Zoltán Heimann Jr: Terroir Transmitters

I've known Zoltan Heimann's Kadarka and Frankovka for a while. At first glance, I was attracted by their labels which don't try to copy anything. They are their own, easily recognisable. And it's the same with his wine: I find a certain vitality in them, a new perspective on things and, in a way, ambition. The right kind. Zoltán gradually changes, develops and refines the practices in their traditional, established and well-recognised family winery founded by his grandfather and co-led by his father, Zoltán Sr., and his mother Agnes, because that’s what he feels is right, and I find that very impressive. Zoltán knows what he wants and knows how to achieve it.

The family cultivates approximately 25 hectares of vineyards in the historic Szekszárd wine region in southern Hungary, an area known for its loess soils that create ideal conditions for distinctive red wines. Which is exactly what they do: we share an obsession with Blaufränkisch / Frankovka - Kekfrankos, equalled in his case by passion for Kadarka (as you will see below, there’s a reason why he calls himself “Kadarka Man”).

They do both classic and more “vin vivant” interpretations of these varieties, a savvy move that Zoltán explains in detail in the interview – when we’re not geeking out about loess, Blaufränkisch and clones!

Words by Milan Nestarec & Lucie Kohoutová, photos courtesy of Heimann Winery

Preparing for this interview, I realised that we have a lot in common. We are of similar age, we have children of similar age, we both operate as a two-generation winery, we grow vines on loess, we love Blaufränkisch......do you think there is anything else that binds us?

We have the cultural heritage of Eastern Europe, be it K&K [kaiserlich und königlich, meaning 'imperial and royal' in German, is an abbreviation that refers to the Austro-Hungarian Empire of which both present-day Hungary and the Czech Republic were part until 1918, editor’s note], or Krtek, the little mole. I really think this is a strong shared experience for things both good and bad…

I will start lightly. You seem to me like a very positive person – dynamic, focused and pursuing his vision step by step. How are you? How is life treating you now?

Thank you for this kind and thoughtful question! I’m 37 now, and perhaps because my eldest son is starting school this year, I’ve only recently begun to truly feel like an adult. We’ve moved beyond the toddler years with our three boys and have also faced – and overcome – our first major challenges as a couple. It feels good to be on the other side of some tough times!

All this coincides with me being full-time winemaker at Heimann for 10 years this year. I’ve gained more and more responsibility, which is very motivating sometimes and very overwhelming in other moments. Fortunately, we managed to assemble a really strong team around us — I see it as key for our future development.

All in all, it feels like I’ve arrived at a phase of stability in life which can become a new ground for further learning, and even deeper commitment.

Now for a more difficult question: as I mentioned before, Heimann is a two-generational winery, you are working with your father. In general, the father-son relationship is complicated, especially at a certain age. How is it in your case? Were there any fundamental disagreements or misunderstandings? If I understand correctly, you now completely manage both the classic Heimann line and the more “natural leaning” Heimann & Fiai range.

My father had a very hard time taking over responsibility from his father and his brother – my uncle – even got traumatised from that time. My grandfather, Ferenc Heimann, was this true alpha-type of person. The type that – as I have learned recently – keeps everyone around him in state of learned helplessness.

I feel very lucky in that sense: my father, Zoltán, was determined to behave the opposite way with us. Together with my mother Ágnes they have always been quite supportive, never breaking down my dreams. Whenever I fought with him, he never rose to the bait, always managing to sidestep a confrontation.

We've had several arguments about how to retain our existing values and consumers while developing towards where we want to be: an organic winery with a strong lineup of unique products… That’s why we work under two labels: Heimann Classics, mostly unique cuvées created for the domestic market, and the indigenous Heimann & Fiai wines for export. Looking back at our arguments, they mostly seem like questions of ‘when’ and ‘how’, and not ‘if’ we should develop.

I truly believe in working as a family business, where we share the same strategy and argue a lot about how to reach our goals. At the end of the day, love and respect for each other ensure that we find common ground and continue to evolve.

I am very interested in loess, my soil. We have several types of loess, but the two most important are loess with lime particles and loess with clay particles. What do you think a typical wine grown on loess looks like? What interesting properties do these soils have according to you and why do you like to work with them?

We also have some differences between our sites: in some places, we have red clay layers, in others more limestone that creates the infamous loess dolls [hardened carbonate “lumps” that form within the loess layers, editor’s note].

I enjoy working on loess mainly because of the good water-retention capacity that shows especially in years like 2024, during the extremely hot summer without any rainfall for 8 weeks.

From the wine’s perspective, I enjoy the softer tannin structure and the great freshness that loess brings. I tend to find wines grown on loess quite rich, mineralic even, and yet not overwhelming with tannin.

What’s your “recipe” to truly capture the authenticity of a place in a wine, how do you believe the vines should be managed? Have you made any recent discoveries that have significantly impacted your approach, leading to noticeable improvements in the wine's structure, harmony, or intensity? I'm thinking specifically about things like new techniques in canopy management, trellising, or pruning.

To be honest, I would describe myself as a novice in viticulture. There’s much I have seen or heard about, but I only started running our viticulture last year. I have so much to learn.

That said, I can share with you some of our recent experiments with foliage work: early leaf removal, right after flowering, has worked wonders with both Kadarka and Kékfrankos. It enables us to use half the amount of water for plant protection, the skins are firmer and more resistant, and the wine has a more expressive aroma.

I see the impact of organic viticulture and conscious cover-cropping in the density, mid-palate weight and length of our wines.

A must-ask question for the 'Kadarka man': what is it about this grape that captivates you so much?

I think that Kadarka, with its juicy berries and low potential alcohol, is a very contemporary variety. Even in very extreme years, we get Kadarka ripe at around 1080-1085 g/l density, around 12% potential alcohol.

I’m very keen on keeping Kadarka a true “pirosbor”. Not a proper red wine (vörösbor in Hungarian), but a very lightweight, nervy, pale red. We are consistently harvesting around either the last week of August, or the first week of September, never sparing work on manual sorting, using whole bunches for an added layer of length and aromatic playfulness, and ageing only for 4–5 months in concrete tanks, thereby keeping the primary-secondary vibrant character of Kadarka.

I don't know if my information is 100% correct, but I read that there used to be up to 60,000 hectares of Kadarka planted in Hungary, now it's only 400 or 500 ha. Why has there been such a rapid decline – is it due to the grape's labour intensity in the vineyard or rather a change in consumers' taste?

This decline happened over some 150 years since phylloxera hit, and then the 20th century “happened” to Hungary. Part of it may be a change in consumer taste, industrialisation itself, heterogeneity of all the different Kadarka variants. It is hard to name all the reasons.

To close this on a positive note, in the past 10+ years, Kadarka has gained a very vocal follower base both in Hungary and abroad. Even its growing surface has started to increase again.

I know that you have done a lot of work in searching for new Kadarka clonal selections. What specifically were you looking for? More homogeneity? More concentration? And what is your attitude towards sélection massale, do you do something like that?

This clonal selection project was started by Kozma Pál and Werner János at the Pécs Research Institute. My father saw the potential in Kadarka research early. We joined in 2005 with an experimental plantation of 30+ different clones. My mother invested several years of her time into microvinification of these really minuscule lots (only 100 – 300 kg of grapes per potential clone), I did my bachelor thesis on descriptive analyses and virus testing in Geisenheim.

In 2012, we narrowed down this cacophony from 30+ to 7 clones which we have decided to plant on 2 hectares. Ever since bearing fruit, these vineyards have shown two major improvements over the sole clone that was previously available in the market: the 1969 selected P9 spicy Kadarka.

The new clones show a more homogenous ripening which was a key pain point when growing Kadarka. Throwing away 15–20 % of unripe grapes is never much fun. Homogeneity is the biggest gain while some clones retain the lightweight, spicy typicity of P9 (especially P123 and P124) and others add a layer of depth and a more serious tannin edge (P115, P131, P147). We have also found clones that are believed to be spontaneous crossings of Kadarka and another variety (maybe Csókaszőlő), growing much thicker skins and even more important tannin concentration (e.g. P145, P172, P173, and a 1990s selection by a well-known Szekszárd grower, now known as Mészi Kadar). We never promoted these former groups of clones.

Partly due to clonal selections, probably even more due to the combination of early canopy work and the changing climate, the formerly significant Botrytis problem is no more. Kadarka historically ripened by early October and now is reliably ready for picking by early September (even late August in some years). Also, we intentionally aim for a lighter-alcohol, more freshness-prone harvest date. That way we usually successfully avoid the once quite often terrible Botrytis-problematic.

How do you work with Kadarka in the cellar? I assume a little differently than with Kekfrankos. Is it more fragile, does it need gentler handling?

My aim is to bottle Kadarka very early on, with very present primary and secondary aromas: a beautiful bright red fruit (strawberries, cherries) that develops to rosehip-hibiscus after some ageing, and is elevated by using some whole bunches in the fermentation.

Therefore we move Kadarka very gently, do twice-a-day pigeages or pump-overs (depending mostly on lot size), gentle pressing, rapid blending after harvest, swift racking to avoid excessive reduction, and bottling in January or February. This year we’ve just finished bottling the whole lot of ca 14,000 bottles by mid-February.

I do believe that Kékfrankos benefits more from ageing since it allows its intense, acid-driven freshness and tension to soften.

Kadarka and Kékfrankos are your main focus, becoming the signature grapes of the Heimann range. I am experiencing something similar myself, increasingly focusing on two varieties: Gruner Veltliner and also Blaufrankisch. This way, I can go into much more detail, I want to research it more and look for nuances. Some vineyards have been uprooted and planted with these varieties, others are still waiting for me. What is your opinion on grafting on a site from variety to variety? It’s so popular and used all over the world today – apparently, we are not the only ones who have made wrong choices in the past, haha.

Grafting on-site has been a hit-or-miss for us in the past ten years. We have had some success, but also some failures with it. I would count the propagation and promotion of newer Kadarka clones as our success since it has become one of our leading topics (and products) internationally, too.

Speaking of Kékfrankos, I inherited some reliably working 15- to 20-year-old vineyards of A4-1 from my parents, a large experiment with some very promising smaller selections from Burgenland and Swabia (like the Iby Alte Reben Selection, the Dürrau Selection from Weninger, and the B3 Rust Clone, to name my favourites).

Lastly, we have recently started marking our own Szívem vineyard planted in the 1950s for a future clonal or multiclonal selection. I plan to do the first experimental plantings of this material in 2026. The mother plants in the Baranya-völgy dűlő I regard as the crown jewel of our estate, especially since well-maintained 50+ years old Kékfrankos vineyards are really, really rare in Southern Hungary.

I still remember one of your posts on IG, where there is a photo of a beautifully established vineyard trained on a cordon. Our colleague Franz Weninger commented back then that Kekfrankos does not work on a cordon. But it works for me, and it seems to work for you too. What advantages do you see of a cordon specifically for Kekfrankos, can it compare to the classic Guyot training?

Over time, we have systematically switched our total production to cordon pruning. In the case of Kékfrankos, I see the lower yield (and smaller bunches) it brings to be one of the key factors in increasing quality. Our yields today range between 6–9 tons per hectare which I regard as a sweet spot for Kékfrankos. (Szívem, the old site, is more at 3–4 tons per hectare.)

Kekfrankos is one of the best “terroir transmitters” I know. Your ranges are more or less similar in terms of soil composition. Can you please tell me how specifically the microclimate of individual vineyards affects the character of the wine in your case?

I agree with you that the nuanced terroir expression of Kékfrankos-Blaufränkisch-Modra Frankinja is a really interesting topic, It may only interest a small number of people today, but I believe this is a great asset for our larger terroir, and fellow growers in Central European countries.

First, regarding the macroclimate, I believe of Southern, warmer influence gives crop with higher pH (at harvest 3,2-3,4, after Malolactic 3,4-3,5), and generally higher, but still reliably manageable alcohol (13-13,9%, very rarely exceeding 14%).

From what I understand, Kékfrankos from our warmer climates works better with shorter aging (10–14 months) and is easily overshadowed by new barrels, whereas in Northern climates up to 18–22 months of aging is not exceptional, and newer barrels are used more liberally. But that’s my theory, happy to hear yours.

Regarding our microclimatic differences inside Szekszárd, the most striking difference comes from the location related to the Large Hungarian Plain. Vineyards located and open to the East (South-East) show signs of a more coarse tannic structure, are more prone to shrivelling, and show a more Syrah-like darker fruit. Baranya-völgy in our case, Görögszó or Szenta would come up as typically rich & ripe Szekszárd locations. I like to refer to this style as “habzsi-dőzsi”, two beautifully descriptive Hungarian words for ‘an abundance of ripeness’ [laughs].

Conversely, more protected, North-facing sites like our Bati Kereszt, to some extent Csötönyi-völgy show 2-3 later ripeness, and a brighter fruit profile, more floral expression. I personally enjoy this more “nordic”, playful Kékfrankos a lot and try to evolve it against the general current of Szekszárd preconception.

Is there an old local selection of Kekfrankos, perhaps from the vineyards known as Gobelet? Do you work with something like that?

The previously mentioned Szívem parcel is the only old planting I know of in our broader area. I have some very important mid-term plans with this genetic material for selection and further propagation.

As for Kadarka, some fellow Szekszárd growers that I like and respect a lot, Márkvárt János and the Vida family have their strength in some ancient, 80-100-year-old, Gobelet vineyards. Thankfully, especially these two winemakers have started emphasizing these vineyards as core values, too — a work long overdue!

I think Blaufrankisch/Kekfrankos is the future because its vegetation period is quite long. It sprouts early and ripens quite late, so it is not as susceptible to climate change as other varieties. In some aspects, it reminds me of Nebbiolo. Of course, it does not have such a tannic grip and acid, but it does keep acidity well. It also has a certain tenderness evocative of Pinot Noir and sometimes the wildness and darkness of Syrah. I know it is not possible to completely compare it, but do you think that Kekfrankos will one day achieve the recognition and reputation of the above-mentioned varieties?

Isn’t this the million-dollar question! If only I knew the answer! [laughs] I do believe, however in promoting Kékfrankos in the Central-European context, in the wide-ranging terroirs.

I’m still baffled by the opinion, held by many Hungarians, that Hungary has the most Kékfrankos and the warmest climates, therefore we have the strongest commitment to the grape variety. I’m trying to flee from this thought and convince them otherwise, especially since climate change surely broadens the horizon of Kékfrankos towards more Northern regions. Also, I think the change of mindset to develop this varietal expression as its own strength will lead to wines that are much more enjoyable.

I was very pleasantly surprised by the Lembergers I tasted at VieVinum in Vienna last year, after a ten-year hiatus of attendance. Dropping the formerly very tannin-oriented extraction and ageing in the Stuttgart-area growers resulted in so much more pleasant wines.

How do you work with Kekfrankos in the cellar? I personally think that Frankovka does not tolerate new wood and it is a basic misunderstanding of the variety by many winemakers. But that is my experience. How do you see it? I think that you work a lot with whole grapes, is it primarily because you want less extraction and more vibration, liveliness and drinkability? Or is it for purely pragmatic reasons with Kekfrankos, because the skins break quite easily during handling and destemming?

I generally agree with your opinion about new wood. My critique, starting as a new winemaker, has been that Kékfrankos is too often overshadowed by either excessive wood or too long a time in the barrel, as mentioned before. I believe that we as winemakers have failed when our Kékfrankos becomes a ‘nice red wine with good acidity’. There’s so much vivacity in the aroma, such detailed fruit and spice in this variety, that it’s only interesting to turn up the volume on it, not down! That’s why I believe in using whole bunches, because it elevates the freshness and aroma further, as well as adding a layer of refreshing tannic structure.

All that said, I’ve just recently, with the 2023 Szívem crop, started an experiment with some first-filled Kádár Petraea barrels. The final blend has 800 liters aged in amphora and 300 liters in barrique. I believe that especially in the length and aftertaste, the wine can benefit from using good barrels.

What are your experiences with old vintages of Kekfrankos? Mine is that the best wines over the years have been the ones that haven't overripe, haven't had a lot of alcohol, and were something different from what would be called a "big, serious wine" that has a lot of everything. For me, the most outstanding wines in the long run were the complete opposite. Creating elegance, finesse, and delicacy is a much more difficult discipline – what do you think is the crucial moment, whether for Kekfrankos or in general?

In short: I agree with every word. Be it a Kékfrankos or cuvée, I think that balanced vintages age the most gracefully, in excessive vintages the sweetness and raisined berries take over the freshness of fruit expression very easily.

This is a point where the versatility of Kékfrankos might even be counterproductive, at least under our – warmer – climatic conditions. Since the ripening of Kékfrankos is quite slow, it really is up to the winemaker’s artistic freedom to choose the harvest date. I often see other growers – and frankly in some cases myself, too – waiting too long for picking. The results are still manageable in alcohol (14% or around) but the aroma is already jammy, cooked. I think finding the proper harvest date, having self-discipline is crucial for a modern, balanced style of wine. And this is harder in some years, like 2024, than in others like 2020, 2021, 2023.

I could banter about Kekfrankos with you for hours, since I have so many other questions on my mind, for example, what rootstock do you see as the most suitable for this variety from today's perspective. But let's call it a day on my BFF obsession for now, because I'm also very curious about the overall mood in the Hungarian wine industry. I don't want to bring politics into this, I know that there are problems everywhere, but I am very positive here in Moravia, for example, because there are a lot of people here who do things differently. They want to grow vines properly, sustainably, and smartly. It's the same in your region, isn't it? How do you see the future?

Huh, a tough one. I try not to blame our Prime Minister for any of our difficulties, but Orbán’s actions and tone of communication clearly hurt our sales in several markets. I’d like to believe that my sons will still make wine when the that-time prime minister will not make front-page news abroad every other week… so hopefully our wines, our culture, relationships and friendships in wine are larger, deeper and have more longevity than actual politics.

Regarding the wine biz, I think that Hungarians had a very lucky and a bit overly comfortable situation, in that 1) the interest in Hungarian wine grew very strongly, from very early on in the mid-1990s, 2) the EU subsidies created a far faster growth of production than the market alone would have made it possible, and 3) sadly there were too little incentives in the 2000s to start working on the export markets.

In recent years, the situation has started to change significantly: more and more wineries notice the urge to grow internationally. Yet, our well-known wines and well-respected brands on the domestic market don’t translate well to foreign markets. In Hungary you may be a hero from a well-known region, in Germany you’re still a nobody from an unknown place, that even is unpronounceable. Bordeaux blends or recently, Malbec from Szekszárd fly on the domestic market but simply struggle to find an audience among curious drinkers in Berlin or New York.

I believe that to become successful we have to learn from those – usually small, sometimes downright tiny – growers who fly under the radar in Hungary but have already started gaining recognition internationally. Those who start innovating to break out from the boundaries of Hungary are to a great extent doing really novel, exciting stuff. Also, often „properly, sustainably and smartly“, as you mention. I love this growing scene and I have a strong motivation to be an active part of it!

Do you remember one wine in your life that changed your life, understanding and approach? Which one was it and why?

I’ve got to mention Dorli Muhr’s Liebkind Blaufränkisch from somewhere around 2009 – 2011. It struck me, how light-footed, elegant, juicy it was while having a long, refreshing aftertaste. I also felt nudged at her nuanced choice of words about Blaufränkisch and her confidence in stating that this variety and many of its terroirs belong to be mentioned on the same pages as highly-reputed Italian or French regions.

Also, I cannot forget the book Wein Spricht Deutsch ("Wine Speaks German") by Stuart Pigott, and the scene when an Austrian winemaker (maybe it was Franz Weninger Sr.?) looks over the border in Burgenland and remembers how the Iron Curtain used to be the eastern limit of the western civilisation. It's very important for me to understand what people think about us Hungarians (and Czechs, for instance).

I once overheard a conversation where someone said that when you come to Hungary everything feels a bit cheap. There is a slight carelessness, goofiness to things. I felt this description to be spot-on – and very very annoying because we don’t even notice it after some time. We get numb.

Therefore I love examples in wine, beer, tea, food, or even music and dance, where I notice that someone has gone that extra mile. Simple things, done with great care.

You mentioned once that wine is like an exhibition that requires good knowledge and that it's good to know the stories from the cultural background. My traditional last question is therefore even more obligatory here: Is wine an art?

I try not to be very pathetic in this. I think wine is a cool product that needs to stand on its own.

I do enjoy the heck out of how much it can tell you about the place it’s grown but also (crucially) about the people who made it. This expressiveness of wine I see as unique and frankly, very crucial for us working at small scale. We have no other chance, than going into and developing our own niche, our own topics and style.

Everybody who has success in that gives me pleasure, slight envy (in a positive way) and hope that I’ll also be able to succeed.

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