For most drinkers Furmint means one thing: sweet Tokaj. On Somló’s volcanic slopes, Oliver Weingartner makes a dry version that sits a long way from that cliché; mineral, structured, with a roundness his Juhfark does not carry.

Two soils, one region

The Juhfark grows on pure basalt here; the Furmint sits on mixed soil: less clay, with brown forest earth mixed in. The difference makes this Furmint more approachable without losing Somló’s volcanic backbone.

In the cellar

Oliver calls himself a “lazy winemaker”. It comes down to:

Whole-cluster pressing in pneumatic press, three hours
One night of settling
Spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts on stainless steel
After two weeks into oak casks and porous tanks
Eight months on fine lees
No SO₂ until bottling

Tasting note

Mid-blond. The nose is structured and full, with classic Furmint character and an earthy, clayey undertone that gives the terroir away. Concentrated fruit (apricot, peach, nectarine, a touch of sour cherry) with a herbal-spice twist.

The palate carries no biting acidity but a refined, long line of tension. Mineral-precise, with a saline tail and developing nutmeg. More approachable than many Somló whites, without the region disappearing.