Try dry furmint, Hungary’s great go-to white grape

Rose Murraybrown

@rosemurraybrown

Furmint is such a versatile grape it can take you through a whole gastronomic meal from start to finish,” says Master Sommelier Isa Bal. “In different styles from dry to sweet, it works with many spices from paprika, cumin, star anise and sweeter fenugreek – and dishes from Africa to Asia – Moroccan tagine, Japanese sushi to Chinese dumplings.”

I recently tuned in to a Furmint in Gastronomy workshop with Bal and Hungarian wine expert Dr Caroline Gilby MW celebrating Hungary’s flagship white grape – and its rise to fame as a dry white wine in the last two decades.

Furmint is renowned for its notable shrill acidity, its steely backbone, vibrancy and appetising character which make it a good food match. Bal and Gilby demonstrated that with different soils, microclimates and winemaking, furmint styles have evolved from light whites to richer intense styles often mimicking its half siblings, riesling and chardonnay.

Today furmint is Hungary’s third most important white grape. Most plantings are now in north east Hungary, in the famous Tokaj region where 3,416 out of 5,293 hectares are planted with the grape. “The first dry furmints which emerged 20 years ago were powerful and intense. Now a new generation of winemakers are gaining confidence to pick earlier for dry whites and make restrained delicate styles,” says Gilby.

She outlined four dry furmint styles, whilst Bal suggested intriguing pairings. The first was the light, reductive style from higher yielding vines fermented in stainless steel at cool temperatures like 4H Tokaj Organic Furmint. Bal paired it with crunchy tempura of red mullet with sea vegetables.

The second style is richer, oilier and more textural from lower yields, like Kikelet Estate Furmint. With this, Bal chose seared scallop with confit kombu.

The third style shifts towards intensity with older vines from cooler areas, with no malolactic fermentation retaining the grape’s acid and inherent richness. With this steely linear style, Bal matched lobster taglioni and miso broth.

The richest style, often compared to white Burgundy, made from lower yields, warmer sites, natural yeast, Hungarian oak ferment and ageing is more like furmint’s half-sibling chardonnay. Bal chose a traditional peasant dish of chicken with vinegar sauces, lyonnaise potatoes and braised turnips.

Furmint is so versatile, it is also being made into sparkling wines and is grown in Austria, Slovenia, Slovakia, Croatia and Serbia. There is so much to explore with noble furmint.

Tokaj: 4 Haz Furmint Organic 2017

Water-white with apples, elderflower and grassy notes, a soft creamy blend of the Stumpf family’s 16 hectare vineyard with bought-in fruit from across Tokaj; would suit sauvignon blanc lovers.

£12.25, Wanderlust Wines

Tokaj: Furmint 2019 Nobilis Estate

GREAT VALUE

Apples, apricots and ginger; an explosive mouthful of citric fruit and honey and characteristic shrill acidity; brilliant value buy from a small artisan estate; also try their single vineyard wine from Novel Wines.

£9.95, The Wine Society

Tokaj: Furmint 2018 Kikelet Estate

STAR BUY

Loire-born Stephanie Berecz set up Kikelet estate 19 years ago. This estate style with five months on yeast is a step up from light everyday furmint to rich succulent fruits, creamy palate and fine acidity.

£15.60, Wanderlust Wines

Tokaj: Furmint 2017 Dobogo

Top-performing Tokaj estate run by Italian Izabella Zwack and winemaker Attila Domokos; six months' oak and age on lees has created a creamy rich textural furmint with fine minerally core.

£19.50, Fine Wine Musselburgh

Badacsony: Varadi Furmint 2018 Gilvesy

STAR BUY

Gilvesy was set up by two winemakers from Canada and Hungary; volcanic soils, wild yeast fermented, nine months’ lees and Hungarian oak have created an intense, rich, honeyed furmint with candied fruit and a dense spicy finish. £15.92, Davy’s Wines

Tokaj: Furmint 2017 TR Wines

TR stands for Tallya Radicals who are rejuvenating this Tokaj village. With mature vines on volcanic soils, part lees-aged, part oak aged, this has beautiful quince, citric and nutty elements, finishing savoury and dry. £14.99, Novel Wines

Rose is one of only 418 qualified Masters of Wine in the world, www. rosemurraybrown.com