Sopron is difficult to separate from neighbouring Burgenland, and perhaps it is not even necessary to do so. Lake Fertő, or Lake Neusiedl in Austria, has been an important wine-growing region in the Carpathian Basin for centuries. Although white wines are more suited to the area from a climatic perspective, fate – or consumer resolve – has today resulted in it being primarily loved for its red wines. It boasts outstanding, unique soils and is home to a particularly lovely variety, Kékfrankos. Lively and balanced with restrained tannins and beautiful acidity is perhaps the best way to describe the best wines from Sopron.
GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION
The Sopron wine district is located in the foothills of the Alps, on the Sopron Hills and the southern and western shores of Lake Fertő. It is a direct continuation of the vineyard areas of the Leithaberg, Rust and Neusiedl regions of the Austrian Burgenland. The vineyards are located in two large blocks. The first, and perhaps the more suitable for viticulture, is the area in the north, between Fertőrákos, Lake Fertő and the village of Balf. This area slopes down towards Lake Fertő. The other area stretches east from Sopron to Fertőszentmiklós. There are also vineyards to the south of the city, along the road leading to the village of Harka. The total area of the Sopron wine district is 4,287 hectares, however, only a small part, 1,543 hectares, is currently under vine.
SOIL
The metamorphic crystalline gneiss and mica schist that make up the Sopron Hills were formed during the Palaeozoic.
These old formations are overlain with Miocene gravel, loam, Leitha limestone, coal and Pannonian sandstone, covered by Quaternary loess. Loess and loam soils, brown forest soils and loose Pleistocene soils formed over the weathered Sarmatian and Pannonian debris, limestone and loess. The abundant ranker rich in rock debris is a characteristic soil type evolved from crystalline slate.
CLIMATE
The region's climate is temperate, mildly continental, although considered rather cool and rainy compared to the rest of the country, with the subalpine effect prevailing. The summer is also cool, and it is the wettest Hungarian wine district, although winters are mild. There is also plenty of breeze in the region. (As the locals say: "In Sopron, it's either raining or windy, or else the bells are ringing...")
GRAPE VARIETIES AND TYPICAL WINE STYLES
Nowadays, Sopron and its surroundings are mainly known for cultivating black grapes (black grapes are grown on three-quarters of its area), together with a small quantity of white grapes. The Sopron wine district is currently overwhelmingly dominated by Kékfrankos. The next most planted varieties are Zweigelt and Cabernet Sauvignon, but they lag far behind. Traditional Zöldveltelini as well as Chardonnay and Zenit are the most planted white varieties.
The vineyards are located on the hills around Lake Fertő and on the southern and eastern slopes of the Sopron Hills. The vineyards benefit from a relatively favourable microclimate as the south-facing hillsides are protected from the cold by the mass of the hills to the north-west. Some of the region's best vineyards are already known to discerning wine lovers. Grapes grown on the Spern Steiner, Frettner, Neuberg, Rothepeter and Höllesgrund vineyards produce wines rich in mineral notes, provided the wine itself is also sufficiently concentrated.
The former Rust-Bratislava-Sopron wine region did not always produce exactly what it does today. Prior to phylloxera, predominantly white grapes were grown in the region. Furmint was considered the best quality grape variety in the Sopron wine region in the 18th century. Given the right weather conditions, late-harvested Aszú wines were also produced. Its high demand abroad and chemical properties ensuring it could be safely transported over long distances made Aszú an important commodity.
The combination of slightly lower temperatures than the national average and its brilliant terroir yields ripe wines with a clearly defined backbone of beautifully nuanced acidity in the best years. Undoubtedly, the area cannot guarantee this in every vintage and, to be honest, producers also need some patience. Sopron is an exciting, unique wine region for wine lovers to explore.
It is a region more suited to white wine production yet is clearly loved because of its red wines. Nowadays, despite its notoriously cool climate, Sopron produces some attractive, approachable Kékfrankos-dominant red wines, that have undergone malolactic fermentation. They boast appealing acidity, plenty of fruit and beautiful tightness. Its Kékfrankos is often characterised by notes of violet and raspberry. It is a wine district where Syrah, Merlot and Pinot Noir also shine, producing radiant wines. However, the Sopron producers never really made it back to the starting block in the case of white wines. The areas around Eisenstadt in Austria often produce appealing wines from Zöldveltelini, yet it has never become the key white variety across the board.