Lake Balaton moderates everything around it. The northern shore, where Csopak sits, is a run of volcanic slopes looking south over the water, and the reds made here are lighter, fresher and more savoury than those from Hungary's hotter continental regions — closer in spirit to a good Loire or Alpine red than to anything heavy.

Tufa takes its name from the volcanic tuff underneath the vineyards, the soft consolidated ash that defines the Tihany peninsula and the slopes around it. It gives the wine a dusty, mineral quality underneath the fruit.

Szent Donát is run by Tamás Kovács on organically farmed slopes above Kerekedi Bay. This is ground with an unusually long memory: winemaking here is documented from the seventh century, and Roman villa ruins still sit among the vines. Kovács frames the estate's work as preservation as much as production — "this heritage must be preserved for future generations".

Serve it with a slight chill. It is a food red, not a contemplation red, and it is considerably more interesting for it.

Drink it with: grilled meat, paprika stews and goulash, sausages, mushroom dishes, or hard cheese.

Details

• Producer: St. Donat
• Region: Csopak, Balaton, Hungary
• Grapes: Red blend
• Vintage: 2023
• Bottle size: 750ml