2023 Maurer 'Crazy Lud' Red Blend

'Lud' means Goose in Hungarian and Crazy in Serbian. There’s an old Hungarian expression, 'Ha lúd, legyen kövér!' that literally translates to 'If it’s a goose, let it be fat.' In other words, if you’re going to go big, go big in all respects. The core of the 2022 blend is Kékfrankos, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Kadarka. A little Muscat Hamburg and Prokupac for aromatic seasoning and grip as well. Everything is fermented separately (2-6 days in open vats) and then blended and aged for one year in used 500L Hungarian oak. The short maceration keeps the Muscat aromatics fresh, but there’s still enough grip from the Cabernet/Prokupac, meatiness from the Kékfrankos and elegance from the Kadarka for balance. It can take a chill, but doesn’t require it. It’s light and refreshing, but still has some structure. Bottled unfined and unfiltered by gravity with zero additions.