Oremus Tokaji Furmint 'Mandolas' 1999

In deciding to write on this wonderful new-to-me white wine from Hungary, I figured I'd see what esteemed wine writer Hugh Johnson could tell me about the subject:
"The characteristic traditional Hungarian wine is white - or rather warmly gold - and spicy. It tastes, if it is a good one, distinctly rich, not necessarily downright sweet but full of fire and even a shade fierce. It is wine for meals cooked with more spice and pepper and fat than a light wine could stand."
Much thanks, Hugh. By his standards, the wine in question is a darn good one, especially considering its $8.99 price tag. Furmint is the grape, Tokaji the region or origin, and Mandolas the vineyard; the resulting wine is rich, dry, and potently acidic, with minerality reminiscent of a good Sancerre. The Tokaji region produces Hungary's most famous wine, the sweet Aszu; turns out Furmint represents about 70% of the plantings in the region and figures prominently in those amazing wines. All of this leaves me wanting to know much more about Hungary's long and proud wine tradition, and I have a $9 wine to thank for it.