вЂњHГЎrslevelЕ± is more вЂњfriendlyвЂќ when you smell it, with rich floral and honey flavours.

Here the dry HГЎrslevelЕ± can be a full-bodied wine with high acids with a hint of honey smell and taste,вЂќ she says.Д®rica Racz of SanzonTokaj describes it as a very welcoming variety, less steely than Furmint can sometimes be. From Tokaj, it is more mineral and less aromatic, but its main characteristic is linden blossom and honey. вЂњThanks to the diverse soils it can be very different depending on where it is grown. Kata Zsirai of her eponymous winery admits HГЎrslevelЕ± shares some characteristics of Furmint вЂ“ like high acids, high phenol content good for both dry and sweet wines вЂ“ but stresses its expressiveness. Basically, when the crop is good, the winemakerвЂ™s job is fun.вЂќ The aromas were so open, so spicy-fruity-salty-floral вЂ“ all at the same time вЂ“ and so concentrated on the palate.В I knew it would be easy to make a very prominent wine from them. вЂњI still remember when I smelt and tasted HГЎrslevelЕ± bunches. вЂњI fell in love with HГЎrslevelЕ± when I arrived at Barta Winery,вЂќ says Vivien Ujvari. And also exciting right now, as winemakers are treating it as the new kid on the block and experimenting with what works best,вЂќ says Gilby. вЂњItвЂ™s an easy grape to fall in love with, spicy and inviting. As I say, an amazing range from a grape that really deserves to be better known. It was also fascinating, in showing the extraordinary range of HГЎrslevelЕ±В , from CenturioвЂ™s Fay-Domb HГЎrslevelЕ±В 2020, a steely, youthful almost austere take, through Pajzos Tokaji HГЎrslevelЕ±В 2015, a delicious wine from an historic vineyard showing how gracefully the variety can age.ДЄnd with residual sugar levels otherwise ranging from BenedekвЂ™s zero grams through the more typical residual sugar range of 3-6 g/l, it was great to conclude with FulekyвЂ™s Uragya HГЎrslevelЕ±В 2019 from a famously beautiful vineyard, this was big, with 24 grams of residual sugar though supported with 6.1 g/l of acidity. It was an ambitious event some 36 members of the trade Zoomed in to taste the 12 samples gathered by 67 Pall Mall in a Masterclass hosted by Caroline Gilby MW and 67вЂ™s Zsofi Kiss.

So Wines of Hungary opted to showcase it in their first Zoom tasting devoted to the variety. And it must be said, it is demanding recognition: outside Hungary and Slovakia вЂ“ where it is known as Lipovina вЂ“ and Romania and Germany, which have tiny plantings, its profile is so low as to be non-existent. With winemakers becoming less risk averse and experimenting more with terroir, as well as using more modern winemaking practices, this is a variety that is now demanding more respect, not least because site is absolutely key to good quality HГЎrslevelЕ± as a result, most of the good ones tend to be single vineyard wines. But seriously, although there are whole You Tube videos devoted to the pronunciation, once said, youвЂ™re away вЂharsh-level-oooвЂ™ means вЂlindenвЂ™ or вЂlime leafвЂ™, and is a crossing between Furmint, HungaryвЂ™s leading white variety, and the much more obscure Tzimlyanski Belyi (another for the pantheon),Д«ut although it is the second most planted white variety and a key component of the world famous Tokaji Aszu wines, where it was first officially found in 1723, HГЎrslevelЕ±В has long played second fiddle. HГЎrslevelЕ±В belongs to that tongue-twisting pantheon of white Hungarian grape varieties вЂ“ think also Arany Sarfeher, Cserszegi Fuszeres, Kiralyleanyka Kovidinka and Sargomuskatoly вЂ“ which like all Hungarian nouns are easy enough to say after a glass or three. Now the on-trade вЂ“ and indeed the off-trade вЂ“ has taken Furmint on board as a go-to variety, the door has been opened to the other varieties this oenologically fascinating country has to offer,вЂќ writes Keay.

Buyer tokek 2015