A little confession--I was uncertain what to make of the bottle
because I did not immediately recognize Furmint. Combined with the
clearly foreign spelling of Evolution, I half wondered if this was a
proprietary or regional name of a blend. Perhaps this was the Hungarian
version of a claret (only white, of course). Or maybe worse--a
Frankenstein wine. After all, in an age when yeast is now being coaxed
into producing synthetic sandalwood and vanilla, one can only imagine
what small producers in Tokaj are doing in their spare time to compete
with the Loire and Napa.
But, in the end, nothing that
exciting was occuring. Furmint is a cold weather grape, appropriate of
course for Tokaj and its world famous noble rot. It is dry and acidic
without being bracing. It lacks the distinctive aromatics of Sauvignon
Blanc, and is much closer to Riesling in its complexion and makeup. DNA
profiling has established Gouais Blanc as the (perhaps unwilling) parent
of this grape. My initial uncertainty was largely due to native
ignorance. While I had quaffed a few Tojak glasses in my day, I am not
an avid drinker of dessert wine. I prefer Cognac to Brandy, and whiskey
to port. After a sumptuous dinner, the sweet does not usually appeal. So
I had never closely examined a bottle of Tojak, or bothered to learn
the first thing about it.
Furmint produces
non-distinctive aromatics, as far as I can tell. I would have confused
the nose with any number of whites. But this makes the grape probably
more of a blank slate. And when one is looking for a quaffable white
wine to start with, or to accompany a mildly spicy dish, or just to
drink on a hot day, this grape is an option. And the Evolúcio was a
pleasant and affordable option to stash away and pop into the fridge
when necessary.
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