Philipp Presents:
Furmint MÉTHODE TRADITIONELLE 2020 – EXTRA BRUT
At the heart of the Csobanc mountain, nestled among rolling vineyards and fertile soil is the home of Villa Tolnay, a winery known for producing exceptional wines that captivated the senses.
However, the owners and the winemaker at Villa Tolnay had a vision beyond their renowned still wines - they yearned to create a sparkling wine that would be a true testament to their unique terroir and expertise.
Thus, the journey to create their first sparkling wine began.
Unlike other wineries, Villa Tolnay was determined to craft their Méthode Traditionelle entirely from A to Z on their own at the winery itself.
From the harvest, pressing of the grapes, fermenting, tirage, bottle fermentation, dégorgement until to the final bottling, every step would be meticulously orchestrated by them.
This was the only way to ensure that the sparkling wine would possess the signature character synonymous with Villa Tolnay.
For their inaugural sparkling wine, the team chose Furmint grapes from a single vineyard on the Csobanc mountain. Grown in volcanic soil, enriched by the sedimentation sand from the former Pannonian Sea, these grapes carried the essence of their remarkable terroir.
Harvested on a crisp September morning, the Furmint grapes were carefully handpicked and rigorously selected to guarantee the utmost quality for the base wine, aiming for an alcohol potential of little above 10% before the second fermentation.
The pressing process was very gentle and carefully for about 3 to 4 hours. The must was then naturally sedimented for 12 hours and withdrawn from the sedimentation tank slightly “milky” to ensure maximum richness of the must.
Then, the must underwent a spontaneous fermentation in a used 750-liter Stockinger oak barrel, where the newly born wine matured for six months, absorbing the fine and delicate flavors of the lees and wood.
Come March of the following year, the wine was extracted from its barrel and prepared for the Tirage, the traditional process of bottling the base wine with yeast and sugar for the all-important bottle fermentation.
Crown corks sealed the bottles, and over the next six to nine months, the magic of the second fermentation unfolded, resulting in a sparkling wine with an enchanting bottle pressure of 5.5 bar.
With great care, the bottles were placed upside-down, their heads resting in riddle racks to mature gracefully. In early 2023, the time for Remuage arrived.
Countless hours were spent turning the bottles clockwise and counterclockwise, coaxing the "dead" yeasts to collect in the neck of each bottle - a delicate dance ensuring clarity and purity.
On the fateful day of March 23rd, precisely 30 months after the harvest, the moment of Dégorgement arrived.
The heads of the bottles were subjected to a chilling temperature of minus 27 degrees Celsius, freezing the yeasts’ sediments before disgorging.
As the crown corks were released, the icy plug, now tightly bound with the yeasty remnants, propelled itself out, leaving behind a crystal-clear, effervescent liquid within each bottle.
But the journey was not yet complete.
A final touch of enchanting roundness was desired, and so the winemakers performed the dosage.
Sugar dissolved in their delicious Furmint still wine from the same vintage provided the finishing touch and balanced the dryness of this Extra Brut sparkling wine. The bottles were filled to the perfect level, corked, and adorned with an agraffe, sealing in the extraordinary spirit that lays within.
Find more infos about Furmint 2020 here.
The production of this sparkling wine was limited to a mere 1000 bottles for the vintages 2020, 2021 and 2022.
However, due to the overwhelming success of their first vintage, plans were already underway to increase production for the upcoming years, promising up to 2000 bottles - a testament to their steady commitment to create wines of unparalleled character.
As the winery looks toward the future, Villa Tolnay has taken a bold step, blending 50% of Riesling with Furmint for their sparkling wine as of vintage 2021. This captivating cuvée intertwines two prized grape varieties of the Balaton region, unveiling the true essence of their unique terroir – a testament to the region's richness and complexity.
With each sip of their first sparkling wine “Furmint Méthode Traditionell 2020”, one can taste the untamed spirit of the Csobanc mountain and feel the passion and dedication that Villa Tolnay poured into every step of its creation.
It stands as a sparkling testament to their unwavering pursuit of perfection, destined to captivate connoisseurs and wine enthusiasts alike, revealing the magic and allure of Villa Tolnay's terroir.