Royal Tokaji Furmint Vineyard Selection

Description

Royal Tokaji Furmint Vineyard Selection is a dry white wine made from 100% Furmint grapes sourced from the finest classed growth vineyards in the village of Mád. Dulovalogatas is the Hungarian for vineyard selectiom.

Just after the fall of Communism the Royal Tokaji Wine Company was founded by a group of foreign investors. The group of investors included the highly regarded wine writer and historian Hugh Johnson. In 1990 this was some of the very first foreign investment permitted in the country after Communism had fallen. The investors began working with 62 Hungarian winegrowers whose vineyards are located in and around the village of Mád in northeastern Hungary. 

From the beginning the goal of the Royal Tokaji Wine Company was to concentrate on producing only the best Aszu wines with a sweetness level of 4 puttonyos or more. Using the Tokay classification of 1700 as their guide to the finest terroirs, the association of growers and investors produced their first vintage in 1990. The company is also commited to producing some of the finest single-vineyard wines made from the first growth vineyards.

Today the Royal Tokaji Company now comprises some 108 hectares of vineyards: a unique combination of first and second growth vineyards, including one of the two great first growths Mézes Mály, along with Szt Tamás, Betsek, Nyulászó, Birsalmás. As well as Hungary’s most famous sweet wines they also produce some dry white wines including this Furmint and a Harslevelu. Furmint makes up approximately 70% of plantings in the region. It is a grape variety very high levels of tartaric acid which is particularly susceptible to Botrytis cinerea (perfect for dessert wines).

Royal Tokaji Furmint Vineyard Selection is made from 100% Furmint. These are harvested by hand at the end of September and transported to the winery in small harvesting bins to avoid crushing the grapes and subsequent oxidation. In the winery the bins are emptied into pneumatic presses, normally without destemming.  Whole bunches were pressed and fermented in Zemplén (Hungarian) oak barrels. After fermentation the wine was matured for six months in 300 litre and 500 litre barrels. The final blend has a proportion of 20% new oak.