995
- Ten more hectares of grapes were planted.
- The first full range of wines and the Montenuovo Cuvée were born.
- 1996
- 4.5 more hectares planted.
- Due to poor quality grapes we bottled only three kinds of wines.
- 1997
- A further 4.5 hectares planted.
- We entered the market with our 1994 and 1995 wines and built our own sales network.
- 1998 This year was an important milestone in the history of Vylyan wines.
- Our new wine processing plant was completed, providing full technical background for our winemaking.
- We travelled far with our wines, to our first international wine exhibition, the Hong Kong VINEXPO.
- Our chief winemaker Istvan Ipacs Szabo, and consultant Jean-Pierre Confuron from Burgundy joined the team.
- 1999
- With the completion of our offices finally the Vylyan team could work on one site. The sales team moved in with us too.
- Dr. Tibor Kovács, estate manager of Hétszőlő Rt., Tokaj, joined us as technical director.
- We had our own stand in Vinexpo, Bordeaux.
- Outstanding year and vintage: after balanced summer we had a sunny, dry autumn, perfect for harvesting. Wines of the vintage were graceful and have the character of longlivity.
- The first vintage of Duennium Cuvée (1997) entered the market.
- 2000
- We purchased 300 m³ of oak from the Zemplén and Mecsek forests, with which to prepare our own barrels.
- Introduced integrated pest control that is flexible to the environment and the needs of plants. Unlike general regulations, this method excludes many chemicals.
- Own stand at the International Wine Exhibition in London.
- After a dry, long summer we had to start harvesting 3 weeks earlier. The wines matured fast and became charmingly fruitful. The late harvest varieties were especially fine.
- 2001
- New clones were planted on 37 hectares. We introduced low-cordon training system & vineyard density of 1,8x0,8m.
- Wholesaler joined the Vylyan sales network.
- A dry, hot summer was followed by an extremely rainy, cool autumn. Medium quality vintage in general.
- 2002
- 16 hectares were planted and small tractors were introduced.
- We bought three automatic weather stations enabling more thorough pest control.
- Kornél Balogh joined us as viticulturist.
- Lovely, balanced vintage without extremities.
- 2003
- Planted 18.5 hectares.
- Own stand at VINEXPO, Bordeaux.
- We created Villány’s first ice-wine with Cabernet Franc (another first in Hungary).
- Gold medals for Duennium 1999 and Cabernet Sauvignon Selection 1999 at Vinalies.
- The first vintage of Syrah (from the Mandolás Slope vineyard) and Kadarka. Both sold out within two weeks.
- Cellarman Balázs Monostori joined us. He also took over vineyard spraying management.
- After three years of drying of our own splitted wood, our first 225-litre oak barrique barrels were prepared according to our special need.
- The warmest and driest year so far. Mature, concentrated wines were born, a little bit of New World style by nature.
- 2004
- Rebuilt our own sales network with 5 chief representatives (for Buda, Pest, Western Hungary, Eastern Hungary and Southern Hungary).
- Joined forces with wholesaler Borban Az Igazság Ltd.
- Marie Laroze from France joined the winemaking team.
- We planted 10 hectares.
- Our Duennium 2000 won a gold medal at the World Wine Competition in Brussels.
- Our 2003 Pinot Noir was the only Hungarian wine awarded at the world’s most important Pinot Noir competition, the Mondial du Pinot Noir in Switzerland.
- Despite the cool and rainy weather, good fruit driven wines were born, thanks to tailor made viticulture and wine processing.
- Pál Debreczeni, founder of Vylyan died in a tragic car accident. His wife, Mónika Debreczeni took over as managing director.
- 2005
- Our Cabernet Franc 2003 and Zweigelt 2003 were awarded silver medals at the Bordeaux Wines of the World competition.
- Our new Duennium 2000 was presented at the beginning of September.
- New tasting room with unique collection of international wine labels and some exclusive African trophies.
- Five, large, oval shaped barrels arrived, prepared from our own woods, with which to provide a nobility for our lighter red wines.
- Won an EU tender that enabled us improve further (new fermenting space, barrels and social facilities).
- 2006
- In May the wine-tasting room was extended with a Mediterranean-style terrace to accommodate guests from spring to late autumn.
- Our own István Ipacs Szabó was elected President of the Tenkes Hegyközség. (The association of winemakers and sellers in the region.)
- At the end of May our Pinot Noir 2004 we enjoyed perhaps our biggest international success to date when we won the Regional Trophy for Middle- and Eastern European wines (among 7 countries) at the DECANTER competition in London.
- Apprentices Josef Artner of Austria and Antonio D’Onise of Australia joined the winemaking team for the harvest.
- Our 300 experimental vines of the Hungarian Csóka variety produced 70 litres of wine.
- 2007
- Vylyan Duennium Cuvée 2003 received a gold medal at Vinalies Internationales in France.
