Oszkar Maurer 'Fodor' Olaszrizling Serbia 2020

Press 4 White • October 2023 Direct Press Selection

Oszkar Maurer’s family has been making wine for four generations in what was part of Hungary until 1920. He works organically and has been helping mentor younger winemakers and assisting them with wine and farming equipment so that they can also showcase the special qualities of the region. 

The grapes for this ‘Fodor’ Olaszrizling come from almost 60 year old vines that were part of Oszkar’s great-grandmother’s dowry. This is an almost wild vineyard with the wild life and cover crops mimicking the forest of the nearby Szelevényi nature reserve. Following his grandfather's advice that the Olaszrizling needs time on the skins in order to survive, this wine sees 6 days of skin contact and 12 months in barrel. The wine is a direct showcasing of traditional farming and winemaking. Keeping with tradition the wine is bottled unfiltered by gravity with no additions. 

This wine has a fair amount of noble rot come into play, though it is fermented to dryness. The result is a graceful dance between dried and fresh fruit aromas. Smells of honey, raisins, and mandarin oranges. Takes weight on the palate, finishing with notes of apricot tart. Would pair beautifully with butternut squash ravioli, duck in fruit-based sauce, or brie cheese. - Demi Elder & Jeremy Hernandez