Szent Donat, Tufa, 2023

Imagine a vineyard set inside the crater of an extinct volcano, on a peninsula jutting into Hungary's Lake Balaton. That's where Tufa comes from, the Rata site on Tihany, where black basalt, volcanic tuff, and limestone give this red a genuinely salty, mineral snap. It's a field blend led by the native Kekfrankos, with a supporting cast that adds spice and dark fruit. The Kovacs family farms here organically and works with minimal intervention, letting the volcanic soil do the talking; fruit takes a back seat to mineral and earth. This is the more approachable, svelte of Szent Donat's two Tihany reds, tame in tannin but long on complexity. Serve it with a slight chill and it sings.