Description

The Sebestyén winery was established in 1998 in the Szekszárd region by brother and sister team Csaba and Csilla Sebestyén. The Szekszárd region, which covers 2,300 hectares, is one of the historic and climatically ideal regions for wine in Hungary and forms part of the larger Pannonia region and is located in the south of the country.

The duo currently work 12.5 hectares and integrate grapes from another 8-10 hectares every year. Their main grape variety is Kékfrankos, a local grape which provides the backbone of Bikavér, as well as Kadarka, one of the most ancient varieties in the Szekszárd region with wines produced from old bush vines of 60+ years old. All grapes are hand harvested and undergo strict manual selection to ensure the best quality.

Our red wines are fermented in open vats after being inoculated with selected yeast and we carry out punching down regularly during fermentation. A short maceration is then followed by the racking of the wines into oak barrels. The malolactic fermentation occurs spontaneously. The wines are aged for between 12 and 30 months.

With minimal intervention techniques adhered to in both the vineyards and cellar to allow for the most unfettered expressions of terroirs, the wines are utterly contemporary in style and bursting with freshness and complexity.

'Gradus' is composed of Merlot 48%, Cabernet Franc 34%, Sagrantino 10% and Kékfrankos 8%. Made from the very best grapes of their most exclusive vineyards. Fermented in open tank. The wines were aged separately for 22 months in new and used oak barrels and then blended. 6,000 bottles made.

"Take a punt on this exciting Hungarian red, new to the range from mid-October, from the southern region of Szekszárd. A blend of Mainly Merlot and Cabernet Franc with Kékfrankos and Sagrantino, the varieties were all aged separately in large Hungarian oak barrels for two years before being blended and bottled. The result is a very appealing red, with a pretty dark berry fruit fragrance, some savoury complexity, fine tannins and good acidity."
90 points. Amy Wislocki, Decanter (September 2021)