Királyudvar Tokaji Furmint Sec 2020

$28.00

Location: Hungary

Winemaker: Anthony Hwang

Grapes: 85% Furmint, 15% Hárslevelu

Soil: volcanic clay/rock

Winemaking: Fruit is gently pressed. Wild yeasts spurs natural fermentation in 500 liter Hungarian oak barrels

From the Importer Rare Wine Co.: Introduced in 2005, this innovative dry wine balances Furmint’s viscous intensity and bright acidity in an electrifying, versatile white wine.

When Anthony Hwang loaded his family in the car and drove northeast from Budapest in 1997, he could hardly have imagined where the road would lead.

The trip was inspired by a Tokaji Aszú that a sommelier had recommended the previous evening. The wine made such an impression that Tony felt he had to learn more about it. For what Tony craved most in wine, this bottle offered in spades—a profound identity and razor-sharp balance.

Tokaj was once one of the world’s most prestigious wine regions; its top Aszú and Esszencia dessert wines were among the world’s most coveted and expensive. Yet two world wars devastated Tokaji’s traditional European markets, and the decline continued under Communist rule.

But after the Iron Curtain’s fall, a few lone souls struggled to preserve the Tokaji legacy. The most prominent was István Szepsy, whom Tony was determined to meet. Tony was floored by the wines he tasted. He was moved by not only what was in the glass, but by the realization that, with investment and steady purpose, the region could again produce some of the world’s most unique and intriguing wines.

Just a few months after his visit, Tony purchased what was perhaps the region’s crown jewel, Királyudvar—which for centuries had supplied Imperial wine to the Hapsburgs.  The estate has prime holdings in the historical crus of Henye, Percze, Becsek, and the grand cru Lapis, all in the central villages of Mád and Bodrogkeresztúr. Szepsy became a partner, helping Tony to rehabilitate the vineyards, while the château itself was rebuilt.

But with time, Szepsy departed, and Tony assumed the reins full-time. By that point, Tony also owned the Loire Valley’s greatest Vouvray producer, Domaine Huet. The deep well of institutional knowledge there began to inform many decisions at Királyudvar, particularly a conversion to biodynamic viticulture.

Today, Tony has rekindled the legacy of this providential wine region. But he’s not stopping there, having recognized, for example, that the local varieties, with their viscous intensity and bright acidity, could produce world-class dry, demi-sec, and sparkling wines.

Location: Hungary

Winemaker: Anthony Hwang

Grapes: 85% Furmint, 15% Hárslevelu

Soil: volcanic clay/rock

Winemaking: Fruit is gently pressed. Wild yeasts spurs natural fermentation in 500 liter Hungarian oak barrels

From the Importer Rare Wine Co.: Introduced in 2005, this innovative dry wine balances Furmint’s viscous intensity and bright acidity in an electrifying, versatile white wine.

When Anthony Hwang loaded his family in the car and drove northeast from Budapest in 1997, he could hardly have imagined where the road would lead.

The trip was inspired by a Tokaji Aszú that a sommelier had recommended the previous evening. The wine made such an impression that Tony felt he had to learn more about it. For what Tony craved most in wine, this bottle offered in spades—a profound identity and razor-sharp balance.

Tokaj was once one of the world’s most prestigious wine regions; its top Aszú and Esszencia dessert wines were among the world’s most coveted and expensive. Yet two world wars devastated Tokaji’s traditional European markets, and the decline continued under Communist rule.

But after the Iron Curtain’s fall, a few lone souls struggled to preserve the Tokaji legacy. The most prominent was István Szepsy, whom Tony was determined to meet. Tony was floored by the wines he tasted. He was moved by not only what was in the glass, but by the realization that, with investment and steady purpose, the region could again produce some of the world’s most unique and intriguing wines.

Just a few months after his visit, Tony purchased what was perhaps the region’s crown jewel, Királyudvar—which for centuries had supplied Imperial wine to the Hapsburgs.  The estate has prime holdings in the historical crus of Henye, Percze, Becsek, and the grand cru Lapis, all in the central villages of Mád and Bodrogkeresztúr. Szepsy became a partner, helping Tony to rehabilitate the vineyards, while the château itself was rebuilt.

But with time, Szepsy departed, and Tony assumed the reins full-time. By that point, Tony also owned the Loire Valley’s greatest Vouvray producer, Domaine Huet. The deep well of institutional knowledge there began to inform many decisions at Királyudvar, particularly a conversion to biodynamic viticulture.

Today, Tony has rekindled the legacy of this providential wine region. But he’s not stopping there, having recognized, for example, that the local varieties, with their viscous intensity and bright acidity, could produce world-class dry, demi-sec, and sparkling wines.