Bikaver is a blend of mainly Kekfrankos and Kadarka, both are red grapes, made in the Hungarian regions of Eger and Szekszárd. Bikaver translates to ‘bulls blood’. The legend of the name dates back to the Ottoman invasion in the 16th century. When the Ottoman forces arrived in Hungary, they were met by the Hungarian soldiers that looked like they had blood on their faces because they had been drinking Bikaver. The Turkish soldiers were teetotalers and believed the Hungarians had been drinking bulls blood to gain strength. It was enough to scare them back to where they came from. While it is a fun story, it is also likely not true since the wine has been produced for at least 150 years but probably not 500. It does give an idea as to the depth of color of the grapes used in the production of the wine. If it is produced in Szekszárd, it is lighter in color and has a higher level of Kadarka. If produced in Eger, Kekfrankos is the dominant grape. The two regions also have different aging requirements and classifications. The final blends must contain a minimum of 4 grapes. In addition to the previously mentioned grapes, they can also contain Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Zweigelt, Blauberger, Portugieser, or Pinot Noir.
On the first evening of our tour, our guide introduced us to her brother. He was kind enough to pull some bottles from his cellar to showcase the ageability of Hungarian wines. In 1989, Tibor Gal was offered a chance to work at Ornellaia in Bohlgeri, Italy. In a few years, he became chief winemaker. In 1993, he moved back to Hungary and entered into a partnership with Nicola Incisa della Rochetta (of Sassacaia). One of the wines we tried was a 1995 Eger Bikaver that was by the two wine legends. In 1998, Tibor Gal was also named Hungarian Oenologist of the year. This was the same year he created the first vintage of Ornellaia, which was named wine of the year by Wine Spectator. Sadly, he passed away unexpectedly in 2005. This wine was still a deep ruby color with only slight color change to a brickish around the edges. It had aromas of fresh and slightly dried blackberries, black currants, red and black cherries, dark chocolate, tobacco leaves, and dried rose petals. This dry wine was full bodied and still had ample levels of smooth tannins. It had a moderate level of alcohol and significant acidity. The fruit notes were present on the palate and faded on the long finish. This wine had developed significantly but still had potential to continue to age for at least 5 more years. Not all Eger Bikavers are made with this level of quality but they do all have potential to age, or they can be consumed early if desired. This wasn’t the only Bikaver I tried on my trip but it was my favorite and a very special bottle to have gotten to try!
-TheLooseTannin
A Trip Around the World of Wine in 52 Weeks 