Oremus is one of the most well-known wineries in Tokaji. The property was acquired by the Alvarez family in 1993, the family that owns Vega Sicilia in Spain. I visited their winery in the village of Tolcsva, where their 115-hectare vineyard is located. This includes prestigious first class parcels that belonged to the Rakoczi and Szirmay families in the 18th century. And there was a sense of opulence at Oremus that I rarely encountered elsewhere in Tokaj. It not only infused their impressive portfolio, but was translated in their splendid tasting room, furnished with plush antique furniture more suited to a Bordeaux chateau. Of course, that has no bearing on the wines themselves, which are generally top quality and some of the purest Tokaj wines that you will find in the region.
It is fermented in the barrels that have just finished the fermentation for the dry wines and consists of a blend of Furmint (around 50%), Harslevelu, Muscat and Zeta. It has a composed, commercially minded bouquet with scents of orange blossom, honeydew melon and nutmeg. The palate is nicely balanced with a fine citric thread on the entry: notes of orange zest, grapefruit, apricot and a dash of ginger. It is not a complex Late Harvest Wine, but it is very clean and focused and would be perfect on a hot summer-s day.
