It is an early budding and late ripening variety which is particularly prone to rotting and botrytis. Its high acidity character gives the wine good longevity.

Its characteristics are lucidness; it tastes like apricot and a hint of honey. The depth of its fruitiness is balanced by the mineral backbone.

Furmint or Moser is on its way to become one of the most coveted new exotic white grape varieties. It should be enjoyed within four years of its production.

Being the principal grape, it is better known as the Tokaji dessert wines. Its cultivation is also carried out in the small Hungarian wine area of Somló. It is also grown in Austria, where it is known by the name Mosler.

Similarly, in Slovenia it is known as Šipon. Not only that, the grape is also planted in Croatia where it is called as Moslavac. It has also been found in Romania and in republics of the Soviet Union.

For most dry wines the harvest usually begins in September, however harvest period of sweet wine specifically may start in the second half of October or a bit later, and is often inflicted with diseases like the Botrytis.

The name Furmint is supposedly taken from the word Froment with reference to the wheat-gold like color of the wine it produces.

Origin of the Mosler grapes

It is believed that the grape variety was brought to Hungary in the thirteenth century through the sovereignty of King Béla IV.

Though, ampelographers think that the grape belongs to the same region. Mosler has been growing in the Tokaji region in the north-eastern Hungary since the late sixteenth century.

A document dated back to May 15th, 1571 states that the grape grew in the vineyard named Hetszolo of Tokaj. Also in 1611, the grape is noted to have been planted in the Gyepu Valley close to the town of Erdobenye which is situated at about twelve miles from Tokaj.

Many other wine grapes have been used in the making of the historic Tokaji dessert wine. In 1796, the Hungarian politician Janos Dercsenyi called it as real Tokaji Aszu grape.

In the early twenty first century, DNA analysis confirmed that Mosler and Gouais blanc shared a parent-offspring relationship. Furmint is likely to be the offspring of Gouais blanc.

As nearly all of the clones are found like Piros Furmint, approximately wholly, inside the Tokaji region, ampelographers believe that perhaps Furmint originated in the same region of Hungary.

Characteristics of the Mosler Wines

The Mosler grape generally ripens late and has an easily damageable soft skin, allowing the grape to dehydrate speedily. It is the chief varietal used in the Tokaji wines of Hungary.

Mosler grapes at first have a thick skin, but as they begin to ripen their skin becomes much thinner and transparent. This allows the sunrays to go through the grapes and fade much of the liquid inside, to produce wines of more concentration of sugar in them.

Other varietal grapes mature to the point of bursting; however, unlike most grapes, Mosler grows a second skin thereby preventing the berries from rotting.

This helps them develop the concentration of the grapes natural sugars. They can have the aging potential of over than a century.

Dessert style wines like the Mosler can develop notes of apricot, marzipan, blood orange and that of barley sugar. As these dessert styles of Mosler age, they often develop smokier and spicy notes, more like of tobacco, cinnamon and chocolate.

Food Pairings with Mosler Wines

Being desert wines and high in acidity, you can pair them a lot of desserts. Dishes like mozzerella and parma dry salad, sweet Hungarian fruit cake and good roquefort cheese are a good option.

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Wines with Mosler grapes