Bence Szilágyi grew up and studied in both Hungary and Germany, first discovering natural wine in Berlin. Excited by this approach to winemaking, Bence began to visit low intervention wineries and in 2017 he made his first, unofficial vintage. The winery is in Barnag, a village in western Hungary close to Lake Balaton. It began as an experiment of 400 bottles, in a cellar dug into limestone bedrock beneath his family home. As the project grew, Bence relocated to a converted, 200-year-old stone barn. Still a relatively small producer, Bence works with 5 ha of grapes grown predominantly on limestone, half from vineyards he rents and farms himself while the other half are purchased from a local négociant farmer. Buying land in this area is almost impossible, with real estate prices driven up by Lake Balaton’s popularity as a tourist destination. Varieties include Riesling, Furmint, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Kékfrankos (aka Blaufränkisch in Austria and Lemberger in Germany). Bence takes a no-till approach and makes wines driven by enthusiasm and what he enjoys drinking. Not one to sit still, he also runs an import company (Disco Wines) and a wine bar in Budapest (Bar Bizarre).
Dzsúz has an ongoing place among Bence’s wines and although it changes almost every year, the concept remains the same: a fresh, light, and delicious red wine. 2022 is made with 70% Kékfrankos, harvested early in the cooler climate of the Monoszló area, the majority whole-bunch fermented and some direct pressed, before transferring into fiberglass and stainless steel. Cabernet from a warmer vineyard in Aszófő makes up the remainder, with the grapes given a longer whole-bunch maceration and barrel ageing. In keeping with all his wines since 2020, no sulphites have been added. A delightfully juicy young red with sour cherry, wild strawberry, and barely-there tannins. Enjoy around 10° with spicy pizza.