Chateau Pajzos Esszencia 1993

I had this a week and a half ago as my desert wine choice while at Schwa in Chicago. BYOB so I also brought a few other bottles but this was the most special to me so I wanted to talk about it.

Bottle was gifted to me in 2020 by a close friend. They purchased it from a retailer in the US who had been sitting on the case for a long time.

100ml bottle, 4.7% abv, 435g/L RS, 12.5g/L TA.

Upon open I could get massive wafts of orange marmalade and dessicated figs. We allowed it to breathe for around 15 minutes before pouring into glasses. First taste showcases bright intense acid and waves of dessicated lemon, candied ginger, and overpowering intensity of that same orange marmalade note from the aroma. The classic halfway blue cheesy halfway earthy mushroom botytris tokaji funk was present and forward but by no means overwhelming. The finish was powerful and lasted forever. Sticky and resinous, deep concentration of almost ethereal flavors that make descriptions hard. Caramel but make it with kumquat and lemon peel, almost a sherry like nuttiness, and just this brash, ripping acidity that draws you back in so you don't even realize it is a sweet wine. Much less a syrup. Most surprisingly though. Everything about this wine screams youthful and brightness in the acid profile and drinking experiences. At 32 years old it is showing none of it. And could easily go double that without blinking.

I drank it with the last 3 courses at Schwa. A chocolate taco with black walnut and parmesan like 5 ways, a plum hopped soda with a rice paper bubblegum flavored pop rock baton filled with arugula plum and chamoy, and a banana dish that is just difficult to describe that included chicory, long pepper, and dehydrated banana peel strips. Each dish brought out so many more complementary flavors in the wine that I won't even begin to try and describe. So I'll just stick with ethereal.

A top 5 wine I've ever had.