Furmint
Furmint is a white grape variety that produces dry, medium and sweet wines. It is most widely planted in Hungary, especially in the region of Tokaj in the north-east, where it produces the iconic and famous botrytised sweet wine Tokaji Aszú.
Furmint is usually vinified as a single variety when producing dry or off dry wines. However, it typically leads a blend of local varieties when producing sweet wines affected by ‘noble rot’- botrytis- which is a fungus that concentrates the sugars in the grape, under specific conditions.
Dry Furmint wines are usually high in acidity and display flavors of green fruits (apple, pear) and citrus fruits (lemon). These wines are often unoaked and best enjoyed young, but there are outstanding examples that are fermented and matured in oak. Those wines are usually more complex and have the ability to age, developing tertiary aromas of nuts and honey.
Tokaji Aszú
Tokaji Aszú is the premium sweet botrytised wine produced mainly from Furmintand is the most famous representation of this grape. It is the first wine historically known to be made from botrytis, before botrytised Riesling and Sauternes, and was once referred to as “the king of wines, the wine of kings.”
Furmint’s natural high acidity and its susceptibility to noble rot- which is often present in Tokaj’s suitable vineyards – makes it ideal for the production of Tokaji Aszú. Furmint usually leads the blend along with other local grape varieties like Hárslevelű and Sárga Muskotály that add more complexity to the wine.
Tokaji Aszú is typically amber in color because of its extensive ageing in oak barrels where it is often matured for a minimum of 18 months. It has complex and pronounced aromas of fresh fruit like lemon and dried stone fruit like apricotand secondary aromas from oak like vanilla and smoke. It also has aromas developed from maturation and ageing like caramel. This wine is generally of very good or outstanding quality and continues to develop complex aromas for many years in the bottle.
Tokaji Aszú is always sweet. Its sweetness is measured in “Puttonyos” which is used as an indicator and is displayed on the label as “5 Puttonyos”, which means the wine contains a minimum sugar level of 120g/L, or “6 Puttonyos”, which is a minimum of 150 g/L. A Puttony refers to a picker’s basket that carries the botrytized grapes, brought in from the vineyard.
Another sweet wine produced mainly by Furmint is Tokaji Eszencia (Essence or Nectar) which is extremely rare and very sweet and luxurious. Its minimum sugar level is 450g/L.