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Királyudvar Tokaji Furmint Sec 2014

Királyudvar Tokaji Furmint Sec 2014

An aromatic kaleidoscope of Bosc pear, greengage, lily of the valley, corn shoot, almond paste, and smoky minerality, the 2014 Királyudvar Tokaji Furmint Sec is a vibrant shade of burnished gold in the glass. A mouthwatering and tensile acid spine brushes up against mid-and-fore palate texture from aging on lees. All in all, a gorgeous […]

Szent Tamás Percze 3400 Palack Tokaji Száraz Furmint 2013

2013 Szent Tamás Percze 3400 Palack

With a mouthfeel that reminds me very much of a Condrieu from a top producer, perhaps with a little more weight the 2013 Szent Tamás Percze 3400 Palack Tokaji Száraz Furmintcaptivates with breathtaking aromas of blanched almonds, quince, yellow peach, spice, orange blossom, and honeycomb. Feels like it might be more voluptuous than it is, […]

Tokaj Oremus Aszú 3 Puttonyos 2006

Tokaj Oremus Aszú 3 Puttonyos 2006

Pure, unctuous joy, the 2006 Oremus Tokaj Aszú 3 Puttonyos opens with a botrytized veneer of apricot skins, orange marmalade, forest honey, cloves, and baking spice. On the palate, a languid core of ultra-ripe stone fruit is neatly intersected by a burst of mouth-puckeringly taut acidity. Smoked sea salt notes lend complexity to a lingering, […]

Kősziklás Borászat Juhfark 2016

Kősziklás Borászat Juhfark 2016

Enjoyed at the recent #winelover hangout in Bucharest, the 2016 Kősziklás Juhfark sports a classic profile of walnut skins, almond and, perhaps a touch of lemon pith. Medium-bodied and angular, fruit is not the focus, nor is it the soul of this wine. The real joy lies in the unfolding of its arching, rocky spine, […]

Szent Tamás Hárslevelű 2012

Szent Tamás Hárslevelű 2012

Mad is the second label of Szent Tamás Winery, and both are masterfully crafted by 18th generation winemaker István Szepsy Jr. Like Furmint, Hárslevelű is indigenous to Tokaj, it differs from Furmint in that it’s lush as opposed to linear, and generously fruited. As a blend, it forms the mid-palate. Here, it shows of oxidized […]

Szent Tamás Dry by Tokaj White 2015

Szent Tamás Dry by Tokaj White 2015

I had the pleasure of visiting the Szepsy family last fall—the time spent with them gave me insight into why the Tokaj region, famed for its sweet wines is now transitioning to more dry-style offerings. The Dry by Tokaj, an entry level in their portfolio is the color of straw, with vivid aromas of bosc […]

Tokaj’s New Golden Age

Mád Village

How a quiet revolution in Mád will change the way think about Tokaji. To visit Tokaj is to pull back the curtain on an extraordinary place, an ancient place that, at first glance, appears frozen in time even as the region embraces change. Storybook houses cluster together, defining this village from that; only the town […]

The Wine of Kings Has a New Successor

King's Vineyard, Tokaj

Why Dry Furmint will be the Next Big Thing   This problem is one that the region’s vintners are acutely aware of, and, perhaps for the first time in decades, Tokaj is ready to reinvent itself. István Szepsy Sr., the region’s most acclaimed winemaker, has seen tremendous upheaval during his lifetime. His son, István Szepsy […]

Szent Tamás Teleki 1088 Palack Tokaji Késői Szüretelésű 2012

Szent Tamás Teleki Palack Tokaji Késői Szüretelésű 2012

I suspect, giving this wine’s lushness, this is Hárslevelű or a blend of Furmint and Hárslevelű. Lemon yellow in the glass with opulent notes of apricot and ripe mango, honeysuckle and a classic botrytised nose. It’s full and viscous on the palate with plump apricot at the core followed by cardamom and Seville orange marmalade. […]

MÁD Tokaj Dry Furmint 2012

MÁD Tokaj Dry Furmint 2012

One of the bottles I brought back in my luggage, the 2012 MÁD Tokaj Dry Furmint is exactly as advertised, bone dry. Furmint is a non-aromatic white, in this style what shines through is complexity and minerality. Nuanced aromas of walnut skins, burnished pear, golden apple and a sort of golden-hued, bordering on oxidative noblesse […]

CHRISTINE HAVENS
McMinnville, OR

christine@christine-havens.com