In times past, Hungarian Tokaji wines were highly prized. Long before Sauternes, they graced the tables of European elites and connoisseurs. In the summer of 1991, the late Jean-Michael Arcaute and Jean-Louis Laborde led a group of wine lovers in the acquisition of Chateau Pajzos, long acknowledged as among the finest vineyards of the region. They carried out the first “private enterprise” harvest and vinification, thus launching the Renaissance of Tokaji. Today, Chateau Pajzos is under the sole ownership of the Laborde family, also the owners of Chateau Clinet in Pomerol. Daily operations are directed by Ronan Laborde and his winemaking team at Pajzos. 

The Pajzos 1993 Aszu 5 Puttonyos set a new standard for Tokaji Aszu wines made since the privatization of the Tokaji vineyard. Its vibrant fruit, purity and concentration quickly made it the Tokaji of reference. This stunning dessert wine has developed a very fragrant bouquet, redolent of apricots, caramel, dried fruits, and spice. On the palate, they explode with sensational apricot and honey flavors that seem to last forever. The 1993 was followed by the stunning 1999 Aszu 5 Puttonyos. The dry and sunny harvest kept acidity levels correct, allowing the Pajzos team to produce a beautifully structured, concentrated wine with ripe, botrytis-nuanced flavors. Pajzos has just released their superb 2003 Aszu 3 Puttonyos. The record-setting heat of the summer of 2003 was present in Tokaji, yet its most severe effects were mitigated by adequate water reserves in the soil (due to the heavy snows of the previous winter) and the moderation of temperatures from late-September through November. The crop was small but in perfect condition, with an even mix of botrytised and raisined (passerille) grapes--the ideal combination for the Pajzos house style. Pazjos also produced very small quantities of classic 5 and 6 Puttonyos wines in 2003, and these will be released in the future. Unusually for sweet wines, the Pajzos Aszu wines also go well with foods such as foie gras and Roquefort cheese, as well chocolate and fruit -- especially apple and apricot -- tarts and cakes. They are proudly offered in the finest restaurants in the USA and Europe. 

The very ripe 2007 vintage marks the return of an old Chateau Pajzos favorite, the dry Furmint. From the beginning, Pazjos winemaking stressed the importance of a great dry base-wine made from Furmint grapes for the Aszus.  In 2007, the fruit was hand-harvested in mid-September (two weeks earlier than in a typical year), pressed in pneumatic presses, and fermented at low temperatures in stainless steel tanks. The volcanic, rocky soils ensure that the Furmint grapes are both rich in natural acidity and concentration. The Furmint is bottled in the Spring, after harvest. The flavor ranges from apricot to grapefruit, with notes of nuts, spice and honey. The Furmint has aspects that remind one of Viognier, Pinot Gris, and Sauvignon Blanc, yet it is a unique wine. It can be enjoyed as an aperitif or as an ideal companion to full flavored seafood, cheeses, and a range of white meat dishes, and all Asian cuisine. Its flavors are as appealing as they are original. 

The Muskotaly Late Harvest is a special cuvee of sweet Muscat wine made in the Aszu style. This is done in two steps: First, ripe, healthy Muscat grapes are harvested in late September to form the base wine, necessary for the subsequent assemblage with the late-harvest berries. Then the estate waits for botrytis to develop on the remaining bunches. At the peak of maturity, these grapes are affected by the dual phenomena of the onset of botrytis and of “passerillage” or the shriveling of the grapes on the vine which further concentrates the natural sugars. The botrytised and raisined grapes are individually picked by hand and assembled with the already fully fermented dry, base wine. Analytically, the 1997 Muskotaly conforms to that of an Aszu Esszencia (an Aszu greater that 6 Puttonyos with more than 180g/l of residual sugar). Its vivid fruit and balanced sweetness are exhilerating. 

The monumental Pajzos 1993 Esszencia, made only from free-run juice of sugar-gorged, late harvested (Aszu) grapes, is available in both 500ml and 100ml formats.  One needs four tons of Aszu grapes, the production of 10 hectares of vines, to give only one liter of Esszencia. The Pajzos 1993 Esszencia is a rare and historic wine and has been internationally acclaimed.  In the USA, the Wine Spectator awarded it 99 points and wrote glowingly that the Ch. Pajzos Esszencia is “one of the world’s finest dessert wines…. A collector’s item to drink in small portions, by itself, to celebrate life.” And Robert Parker, writing in his Hedonist’s Gazette on his website in August, 1993 described the Pajzos Esszencia as “virtually perfect” and ranked it “99+”.