Elegant and complex, this wine offers stony and mineral flavors, orchard fruit, salinity, and lemon.  The palate is fresh and clean, and flavors are layered.  There is an interesting acidity on the attack that takes a back seat on the midpalate. The salt of tears rather than seawater is clear on the attack through the midpalate. Medium in body, this wine has a long, complex finish.

WINE INFORMATION

Tokaj is a village in the extreme northeast of Hungary; wines made from the region around the village rather than the village itself, are known as Tokaji.  Best known for its signature sweet wine, Tokaji Aszú, the area also produces dry wines, both from the dominant grape, Furmint. Furmint is a high-acid grape, producing wines with the ability to age well, but it is also delightful in its youth.  The dry versions are usually extremely concentrated.  Furmint buds early and ripens slowly.  It is very subject to noble rot (Aszú means shrunken or shriveled), and the sweet wines were widely exported as early as the 16^th century.  Production languished during the 20^th century, as the taste for sweet wines diminished.  Under Soviet rule, many (though by no means all) vineyards and wineries were nationalized, and quantity rather than quality drove production.  After the collapse of Soviet rule, recovery began, with the quality of both sweet and dry wines, reds and whites, improving considerably.  Foreign investment played a major role. 

The Disznókö estate was owned by an aristocratic Hungarian family since 1732, when it was declared a Premier Cru, but was nationalized in the 1940s.  It has been a World Heritage Site of Tokaji since 2002. The domaine was acquired by a giant French conglomerate with good sensibilities and significant investment in Eastern Europe in 1992, and the wines have returned to their former splendor.  Dry Furmint is usually produced from grapes grown at high altitudes, where botrytis is rare.  Soils are generally volcanic and the climate is continental.  Grapes for this wine were harvested by hand at a good level of ripeness.  The must was fermented in stainless steel; the wine saw no malolactic fermentation or oak.

From the Distributor: Furmint is the grape used to produce Hungary’s renowned sweet wine, Tokaji. When vinified dry, however, Furmint is capable of producing some very compelling white wine. This wine exhibits a bouquet of white flowers,grapefruit and pears. A refreshing texture gives way to expressive fruit on the palate and a lingering mineral finish. It will pair well with shellfish, white fishes, salads and picnic foods, but it also possesses the weight and profile to match with white meats and creamy pasta dishes as well.
Estate
The name Disznóko meaning "the rock of the wild boar" was first recorded in 1413 and refers to a large rock atop a small hill overlooking the vineyards. Listed as a "first growth" as far back as 1732, this 150ha vineyard in the south west of the Tokaji region has long been regarded as one of the region's finest. As with much of Tokaji, Disznóko's fortunes suffered under nationalization during the Communist era. But, in 1992, it was purchased by AXA Millésimes (owners of Château Pichon Longueville and Quinta do Noval, amongst others) who have reinvigorated Disznóko and put in the love and investment required to return it to the top rank of Tokaji estates.

Cheese, Cream Sauce Pasta, East Asian (Chinese/Japanese/Korean), Fondue, Just for Cocktailing, Perfect Aperitif , Vegetables