Sziegl Pince Bábel 2023

Balázs and Petra are a husband and wife duo that started their organic, low-intervention project in 2012 down in Hungary's sunny south, near the Serbian border. And they're not exactly making traditional wines. He works the vines, she works the cellar.

This wine is called "Bábel." It's a siller, which is this Hungarian-German thing that sits somewhere between very dark rosé and light red. A co-ferment of Kékfrankos, Zweigelt, and Cabernet Sauvignon, built from 8 to 10 different harvest passes. Short macerations, super gentle pressings. They layer the grapes and ferment them together like a tower of Babel.

It's a fun, structured chaos. Wild raspberry, sun-warmed cherry, salt-rubbed lime zest. A dusting of black pepper, crushed anise seed, a wisp of woodsmoke. There's a little prickle to it, that carries everything on a vibrant, smoky finish.

Pour it with spicy lamb kebabs, grilled mushrooms with rosemary, or that triumphant moment when you finally catch a fish and cook it over an open flame.