Furmint

Discover our selection of Tokaji Furmint wine, including crisp sparkling, elegant dry wines and the famous Tokaji Aszú.

What is Furmint?

Furmint is Hungary's flagship white grape and serves as the backbone of the world-famous Tokaj wines. While it is a native Hungarian grape, it is also cultivated in Slovakia, Austria, and Croatia, but it reaches its finest expression in the Tokaji region.

The grape's naturally high acidity makes it exceptionally well-suited for producing age-worthy dry styles. Its thick skin and susceptibility to noble rot (Botrytis cinerea) make it ideal for producing the honeyed, complex sweet wines that have captivated European royal courts for centuries and continue to delight dessert wine lovers worldwide.

What does it taste like?

Furmint wines offer a distinct flavour profile that evolves based on winemaking style and terroir.

Dry Furmint wines are typically characterised by vibrant acidity, showcasing flavours of green apple, pear, and citrus fruits like lime and grapefruit. These flavours are often layered with stone-fruit notes of white peach and apricot, complemented by a flinty minerality from the region's volcanic soils.

In contrast, Tokaji late harvest wines made from Furmint grapes affected by noble rot offer a very different experience. They present rich layers of apricot preserve, orange marmalade, honey, ginger, and spicy tertiary notes from oak-barrel ageing. This complexity is balanced by the signature acidity, which ensures they remain enjoyable and drinkable despite their high residual sugar levels.

What kind of wine is it?

Grown in Tokaj's mineral-rich volcanic soils, Furmint thrives in the region's unique climate, allowing it to be crafted into a variety of styles. Modern winemakers like Istvan Balassa have promoted dry Furmint as a serious food-friendly white wine. Often fermented in stainless steel to preserve freshness, these bistro-style wines offer gastronomic versatility, making them perfect for food pairings.

More complex examples may be barrel-aged for added depth and character, with elegant, mineral-driven dry wines becoming Hungary's equivalent to Chablis or Riesling.

Innovative producers, such as the organic Grof Degenfeld Estate, have begun crafting traditional-method sparkling wines from Furmint, leveraging the grape's high natural acidity to create refreshing, mineral-driven wines with a unique personality.

Dessert wines represent the ultimate expression of this grape, ranging from the lusciously sweet Szamorodni to the legendary 5 Puttonyos Tokaji Aszú and the extraordinary Tokaji Eszencia—a golden nectar unlike any other.