KARDOS DRY FURMINT
Screw Cap
Complex and elegant, this is a fantastic example of a little known (here in the UK at least) Hungarian wine.
Tokaj, Hungary
2020
12.5% ABV.
100% Furmint
75cl
£15.95
Price includes VAT
Tasting notes:
Pale green in colour with a fresh grapefruit nose. Notes of grapefruit, pear and lime. which follow through on the palate. Dry and beautifully crisp with an elegant minerality which keeps the wine in balance. With a refreshing bitter edge on the finish.
About the wine:
From 20 year old vines grown in the south facing Arany Sajgó vineyard on volcanic white zeolite soil. Grapes are manually harvested and fast crushing and destemming takes place within hours of harvesting. Grapes are gently pressed in a pneumatic press, controlled fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks where natural Tokaji yeast is added. Wine is aged in stainless stell tanks for three months with battonage once a week.
About the producer:
This winery ticks so many boxes... tiny and family owned, steeped in history, from Tokaj – the oldest classified wine region in Europe (1737), Furmint grape variety specialists, and just all round nice people.
Located in the crazy sounding village of Mád (regarded as Tokaj's most important and prestigious wine area), the vineyards have been in the family for centuries, however, the opportunity to build the Kardos winery was only possible after the Central and Eastern Europe revolution of 1989. From humble beginnings of selling wines from their cellar door and to local bars, this boutique winery started to get more serious when the owners son, Gábor Jnr. came on board full time in 2008.
Abandoning a law degree for the land, Gábor Jnr started modernising the winery, introducing strict yield restrictions, multiple bunch selection and selective harvesting techniques – all of which dramatically increased overall wine quality. With vineyards in Mád and the two neighbouring villages of Rátka and Bodrogkeresztúr, Kardos produce (in the words of Gábor Jnr) “Characteristic dry white Tokaji and late harvest sweet wines by optimising the exceptionally characteristics and extraordinary uniqueness of the Mád terroir”.
They also craft the rare Tokaji Aszú only in exceptional vintages and only then in limited quantities. Their philosophy is to ‘Create of as natural wines as possible from concentrated, healthy, raw materials, in a clean environment and with as little intervention as possible'. Kardos wines are distinct, extremely tasty and of the highest quality... definitely a winery to keep an eye on.
Food match:
Perfect as an apertif, or try with seafood linguine, salads and cheese.
