Eastern Europe/Balkans

Slightly waxy, with bright herbal aromas, and a focus on orchard fruit and melon. Volcanic soil imparts an intense minerality. This wine is a bit of an outlier for Lenkey; done in stainless steel rather than oak and aged for ”only” 3 years. I guess he wen

As Slovakian wines continue to enter the NYC market, we find ourselves becoming more and more impressed. The texture is viscous, with fresh earth and characteristic Riesling tones of petrol and minerality. A bit of skin contact lends depth, while maintain

Slavcek Sivi Pinot (Grigio) 2019

Assyrtiko is perhaps best known from the island of Santorini, but it is also divine in the southern mainland of Greece. Fine, bright citrus notes of the nose lead to a bone-dry, supercharged mineral wine with great acidity. Perfect with so many seafood di

A very textured example of this popular grape, with a touch of tart fruit and an earthy backbone. Slobodne had it’s first vintage in 2010 and has since become one of the leading voices in the growing Slovakian natural wine scene, which, while still in its

This is a lovely little ‘village wine’ from northeastern Slovenia, somewhat in the tradition of an Austrian Gemischter Satz wine. Light, floral and breezy with clean mineral. Črnko makes a handful of single varietal wines and everything else goes into the

Chiseled minerality and a hint of smoke characteristic of Welschriesling. The acidity is singing. The Kovács family runs this winery and have a long history of winemaking, owning some of the best vineyards in their tiny village of Csopak just north of Lak

Whether you’re curious about oxidative whites or you’re an afficionado, this is the wine for you. Škrlet is an obscure grape native only to the hills of Moslavina and was recently revived by young winemaker Ivan Kosovec. Beautiful complex nuttiness is con

Dluhe Grefty 'Alba Rosales' 2020

Searing mineral and subtle yellow plum fruit build in dense layers, thanks to 100–200-year-old vines (!). Rather than being trained to a system, these hoary vines sprawl freely on the ground, seemingly indestructible after having been exposed to extreme w

No question: Hungary makes some great wine. And then one comes around, and wow. Well, here’s one of those. Very clean – like fresh spring water, with white flowers and orchard fruit (slightly under-ripe pear), yet with an energy and length surprising for

Egri Csillag (Eger Star) is the name of white wine field blends from this region of northeastern Hungary. Much like their more famous red wine cousins, Egri Bikavér (Bull’s Blood), they incorporate both indigenous and international varieties. Fresh, crisp