Weingartner Furmint 2022: Volcanic Fire from Somló

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.

Weingartner Furmint bottle with a purple vine-drawing label beside a glass of deep amber-orange wine

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.

Hand holding the Weingartner Furmint bottle while pouring pale wine into a tilted glass

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.

At the table

Deep-fried seaweed (a Belgian two-star kitchen pairs it this way)
Shellfish in beurre blanc
Asian dishes with Sichuan pepper
Rich poultry preparations

Availability

Just 200 bottles of this vintage. The stock left for Belgium. Spot it and grab it.

Sources

Producer (official site)
Wines of Hungary: winesofhungary.org