Chateau Pajzos

TOKAJ – Tokaj and its wines are memorialized in the Hungarian national anthem. The Hungarians thank God for “dripping sweet nectar into the vineyards of Tokaj.” So, the Tokaj vineyards are truly legendary.

Chateau Pajzos is among the oldest and most respected wine producers in this storied region. In fact, it is one of the very few estates given the GRAND CRU classification. It has about 75 hectares in Tokaj. Chateau Pajzos is owned by a French company in Pomerol. Through my French connections, I have access to these wonderful dessert wines.

The wines are mostly made from Furmint and Harslevelu grapes with a bit of Muscat Blanc, too. Lots of clay in the soil helps it to retain moisture. Combined with the sunshine, these grapes become overripe and contract the benevolent and desired Botrytis fungus (nobel rot). This dehydrates the grapes and leads to highly concentrated sugar levels in each dried berry (aszu). The flavors become luscious and sublime.

Chateau Pajzos expertly marries traditional winemaking methods with modern techniques to fully take advantage of these legendary vineyards. These wines have been called the “nectar of the gods” as well as the “wine of kings”. They are undoubtedly some of the finest dessert wines on the planet.