‘Kadarka-man’ is how Zoltán Heimann Jr is known around town. The son of Ágnes & Zoltán Heimann completed his training in Geisenheim, Montpellier and Udine. He learned modern international techniques and got to know many grape varieties and many vineyards on the Mosel, in Tuscany and Down Under in the Yarra Valley. What always fascinated him the most was the unmistakable flavour of each individual origin.
After returning to his native Szekszárd in southern Hungary, Zoltán got it into his head to get to the bottom of the indigenous expression of his homeland and has taken up the old local grape variety Kadarka as a major project. Usually, it is blended in Hungary as a refreshing element in the typical Bikavér cuvée, but Zoltán would like to elevate the variety to the role of soloist. He vinifies two wines of different origins from the delicately structured variety, and in doing this is breaking completely new ground.
The powerful counterpart to Kadarka is the spicy Kékfrankos (known in Austria as Blaufränkisch), which possesses the virtue of reflecting its soil of origin quite precisely. Zoltan proves this with four Kékfrankos from very different terroirs. His wines are sophisticated and uncompromising and provide a contrast to the popular & charming wines of the family estate. That is why Zoltan Heimann Jr has chosen a different look for his wines. Under the name Heimann & Fiai (Heimann & Sons), he is presenting distinctive & original creations that appeal in particular to those wine lovers who are looking for uniqueness and expression of terroir.
The Heimann Family Wine Estate "Heimann Családi Birtok"
For many years now, the Heimann estate has been one of Hungary’s leading red wine producers. Agnes & Zoltan Heimann stand with both feet firmly planted on the soil of the Szekszárd District and love the local vines Kékfrankos & Kadarka. At the same time, however, they also pursue their interest in international grape varieties: Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Syrah, Sagrantino & Tannat excel over & over in the charming & smooth red cuvées of the Heimann Családi Birtok, giving their portfolio an international accent.
That fits perfectly with the family. The Heimanns are loyal & devoted Hungarians, but speak Russian & English as fluently as they do their native tongue – along with German, because in 1758 their German ancestors came to southern Hungary as Danube Swabians. Until 1949 the Heimann family practised classic mixed farming, and wine only represented a minor part. But after the communist era came to an end, Zoltan and Agnes wanted to develop their passion for wine. In 1992 they started anew with only half a hectare of vines; then little by little, the winegrowing operation became more important. Ultimately, Zoltan gave up his managerial position in the capital in 2004 in order to devote himself entirely to the estate in Szekszárd, about 160 km south of Budapest. His wife Agnes followed him, completed her oenology training and took over vinification in 2006. Heimann soon became a pioneer of the new wine culture in Hungary, and the country’s leading wine merchants added them to their portfolios: Heimann’s Cuvée Barbár shortly became one of the icons of the Hungarian wine scene.
Today the Heimann family cultivates twenty-five hectares of vineyards near the little city of Szekszárd, on the loess soil traversed by layers of red clay that’s typical for the region. Although the focus is on reds, they also bottle refreshing rosé & white wines that have won nationwide acclaim.
Formerly, it was Agnes Heimann in charge of the methodical vinification of the wines, while Zoltan – the tireless brand ambassador – handled sales for the estate. In addition, Zoltan continues to be an important driving force for the continuing development of the entire Szekszárd region, which covers a total of 2400 hectares. Then in 2018, their son Zoltan Heimann Jr took over in the cellar. The familiar, classic & charming wines of the estate will remain in production, while parallel to this Zoltan Jr has developed a new line that is totally authentic to the region and will be released as Heimann & Fiai.
