The village of Helemba is bordered by three rivers: the Danube flows directly in front of it, visible all the way to the Esztergom Basilica. Behind it runs the Ipoly, and on the western side, the Garam winds its way through the landscape. It was here that Oszkár Világi and his team planted nearly 10 hectares of vineyards in 2015. Although 300-year-old cave cellars still stand in one of the village’s loess cliffs, the area had seen no wine activity over the previous 30 years. Therefore, this represents at least as much of a (re)discovery as what happened in Muzsla with Frigyes’ wines.

Because of the rivers, this area is practically a nature reserve, where wild mouflon still roam, and the local waters were once dominated by sturgeon, which even appeared on the label. The volcanic hill is called Burda, with andesitic bedrock covered by clay loess and steep slopes – an excellent site for growing grapes. One-third of the 9.5-hectare property is cultivated organically, while the rest is in transition.

The range is broad, consisting mainly of international grape varieties, and the winemaking follows a precise, German-style reductive approach. The wines have a popular style, yet alongside the varietal character, each one carries a deeply mineral vibrancy that is unique to the terroir.

The style of these wines is approachable, yet alongside the varietal character, each shows a deeply mineral vibrancy unique to the site. You can almost sense the dignity of the vineyard overlooking the Danube: every sip has weight and new flavours emerge with each taste. It opens with cherry liqueur notes, which later evolve into a playful interplay of cardamom and cinnamon, while in the background oak spices round it out, and the volcanic, andesitic soil carries the momentum forward.

The grapes were destemmed and fermented spontaneously in wooden vats, then aged on the lees in French oak barrels.