2020 Peter Wetzer Furmint Somló

WINEMAKER: Peter Wetzer
VARIETAL: Furmint
REGION: Sopron, HU
VITICULTURE: Organic

Szt. Marton vineyard, on the East side of the Somló volcano. Planted in 1989, organically managed. Volcanic soil (basalt, tuff). Grapes are hand-harvested and selected, then gently foot-stomped and basket-pressed into in 500-liter barrels (Hungarian and Austrian oak) where they slowly fermented with wild yeast until racking in February. The wine then ages in the same barrels until May when it’s bottled by gravity. No fining or filtration.

"Peter Wetzer grew up in a winemaking family, and while he studied the world of wine he came to realize he vastly preferred the wines that were made more naturally. In 2007 he purchased five different vineyards around the town of Sopron, in the northwest part of Hungary. Sopron was formerly the capital of Burgenland, so it is not surprising that the Kékfrankos (Blaufränkisch) variety is so commonly found here. Peter works Kékfrankos on five different vineyard sites comprising 2.5 hectares and additionally has 1 hectare of furmint vines he planted himself near the Ság volcano, and another hectare of vines from a few different varieties like Pinot Noir. He works to have very healthy soil, with natural biodiversity, and minimum spraying with copper sulfate and a nettle tincture he makes. He believes in minimal intervention in the vines, never tilling the soil or trimming the leaves. All grapes are hand-harvested, and the vineyards are all fermented separately." - Jenny & Francois