Welcome to the first in our Wine 301 series, where we’re going to dig into some of the more unusual varietals you might see on the store shelf.  Leading off is Furmint.

Furmint

Primarily grown in Hungary, Furmint produces incredibly bright wines thanks to it’s high acidity.  Furmint is a late ripening varietal with a high susceptibility to picking up the mold botrytis.  This is critical in making the famous Tokaji Aszú, the famously sweet wine,  which concentrates thanks to the tendency of the mold to puncture the skin and consume the water in the grape.  This leaves the grape acid and sugar super concentrated, and perfect for making a sweet wine.

Furmint also comes in dry varieties.  These wines are crisp, complex, and often minerally.

Quick Facts on Furmint

Color:  White
Style: Dry to Sweet
Body:  Moderate to Heavy
General Characteristics:  Minerality, Highly Acidic, Dry (Smoke, Pear, Lime), Sweet (Apricot, Marzipan, Orange)
Notable Regions:  Hungary

Chateau Meyger Tokaji Furmint 2014

Given the lack of Furmint available on my local shelf, Chateau Meyger Tokaji Furmint was the go to.   A note for those not familiar with Tokaji, check your label closely.  If you notice on this one, it shows in tiny print that it’s Dry.  As Furmint can range from dry to sweet, that’s important to keep an eye on!

Sight:  A pale gold with watery edges

Smell:  This is the funkiest wine I’ve smelled since that Retsina.  There are all sorts of musky notes that could be described ranging from feet to cheese to insane botanical garden.  There’s elements of herbs, other “herbs”, honeysuckle, pear, and a few various citruses.

Sip:  Bright, bitter, and round, it fills up your mouth in a very soft sort of way.  There are notes of herbs, pear, and lemon all playing strong roles, with specific notes of spearmint, tarragon, and oregano.  There are more floral elements here as well, driving the wine through various elements of geraniums, violets, roses, and honeysuckle.

Savor:  The ending is rather brief, with notes of honeysuckle and lemon.

Chateau Meyger Tokaji Furmint is a wild ride of aromatic flavors.  Fans of Gewurztraminer might find this to be a great way to ramp up their love of all things aromatic.  For those wanting something like Pinot Grigio, then this is probably a skip for you.  Ditto for sweet fans, look for the ones labeled Tokaji Aszú.  Fans of Sauvignon Blanc and Gewurztraminer should give Chateau Meyger Tokaji Furmint a chance.

Verdict:  Herbs, Lemon, Pear, Floral
Rating: 82
Price: $10
Sarospatak, Hungary

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Want to start at the beginning?  Check out our Wine 101!