Grape Glossary

Hárslevelű’s major role is in the blend of Tokaji Aszú, Hungary’s botrytized dessert wine, in which the primary grape is Furmint. The wine is produced by adding crushed, overripe grapes to the finished wine to achieve a degree of sweetness that is rated from three to six puttonyos, six being the sweetest. Hàrslevelü adds an intense fragrance of smoke and spice to Furmint’s high acid, high alcohol and powerful structure.
Vinified as a dry varietal wine, Hàrslevelü can be variable in quality.

The fruit is late ripening and has moderate acidity and extract. Under the right conditions it can be affected by Botrytis cinerea, or noble rot, the fungus that is crucial in the production of Tokaji Aszú.

This native Hungarian variety is the second most important white grape of the Tokaji district and is planted throughout Hungary. The name means linden leaf.