Tasting one of our first red wines from Hungary and we came away impressed! The Monopole Rhapsody Bull’s Blood from Kovacs Nimrod Winery.
A blend of 29% Kekfrankos (a grape indigenous to Hungary), 23% Pinot Noir, 21% Syrah, 17% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc from the Nagyfai and Nyilasmar vineyards in Eger, Hungary. The wine spends 28 months in Hungarian oak casks.
Sample submitted for review. The Monopole Rhapsody Bull’s Blood has an SRP of $19 and is available for as low as $15. Ready to buy? Check your local retailers. Imported by Nimrod Wines.
The 2011 vintage of the Monopole Rhapsody Bull’s Blood is exclusively sourced from the ripe fruits of our Monopole terroirs. The vineyards have thin, stony and tuff topsoil with strong south slope, these gives fiery and body, the forest soil added rich and pure flavor to this wine. This highly concentrated wine has nice garnet red color with aromas of cranberries, ripe cherries and spicy oak. Similar flavors follow on the palate with a medium body and a medium long finish and soft tannins.
13.3% Alcohol
The Kekfrankos based blend in today’s wine is known as Egri Bikaver or Bull’s Blood of Eger. It is a traditional blend that has deep roots in history. The name comes from the Siege of Eger Castle by the Turks in 1552. It was rumored among the Turkish soldiers that the vastly outnumbered group of soldiers defending the castle mixed bull’s blood into their red wine, thus explaining their ability to fearlessly repel the attackers.
The Kekfrankos grape, known as Blaufrankisch in Austria and Lemberger in other areas, is related to Pinot Noir and indeed tasting this wine shows it has similar qualities.
The 2011 Kovacs Nimrod Winery Monopole Rhapsody Bull’s Blood begins with a pleasant aroma of cranberry, red cherry and red licorice plus a little vanilla and baking spice. The medium-bodied wine tastes smooth, very soft and easy to drink with similar fruit flavors to the nose, just a bit darker in the mouth. You’ll also find leather, cedar notes and a good bit of earthiness when tasting. Plenty of spice leads into the dry, long finish. The whole things gets even better as it has some time in the glass. I was really impressed with this one, it was quite good!
Ready to buy the Monopole Rhapsody Bull’s Blood? Check your local retailers.
2011 Monopole Rhapsody Bull’s Blood from Kovacs Nimrod Winery
Highly Recommended
Looking for more of the best red blends under $20? Click the pic below to check our giant listing along with more information on this popular style of wine!
Maximizing your wine dollars since 2011! Independent wine consumer helping millions of people (2.7 million visitors in 2020 alone) find great wines without breaking the bank including through our exclusive