Bakó Ambrus started in 2005 as an experiment. Ambrus started his life in academia, attaining degrees in molecular biology, biochemistry with a focus in genetically modified organisms. A career researcher, Ambrus’ curiosity was sparked by the concept of low intervention wine making. As images of moving out of the city and pursuing a quieter life at his family’s home on Lake Balaton, day dreaming soon became reality.
The a family wine press (dating back to 1885!) the transformation his grandparent’s home slowly became a winery and laboratory. With no formal training, he managed to gain a doctoral research grant to teach himself how to make wine through books, internet research and connecting with neighboring producers. Bakó Ambrus started to make wine from the 0.7 hectares that his family owned. As he grew into wine making, he began longterm contracts with neighboring vineyards, among them famed Róza Szegedy house. Ambrus’ first release was with his 2009 vintage and by 2012, was already highly regarded as a point of reference for Badacsony wines.
Each wine is high-touch, low intervention wine; truly artisan. Exclusively using indigenous yeast and spontaneous fermentation processes, the focus is production of ’natural wines’, trusting in the Badascony terroir and believing that wines are made in the vineyard, not in the cellar. This means no ploughing between rows, organic fertilization (if any) and absolutely zero herbicide or pesticide. The yields are kept very low, between 0.5 and 1.5 kg per vine and are not limited by man but by nature, ensuring that fruit won’t ripen too quickly and but more gently.
Ambrus uses a vertical press, gently pressing over the course of seven hours to complete a full cycle. This process allows for natural filtration, gentler extraction and helps obtain more juice purity. The must is settled overnight to achieve a slower and cleaner fermentation process. After settling, the must is kept cool and left to start fermentation spontaneously, this process can take several weeks. Keeping the temperature low is important to preserve the aromas; the entire fermentation process will take several months, up to half a year. Fermentation is done in neutral Hungarian oak barrels without adding any sulfur. The wine is naturally protected from oxidation by the gases released through the fermentation process. As a result there is no need for aging on the lees, lending to a wine with a greater aging potential.
Believing that Badacsony produces some of the best high-quality white wines in Europe -despite being located in a relatively warm area- the Lake Balaton climate is is similar to the Northern Rhône region, but more arid. The south facing hillsides looking on Lake Balaton are protected from the cold winds, autumn and spring frosts and mirror a mild ‘sub-Mediterranean’ climate. Basalt absorbs and retains warmth through the summer nights. Under these climatic conditions, it is a great challenge to preserve natural acidity and avoid an overripe wine. Consequently, mainly works with late ripening varietal: Olaszrizling, Rhine Riesling and Kéknyelű.
The meaning of the word ‘Terroir’ is all-encompassing at Bakó Ambrus. It means all aspects of the wine making process from soil, exposure, slope, microflora (yeasts), traditional grape varieties down to the human component of oversight. Ambrus aims to express the essence of Badacsony through his ethos, passion and celebration of indigenous varieties; grape, oak and yeast alike.
