Oremus : Furmint Dry Mandolás 2020

Tasting Notes and Serving Suggestions for Oremus’s Furmint Dry Mandolás 2020

Tasting

Color

The wine displays a pale yellow hue with bright highlights.

Nose

The nose reveals a complex bouquet of citrus fruits, notably lemon and lime, alongside notes of green apple and white flowers. Delicate floral aromas lend elegance and finesse to the whole.

Palate

On the palate, this wine shows a rich, generous texture despite its dry profile. Lemon and lime flavors lead the attack, joined by notes of stone fruit and pear. The mid-palate offers a subtle spicy dimension reminiscent of white pepper and nutmeg. Bright, lively acidity provides fresh structure, while the finish lingers with mineral and saline notes.

Food and Wine Pairings

This Furmint Dry Mandolás 2020 pairs beautifully with seafood, especially oysters and shellfish. It also matches very well with grilled fish, poultry, and Asian cuisine. Fresh goat cheeses and light vegetable-based dishes also make excellent pairings.

Serving and cellaring

Furmint Dry Mandolás 2020 is ideally served at a temperature of 18°C. This wine can be enjoyed now, but it also has cellaring potential through around 2035 when stored under optimal conditions (12-14°C with 60% relative humidity).

A dry white wine from Tokaj combining minerality and aromatic complexity

The estate

Founded in 1993 by the Álvarez family, owners of the prestigious Spanish estate Vega Sicilia, Oremus is located in the village of Tolcsva, in the heart of the Tokaj region in Hungary. Oremus’s historic vineyard, whose origins date back to the 1620s, is closely tied to the birth of the legendary Tokaji Aszú in the 17th century. Since January 2021, Róbert Kindl has managed the estate, which spans around 100 hectares of vines. Oremus stands out for its innovative approach, producing outstanding dry white wines from the Furmint grape, traditionally associated with the region’s sweet wines.

The vineyard

Furmint Dry Mandolás comes from 35 hectares of vines planted on the volcanic soils characteristic of the Tokaj region. The plots lie at elevations between 150 and 300 meters, benefiting from optimal southern exposure. The soils are mainly composed of nyirok, a red clay formed from the breakdown of volcanic rocks, along with loess and rock powder from pumice deposits. The vineyard benefits from the unique microclimate created by the Zemplén Mountains, which shield the area from cold northerly winds. The Furmint vines, some of which come from historic clonal selections, produce concentrated grapes that fully express the minerality of the terroir.

The vintage

The 2020 vintage was marked by a cold winter and spring followed by a cool, humid summer. The winter of 2019-2020 was mild and rainy, while spring remained cold and dry, with normal budbreak but slowed vegetative growth. Summer proved notably cooler and wetter than average, with normal flowering but delayed veraison. Conditions improved considerably after August 15, with drier, sunnier weather supporting optimal ripening. September remained dry and sunny, providing ideal conditions for the harvest.

Winemaking and aging

The grapes for Furmint Dry Mandolás 2020 were hand-harvested between September 15 and October 3, 2020, with controlled yields of 6,300 kilograms per hectare. After gentle pressing, fermentation took place 30% in new Hungarian oak barrels and 70% in stainless-steel tanks. Seventy percent of the wine was then aged for three months in Hungarian oak barrels with weekly lees stirring, followed by an additional three months of resting in barrel. The remaining 30% matured in stainless-steel tanks to preserve the wine’s freshness and primary aromas.

Grape variety

100% Furmint