Furmint is Slovenia’s oldest variety. It was already around in Roman times and has been present in the region for over 1,000 years where it now occupies one fifth of all vineyards. The Slovenian name for Furmint, ‘šipon’, supposedly comes from the times of the Illyrian Provinces, when Napoleon’s soldiers, upon drinking the wine, exclaimed “c’est si bon” – which was interpreted as ‘šipon’ by the locals. Furmint buds early and ripens late. It has the longest growth period which implies an excellent quality potential. Because it has large grapes it is of key importance for the quality that the crop on the vine is not too large. That is why the main, and most difficult, task is to maintain the correct load on the vines by thinning out the crop. 10% of the wine was barrel fermented in 2-3 years old Seguin Moreau French 225 litre barriques - and left on fine lees for four months. Then gentle filtration without fining followed.
