Comparison
Chardonnay vs Furmint
How Chardonnay and Furmint differ, dimension by dimension.
The short answer
The main differences: Furmint has more sweetness; Furmint has more acidity; Furmint has more fruit intensity.
Where they genuinely differ
Only differences large enough to notice in the glass are listed here. A gap of half a point on a five-point scale is noise, and WineHQ does not dress it up as a finding.
Sweetness
Clear differencePerceived sugar in the finished wine, driven mainly by residual sugar but modified by acidity, alcohol and fruit ripeness.
Furmint is sweeter: medium against low.
Acidity
Clear differenceTotal perceived acidity. Rises in cooler climates and with earlier picking; falls with heat and ripeness.
Furmint is fresher and more acidic: high against medium-plus.
Fruit intensity
Clear differenceHow loudly the fruit flavours speak, independent of whether they are ripe or tart.
Furmint is fruitier: medium-plus against medium.
Floral character
Clear differenceBlossom, rose, violet, elderflower, acacia and related aromatic notes.
Chardonnay is more floral: low-medium against low.
Perceived freshness
Clear differenceThe overall impression of liveliness — a composite of acidity, alcohol balance, fruit character and the absence of tiredness. Distinct from raw acidity: a wine can be high in acid yet taste heavy.
Furmint is fresher: high against medium-plus.
Where they are much the same
Just as useful: knowing which parts of the choice do not matter.
- Tannin: Similar — both low.
- Alcohol: Similar — both medium.
- Body: Similar — both medium-plus.
- Aromatic intensity: Similar — both medium.
- Oak influence: Similar — both medium.
Full side by side
| Dimension | Chardonnay | Furmint |
|---|---|---|
| Sweetness | low (1/5) | typically medium, ranging from low to high (3/5) |
| Acidity | typically medium-plus, ranging from low-medium to high (4/5) | typically high, ranging from medium-plus to high (5/5) |
| Fruit intensity | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to medium-plus (4/5) |
| Floral character | typically low-medium, ranging from low to medium (2/5) | low (1/5) |
| Perceived freshness | typically medium-plus, ranging from low-medium to high (4/5) | typically high, ranging from medium-plus to high (5/5) |
| Tannin | low (1/5) | low (1/5) |
| Alcohol | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) |
| Body | typically medium-plus, ranging from low-medium to high (4/5) | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to medium-plus (4/5) |
| Aromatic intensity | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) |
| Oak influence | typically medium, ranging from low to high (3/5) | typically medium, ranging from low to medium-plus (3/5) |
| Savoury character | typically medium, ranging from low to medium-plus (3/5) | typically medium, ranging from low-medium to medium-plus (3/5) |
| Herbal / green character | low (1/5) | low (1/5) |
| Spice | typically low-medium, ranging from low to medium (2/5) | typically low-medium, ranging from low to medium (2/5) |
| Earthy character | low (1/5) | low (1/5) |
| Carbonation | low (1/5) | low (1/5) |
| Texture | typically medium-plus, ranging from low-medium to high (4/5) | typically medium-plus, ranging from medium to medium-plus (4/5) |
| Serve at | 12–15°C | 12–15°C |
| Typical flavours | green apple, lemon, white peach, pineapple, hazelnut | quince, green apple, lime, smoke, beeswax |
Values are typical points within each wine’s range. Both wines vary — see the individual pages for how much.
Read more
Grape
Chardonnay
The most adaptable white grape in the world, and the one most often blamed for what winemakers do to it.
Grape
Furmint
Hungary’s great white variety: high in acid, smoky and structured, and the backbone of both dry Tokaji and Tokaji Aszú.
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