Kolónia 52 – Cabernet Franc 2023

Kolónia 52 Cabernet Franc: Organic Hungarian Natural Red Wine

Kolónia 52 Cabernet Franc is the only single-variety red wine in the Kolónia 52 lineup. Proof that winemakers Annamária Török and Attila Francisti will chase exceptional fruit wherever they find it, this bottle is crafted from pristine grapes grown on an organic estate in Pécsely rather than their usual Szent György Hill plots. It's a brilliant example of a low-intervention, zero-shortcut red wine made with patience and precision.

How Kolónia 52 Cabernet Franc Is Made: Hands-Off and Patient

This is the most classically structured wine in the Kolónia 52 range, relying on time rather than additives. The grapes are harvested by hand and mostly destemmed, undergoing ten days of semi-carbonic maceration before pressing to lock in vibrant fruit character. Fermentation happens naturally, with no cultured yeast, letting the true terroir speak. The wine spends eleven months in old oak casks to soften, polish, and develop its elegant structure. True to the winery's philosophy, it's bottled with no sulfur (SO2), no fining, and no filtration.

Terroir and Taste Profile

The grapes grow on unique limestone and sandstone soils in Pécsely, which give the wine its distinct, elegant backbone and mineral drive. While still beautifully natural and alive, the long oak aging gives this Cabernet Franc a polished, sophisticated edge. The result is a deeper, more structured experience than the winery's field blends, perfectly balancing raw natural energy with classic red wine depth.

If you enjoy Kolónia 52's minimal-intervention wines, it's worth trying other Kolónia 52 wines as well — the same patient, handcrafted philosophy, in a different terroir and style. You can read more about Pécsely and the Balaton Uplands wine region here.

Order Kolónia 52 Cabernet Franc today, and discover the winery's most classically structured, yet fully natural red wine.