Sauska, Patricius, Kreinbacher, Béres – great Furmints at dr José Vouillamoz’s masterclass

VinCE Budapest wine event is a renowned wine exhibition of selected, mainly Hungarian wineries, and it owes its fame to the fabulous masterclasses with the wine celebrities of the world. This your Miguel A. Torres from Penedés, Spain, Jean-Baptiste Lécallion from Champagne Louis Roederer will have tutored tastings of their own wines, however dr José Vouillamoz, co-author the book Wine Grapes (with Jancis Robinson MW and Julia Harding MW) will give two lectures, both with Hungarian and foreign grapes. ’Related by blood’ will show indigenous Hungarian grape varieties paired wines identical to the local ones, but grown in another part of Europe (for example Hárslevelű from Hungary and Plantscher fro Switzerland). The other masterclass will present outstanding Furmint wines from all over Hungary, but also from Slovenia and Austria.

This is the wine list of the Furmint masterclass, which takes place on March 18.
A relatively new invention, a Furmint glass by Riedel will be presented as wll to see how the glass shows the best face of the variety.

–      Comparative tasting in 3 glasses :
Szent Tamás Mád Furmint 2013

–      Tasting in the Furmint glass only :
Verus Vineyards Furmint 2016

–      Comparative tasting in 3 glasses :
Szent Tamás Szent Tamás Furmint 2013

–      Tasting in the Furmint glass only :
Sauska Birsalmás, Tokaj 2015
Béres Lőcse Furmint 2013
Patricius Furmint Selection 2015
Gilvesy Próbaüzem Furmint 2015
Kreinbacher Furmint 2015
Heidi Schroeck Furmint 2010

–      Comparative tasting in 3 glasses : Szent Tamás Sweet Szamorodni

This is José Vouillamoz, the speaker’s greeting to the event:

More information and tickets: www.vincebudapest.com

Here is one of the ’star’ of the masterclass, the Sauska Birsalmás Furmint:

Planted 15 years ago, Birsalmás vineyard starts just off the village of Mád and turns gently South. This unique exposure and the eroded, clay-rich ryolite loam gives mineral, complex wines with great aging potential. Sauska has done essential preservation works in the vineyard in the last two years: vines were restructured, erosion prevention measures were implemented and centuries old terraces were given a new lease of life. The stone walls were rebuilt in an angle to give solid protection against water downpour and soil erosion. The iconic Birsalmás site encompasses the beauty and power of Tokaj-Hegyalja: its visuals and raw energy makes it an ideal starting point of all their vineyard tours.

Exposure: S-SW
Elevation: 160-208 m
Training method: cordon, Guyot.

 

2015 Vintage report from the winemaker of Sauska

‘After a very hard winter and cold spring we were happy to experience a normal mid-April bud break. Receiving just enough (35-50 mm) rain to get the plants energized, we enjoyed a beautiful spring with gradual warm-up and optimal temperature at blooming that resulted perfect binding. The temperatures remained very high until mid-September with peaks of 39 °C. The heat did not bring any rain causing serious slow-down in the growing process. The rain arrived way too late, in the middle of the harvest, destroying our dreams regarding botrytis and aszú. Grapes for dry wines remained healthy with slightly lower acidity due to the August heat.’

Harvest date: September 28, 2015.
Vinification:

• The destemmed fruit was cold-soaked for the night, then gently pressed.
• Inoculation and fermentation took place in French oak (new and third-fill combined).
• Malolactic fermentation in 60% of the lot.
• Fine lees aging for five months.
• Batonnage initially three times a week, then once a week for four months.
• Bottled July 21, 2016.
• 14, 02 % alc, 5,4 g/l acidity.

Total production: 4380 bottles.