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Furmint by Any Other Name

 

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Today is Furmint Day! I love, love, love Furmint. Dry, sweet, and everything in between. Sadly, my extremely limited supply of Furmint has dwindled. And with this year of COVID travel bans I’ve been unable to get back to Hungary to restock. So for today’s Furmint Day I’m looking back at some of the very nice wines I’ve had in the last few years.

Furmint, or Šipon?

Furmint is probably best known as a Hungarian grape variety. While several theories exist as to how the grape ended up there; we do do know it’s been growing there since at least the 16th century. An offspring of Gouais Blanc and an as yet unknown second parent, Furmint is a late-ripening grape. It buds early making it a victim of spring frosts. Its thick skins and loose bunches make it a perfect grape for botrytis and, indeed, the most famous Furmint wines are the deliciously sweet nectar from botrytized grapes.

In Hungary, the majority of Furmint – and I do mean the majority, more than 95% – grows in the Tokaj region. However, plantings in the west in Somló are gaining popularity and the wines have a great following. While Furmint is almost synonymous with Hungary, it can be found in some of the neighboring countries as well.

Austria and Slovakia grow a small amount of Furmint, mostly for sweet wine production. In Slovenia and Croatia, where it goes by the name Šipon, it makes wine in a range of styles. Limited plantings can also be found in California and South Africa.

I’ve only had Furmint/Šipon from Hungary and Slovenia and the wines from both countries remind me why this is one of my top five favorite grapes.

Apátsági Pince Somló Furmint, 2015

This wine I actually purchased in the US and brought back to Turkey with me.  Although, I think I only allowed myself to drink it shortly before going to Budapest since that would give me a chance to replace it.

With just three hectares of organic vineyards in the chalk and basalt soils of Somló, Apátsági Pince cultivates Juhfark, Hárslevelű, Furmint, Olaszrizling, and Traminer. The winery spontaneously ferments all its wines in barrels and typically ages them in oak for a year before release. The 2015 presented a nice break after a difficult 2014 and allowed Apátsági Pince to produce its 6,630 bottles (2,300 of which were Furmint) with relative ease.

Alcohol: 13.5% abv

Appearance: medium gold

Nose: Complex with layers of lemon, green apple, pear, and hints of beeswax.

Palate: Dry with bracing acidity. Light plus body with a long finish that I never wanted to end. Palate flavors amplified the nose and added ginger highlights.

Szent Donat Márga, 2017

Szent Donat I got to visit with Taste Hungary when I was last in Budapest. Overlooking Lake Balaton, Szent Donat was established in 1994 by the Kovács family. They started with just three hectares but over time have expanded and now all 15 hectares are farmed organically.

The name of this wine, Márga means ‘marl’. The Furmint for this wine grows in the limestone marl soils at the winery’s home vineyards in Szitahegy, Nagykút, Hegyalja (Csopak). After spontaneous fermentation, it aged for 10 months in 250 liter ceramic amphora. The 2017 (or so I was told while there) actually blends 10% Olaszrizling with the Furmint.

Alcohol: 13% abv

Appearance: medium lemon

Nose: Ripe tropical fruits and perfumed lychee with a core of lime zest aromas

Palate: On the palate the wine displayed a creamy texture wrapped around an acidic backbone. Mineral with warm, spicy nutmeg notes frame the tropical fruits from the nose.

Kreinbacher Birtok Pezsgő 

Heading back to the base of Somló is another winery I got to visit with Taste Hungary, Kreinbacher Birtok. While Kreinbacher makes a range of still and sparkling wines (from both Hungarian and international varieties) it’s the pezsgő that really stands out. Which is really quite surprising as the winery released its first sparkling wine only in 2014! Like other Somlói wineries, Kreinbacher farms organically. Unlike many of the others though, the estate is not a small holding at 48 hectares.

All of Kreinbacher’s sparkling wines, or pezsgő as it is in Hungarian, are made via the traditional method. They make five sparkling wines: Extra Dry, Classic Brut, Brut Nature, and Prestige Brut are all blends of domestic and international grapes. The fifth is a rosé Brut which also blends classic Hungarian and Champagne grapes. I had the pleasure of trying two of their sparkling wines: the Prestige and the Brut Nature.

Kreinbacher Brut Nature blends 57% Furmint, with 29% Chardonnay and 14% Pinot Blanc. The wine is aged sur lie for 18 to 22 months.

Appearance: brilliant medium lemon with energetic bubbles

Nose: Red apples and Bosch pear with a twist of lemon followed by a hint of toast

Palate: A bit austere (as I suppose one might expect from a Brut Nature!). The bubbles felt a bit spikey, like they had corners as opposed to be round but it was not unpleasant and somehow matched the almost crunchy apple and citrus flavors. The austerity and acidity from the Furmint were nicely balanced by the rounder Chardonnay and Pinot.

Kreinbacher Prestige Brut was more Chardonnay-focused with 71% Chardonnay and 29% Furmint, aged about three years sur lie. Unlike the previous wine, this one did receive a dosage giving it 8g/l.

Alcohol: 12.5% abv

Appearance: slightly paler lemon than the brut with abundant and energetic perlage.

Nose: Apples play with grapefruit zest initially while bursting bubbles release fresh almond croissant and vanilla aromas

Palate: Soft and playful mousse filled the mouth like a foamy wave. As it dissipated it left behind flavors of golden apple, toast, and almond.

Verus Šipon, 2016

What happens when three friends get together and pool family vineyards? Something amazing if Verus Vinogradi is any indication. Located in Ormož, Slovenia in the Štajerska ZGP, Verus’s grapes grow in marly, limestone soils on steeply inclined slopes. Here they grow Sauvignon (Blanc), Renski Rizling (Riesling), Sivi Pinot (Pinot Gris), Chardonnay, Rumeni Muškat (Gelber Muskateller), Modri Pinot (Pinot Noir), and of course, Šipon, aka Furmint.

After hand harvesting, the majority of the grapes fermented in stainless steel tanks. However, 10% fermented and aged (three months sur lie) in second and third use barrels.

Alcohol: 13% abv

Appearance: clear, bright lemon

Nose: Wet stone and mineral initially followed by aromas of fern, gooseberry, and white peach

Palate: On the palate flavors of white pepper, grass, and gooseberry framed by zesty acidity. A savory streak joined lemon salt on the lingering finish.

Ducal Šipon, 2015

Also from the Štajerska ZGP in Slovenia comes Ducal. Here owner Mitja Lo Duca has earned a reputation for his organic, skin-contact wines. On the Svečina hills Lo Duca grows Laški Rizling (Welschriesling), Renski Rizling (Riesling), Modri Pinot (Pinot Noir), and Šipon. About 20% of Ducal’s grapes are affected by botrytis at harvest giving the resulting wines more depth, body, and elegance.

I’ve had several wines from Ducal including the Sontia sparkling wine which I wrote about previously.

Alcohol: 13.5% abv

Appearance: gold with hints of orange

Nose: Toasted nuts and smoke followed by dried herbs (tarragon, dill) and a hint of brown sugar

Palate: The palate lacked the bravura of the nose but offered up citrus oil and orange peel flavors to compliment the herbs and hazelnut sensed on the nose. Good tannic structure supported the medium body while vibrant acidity added a note of energy.

These are my Furmints! What are you drinking to celebrate Furmint Day?