Furmint
Hungary's noble white — the high-acid backbone of sweet Tokaji Aszú and, increasingly, of steely, mineral dry wines from Tokaj and Somó.
About Furmint
Furmint is the great white grape of Hungary, most famous as the backbone of Tokaji Aszú, one of the world's original botrytis sweet wines. DNA work shows a parent-offspring link with the ancient Gouais Blanc, and its clones cluster in Tokaj, pointing to a Hungarian origin. Its defining traits are electric acidity, firm structure and thin skins that welcome noble rot, allowing extraordinary sweet wines that balance honey, apricot and marmalade against bracing freshness and decades of ageability. The same acidity and minerality now drive a wave of serious dry Furmint from Tokaj and the volcanic hill of Somó, showing smoky, waxy, citrus-and-quince character with real cut. Whether sweet or dry, Furmint is a grape of tension and longevity, prized for turning acidity into a virtue.
Variety profile
Editorial notes
The engine of Tokaji Aszú when botrytised, but seek out dry Furmint from Somó and Tokaj for volcanic, mineral whites. Its acidity makes both styles exceptionally long-lived.