2023 Wenzel Furmint Aus dem Quarz

Furmint is a grape variety that’s best known in Hungary, where it makes textured yet high-acid white wines, from the famous sweet Tokaji Aszú to compelling dry table wines. But before phylloxera, which arrived in Austria around 1870, furmint also dominated white wine production in Austria, especially in the Burgenland (eastern Austria, next to Hungary). A small but growing number of adventurous producers has been replanting the variety in their vineyards around Lake Neusiedl. One of those growers was Michael Wenzel’s father, who in 1984 smuggled furmint cuttings from Hungary back over the border into Austria. The Wenzels made their first furmint wine in 1987. “Our declared goal is to establish Furmint as the white wine grape variety of Burgenland,” Michael says.

He is now one of Austria’s most prominent natural wine producers. This furmint comes from three east-facing vineyards dotting the hills above Rust, on the west side of Lake Neusiedl. The soils are rocky and dominated by quartz, hence 'Aus dem Quarz' (From the Quartz). Fermentation occurred in stainless steel tanks, followed by 10 months of aging on the fine lees in neutral oak barrels. The wine was bottled unfined and unfiltered. Like most furmints, it has a compelling tension between texture and volume on the one hand and acidity and minerality on the other. The yellow and white fruits are restrained by taut structure and a judicious amount of smoky reduction. Pairing ideas include grilled or baked fish, sushi, and dumplings.