Affinitas Tokaj Furmint

Varietals

• This is a blend of 85% Furmint, 7% Hárslevelű, 5% Yellow Muscat and 3% Kabar.

Location

• The Sopron wine region is located in Hungary at the western Hungarian border with eastern Austria. In ancient times Sopron was a province of the Roman Empire called Scarbantia. When the Hungarians arrived in the area between the 9th and 11th Century, Sopron was in ruins. The Hungarians rebuilt and strengthened the old Roman city with a protective wall and a castle. The Romans tended vineyards and after establishing the Hungarian state, the new settlers developed viticulture further. Historical documents show that extensive vineyards were already established in the 13th Century. In the 17th century, the city adopted protectionist laws banning the local sale of foreign wines, imposing taxes on any wine traveling through the region and limiting tavern rights to local growers. 

  Affinitás & Evolúció come from the Tokaj region in Hungary. Tokaj is a synonym of dessert wines and takes its name from the town of Tokaj-Hegyalja in the northern part of the country. Tokaj is a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2002. It also has the world's oldest classification system which started in 1730, several decades before Port wine and 120 years before Bordeaux. The classification system was completed by national census in 1772.

  Tokaj Aszú was one of the Sun King Louis XIV’s favorite wines; he famously called it the "King of Wines, and Wine of King's". 

  The Tokaji vineyards are located near the border with Slovakia and Ukraine and cover around 5000 ha, most planted against the south facing slopes. The area stretches over 85km long and 4km wide. The Bodrog and Tisza rivers dominate the plain and create the ideal conditions for Furmint and Hárslevelü to ripen and develop noble rot. The climate of Tokaj is continental with relatively high temperature variations. On the plain the average yearly temperature is 9 to 10ºC, 21 ºC in July and -3 ºC in January. On the mountain slopes the average annual temperature is higher by half a degree, yet winters are slightly colder. The average change of temperature is 13 ºC throughout the year; this coupled with long, sunny summers and dry and sunny early autumns allow for growing healthy and ideally ripened grapes. The humidity from the two rivers brings the autumn fog and therefore allows botrytis to develop. The average annual rainfall is 591 mm, due to the proximity of the Great Plain to the south; winters are relatively cold. Tokaj Vineyards are blessed with a wide variety of volcanic soils. This diversity of soils, with riolit, andezit, riolittufa and andezittufa, not only retain heat beautifully to ripen grapes evenly, they also develop the rich fruitiness in the final wine and impart a remarkable mineral character. This combination of fruit and minerality is the ideal combination to make exceptional wines with a good aging potential.

Tasting Notes

• The name Furmint is taken from the French word "froment" for the wheat‐gold color of the wine it produces. Hárslevelű is the second most planted grape in the Tokaji region and is usually blended and will add spice and delicate notes of elderflower. Kabar is a cross between Hárslevelű and Bouvier, it is an indigenous grape from Tokaji and it has been authorized in the appellation since 2006. It is ideally suited to make dessert wines, it is a low yielding varietal and usually produces highly concentrated wines with great acidity. Sarga Muskotaly (Yellow Muscat) is one of three grapes used to make the famous Tokaji Aszú wine along with Furmint and Hárslevelű. Affinitás is fermented in stainless steel tanks. The Kabar and a portion of the Furmint were matured in Hungarian oak barrels to impair the richness and body to the wine. The rest of the Furmint, Yellow Muscat and Hárslevelű were kept in stainless steel tanks to preserve the fresh and crispy character.

• Color : Bright yellow with green hues. Nose : Intense and elegant nose with white flowers and spice, showing great minerality. Palate : Fresh and balanced, summer fruits and spice, it is unctuous, with great level of acidity.
  

Pairings

• Spiced dishes
• Roast Chicken
• Pork