Australian Furmint wine regional and flavour profile

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Furmint taste and aromas

Dry styles of Furmint have flavours of Apricot, lime, smoked pears and a hint of honey on the nose. Dessert style wines can develop notes of marzipan, blood orange, apricots and barley sugar.

Furmint mouthfeel

Furmint wines can be produced as a bone-dry wine, or extremely sweet wines when afflicted by noble rot. Dry wines have high acidity with complex flavours, whereas sweet wines are high in sugar and acidity.

Furmint cellaring potential

When it comes to ageing, most Furmint wines are best drunk reasonably young, no more than 4 years after harvest. Better quality wines can last a bit longer, and the very best can age for a decade or even longer, building in complexity and taking on more honey, spice, barley sugar and cooking apple flavours as they develop. The best of the sweet versions can last for 50 years plus.

Facts about Furmint

• The name Furmint is taken from the word “froment” for the wheat-gold colour of the wine it produces.
• While it is possible that the grape is native to Hungary, the grape was likely brought to Hungary in the 13th century during the reign of King Béla IV.
• It is a late variety, usually ripening in the second half of October, and is often inflicted with Botrytis. A noble rot common in dessert wines

Australian regions that produce Furmint

In Australia, Furmint has been produced in the Southern Highlands region in Western Australia, where dry wines are made rather than the sweet botyrised (noble rot) wines.

While the exact origins of Furmint are not clear, it is generally well established that the grape was introduced to the Austro-Hungarian area in the Middle Ages. Today, Furmint is most widely grown in Hungary, particularly in the Tokaj-Hegyalja wine region where it is used to produce single-varietal dry wines. It is also grown in the tiny Hungarian wine region of Somló. It is also grown in Austria where it is known as Mosler. Smaller plantings are found in Slovenia where it is known as šipon. The grape is also planted in Croatia, Romania and the former republics of the Soviet Union.

What food to pair with Furmint

Fry Furmint wines can vary with flavour depending on which region it is produced in, so it is hard to generalise what food is best to match it with. As a general rule of thumb, dry Furmint works well with fish, white meats and spicy dishes.

Furmint produced in Austria generally pairs well with relatively light, fresh cooking such as grilled fish or salads, whereas Slovenian Furmint works well with richer fish dishes and chicken and ham in cream sauces, as they can handle a little more flavour. Heavier flavours from roast pork or chicken match better with Hungarian Furmint.