Varietal Character

Furmint

For quite a while you were an exiled King,
deposed from your throne during a dark period
of Communist rule. In a dark cellar you hid,
developing even greater regal character. Now
back on your throne in Tokaji, you once again
rule over Eastern Europe. Your reign seems
timeless, the only indication of your age is
your shrivelled skin.

Appellations producing the most Furmint wines:

Russian River Valley (AVA)

Furmint

Furmint is the grape responsible for Hungary's legendary dessert wines from the Tokaji region. The grape itself is rarely seen outside of Hungary, although it use as a varietally labeled wine is permitted by the United States' regulating body known as the B.A.T.F. In its native Hungary it is used to produce dry white wine, and the aforementioned dessert wines. Dry wines made from the grape can be of good quality, possessing excellent acidity and often possessing wan oxidized quality similar to the dessert wines that have made the Tokaji region justly famous. The grapes of the vine have thin skin, making them particularly susceptible to 'Botrytis', the noble rot also responsible for Sauternes. The most famous of these wines are known as Tokaji Aszu Essencia. Essencia is the result of converting only the exceptionally sweet unpressed free run juice that has collected at the bottom of container after a week, into wine. The result is some, if not the longest lived wines ever produced.