Furmint, Tokaj, Hungary

Incredibly rare and special sweet wine alert! Referred to in Hungary as “second mouth” wine due to the nature of its secondary extraction, we liken it to the awe-inspiring air of Rumpelstiltskin spinning straw into gold. Lenkey Pinceszet believe in the greatness of Tokaj wines, and work out of a winery built in the 1500s. Mindfully cultivating, they treat their wines as humans, guarding them from harm by using organic care throughout their eight vineyard sites. The process is simple-ish. First, take late harvest grapes affected with noble rot, the beneficial form of the grey fungus, Botrytis cinerea, that concentrates the acids, sugars and adds flavour complexity to wine grapes by evaporating their water content. Then blend that sweet & savoury, concentraed elixir with grape must and press, creating a historically beloved sweet wine also referred to as aszú. Then, to get Forditas (a Tokaj specialty wine since 1826) you take the remaining grape skins and soak them with more must or wine and press AGAIN! Released after 15 months in barrel and 11 years in bottle, this sweet wine made from acid forward furmint is rich, textured and overflowing with gumption. Bletted quince, dried bergamot, preserved ginger, green apple sour candies, walnut butter, meyer lemon zest & green pepperocini depth. Sip slowly and enjoy after the dinner plates have cleared and all that’s left between you and your sweet dreams is this syrupy sidekick.