{"title":"Furmint","description":"\u003cp\u003eFurmint is Hungary's great white grape and the backbone of Tokaji. It ripens late, keeps searing acidity even when very ripe, and is highly susceptible to botrytis, which is why it makes the legendary sweet Tokaji Aszú, where shriveled berries give wines of honey, apricot, orange peel and enormous longevity. Dry Furmint has become a serious category in its own right: smoky, mineral and full-bodied, with quince, pear and lime, and a texture that rewards oak and age. Beyond Tokaj it grows in Somló, in Austria's Burgenland (as Zapfner) and in Slovenia (as Šipon).\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"disznoko-tokaji-aszu-2014","title":"Disznoko Tokaji Aszu 5 Puttonyos 2014","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Land\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTokaj was classifying its vineyards before Bordeaux did. A survey compiled by János Matolai in 1732 ranked the region's sites, and three of Disznókő's vineyards, Disznókő, Hangács and Lajos, were listed as first growths. The estate is a single 107-hectare tract of vines near Mezőzombor, at the southern gate of the Tokaj hills, rising from 135 to 220 meters on mainly south, southwest and southeast slopes. Soils are mostly clay over rhyolite and rhyolite tuff, volcanic bedrock that holds water and warms quickly. The real engine is the meeting of the Bodrog and Tisza rivers nearby: autumn morning mists rise off the water and marshland, Botrytis cinerea takes hold, and warm afternoon winds from the plain dry the infected berries into aszú.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Wine\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 2014 vintage nearly broke Tokaj. A hot, rainy summer and high humidity brought noble rot early to almost every berry, and Disznókő had to sort with extreme care; volume was low, though the share of fruit good enough for Aszú ran high. Pickers made three passes, starting September 4 with Zéta and finishing October 29, picking aszú berries one at a time. Those berries, 69 percent Furmint, 25 percent Zéta and 6 percent Hárslevelű, were macerated in wine or fermenting must, pressed, fermented in stainless steel, and aged 18 months in mostly older 225-liter barrels before bottling in August 2017. Disznókő Tokaji Aszú 5 Puttonyos 2014 carries 156 g\/l residual sugar against 8.77 g\/l acidity at 12 percent alcohol: apricot, citrus, fresh plum, mint, dill and honeyed botrytis spice, rich but racy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe People\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDisznókő, \"wild boar stone,\" first appears in writing in 1413, named for a volcanic boulder or the shape of the hill. Aristocratic families held it for centuries before nationalization under communism. In 1992, soon after the fall of the regime, AXA Millésimes, the insurer's wine group that also owns Château Pichon Baron and Quinta do Noval, bought the estate. The vines were in poor shape; replanting began in 1994, and a new winery by architect Dezső Ekler was completed in 1995, the same year Disznókő helped found the Tokaj Renaissance association of classified vineyards. Its first major Aszú, from 1993, came out in 1997. Director László Mészáros leads the estate today, and Disznókő remains one of the standard-bearers for sweet wine from Tokaj.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFood Pairing\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eServe it cool, around 52 to 55 degrees. Seared foie gras on toasted brioche with a spoonful of apricot compote is the classic match, the acidity slicing through the fat. Thai green curry with chicken works because the sweetness tames the chili while the acid keeps up with lime and lemongrass. A wedge of mild young Gorgonzola with honey and walnuts plays salt against sugar, and a simple peach or apricot tart lets the stone fruit echo the wine. Once opened, the bottle stays fresh in the fridge for at least a week, so a single glass after dinner on a weeknight is entirely reasonable.\u003c\/p\u003e\n","brand":"Maverick Wine Company","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50494750851295,"sku":null,"price":58.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/files\/P6300590.jpg?v=1782920973"},{"product_id":"balassa-duck-furmint-tokaj-2024","title":"Balassa Duck Furmint Tokaj 2024","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e The Land\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTokaj is famous for Aszú, the botrytized sweet wine that European courts spent three centuries fighting over, and that reputation obscures what the region mostly makes now: dry Furmint. The geology is the same either way. These are the Zemplén hills in northeastern Hungary, the eroded remains of a volcanic range, with rhyolite, andesite, and volcanic tuff under a layer of wind-blown loess. What makes Tokaj unique is the confluence of the Bodrog and Tisza rivers below the slopes, which throws up autumn fog that produces botrytis in the sweet wines and, for the dry ones, extends the growing season and preserves acidity. Volcanic soil gives Furmint the smoky, saline drive that no other white grape in central Europe delivers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Wine\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e100% Furmint, drawn from five separate vineyards and assembled, which is the point of this bottling: it is a portrait of the estate's holdings rather than of a single site. Fermentation and aging include a measured amount of oak, enough to build texture and a nutty edge without turning the wine woody. Furmint is naturally very high in acid and thick-skinned, so it takes that handling well. Acacia, chamomile, yellow apple, quince, butterscotch, and toasted hazelnut, medium-bodied, with sharp but refined acidity and a long, salty, spice-inflected finish. Dry Furmint is one of the few white wines that can genuinely stand next to Chablis and dry Loire Chenin in structural terms, and this is the accessible version of the argument.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe People\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIstván Balassa founded the estate in 2005 and farms 17 hectares broken into a large number of small parcels scattered across Tokaj, Tarcal, and Mád. That fragmentation is deliberate. His project is to map the differences between Mád's historic vineyards, Szent Tamás, Nyúlászó, and the rest, by bottling them separately, which requires holding a piece of each. The duck on this label is a photograph Balassa took himself of a particularly unbothered duck on a lake shore. It is a fair signal of what the wine is: the least ceremonious thing in a serious lineup.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFood Pairing\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eCrispy Fish Sandwiches with Chef’s Dressing \u0026amp; Crunchy Fennel Slaw. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eBalassa’s Duck Furmint from Tokaj is a fascinating wine, with beautiful texture, vibrant acidity, and a distinctive mineral character. It’s exactly the kind of white wine I love pairing with fried seafood. The acidity cuts through the richness, while the wine has enough substance to stand up to the crispy coating and creamy dressing. The lemon, fresh herbs, and subtle salinity from the anchovies bring everything together.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eRecipe on blog!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Doug Krenik Selections","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51190104228063,"sku":null,"price":28.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/files\/P8110095.jpg?v=1786498015"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/collections\/whitegrapes_d00ba5c5-f073-43d3-a177-679e4074ca98.png?v=1793249804","url":"https:\/\/danverwinemerchant.com\/collections\/furmint.oembed","provider":"Denver Wine Merchant","version":"1.0","type":"link"}