Tokaj family winery making single vineyard dry whites from Furmint and Hárslevelű, alongside Tokaji Aszú.
The producer
Erzsébet Pince is a family winery in Tokaj, founded by Erzsébet Prácser and run by the Prácser family. Its vineyards cover 10 hectares across Tokaj, Tarcal, Bodrogkeresztúr and Mád, with Tokaj's indigenous grapes grown in several crus. The range centres on single vineyard dry wines and Tokaji Aszú. Estate Furmint ferments in barrel and receives six to eight months of barrel ageing, while Király and Zafír show the named site focus through Furmint led dry whites.
Known for
Single vineyard Tokaj dry whites
Notable facts
Erzsébet Pince was founded by Erzsébet Prácser, described by the estate as one of Tokaj's first female winemakers.
The family bought a cellar on Bem Street in Tokaj's historic centre in 1989.
The estate cultivates Tokaj's indigenous grape varieties across 10 hectares and several crus.
Estate Furmint receives six to eight months of barrel ageing after fermentation in barrel.
The story
The Bem Street Cellar
In 1989, the year of political change in Hungary, Erzsébet Prácser and her husband bought a cellar on Bem Street in the historic centre of Tokaj to establish their own family business. The move created the home of Erzsébet Pince in an old wine merchants' street. The winery's first bottled vintage followed in 1993. The Prácser family now runs the estate, with father, mother, daughter and son working together. The cellar purchase and first bottle mark the beginning of the family's own label.
From the atlas
Erzsébet Pince
Tokaj family winery focused on single vineyard dry wines from Furmint and other indigenous grapes, alongside Tokaji Aszú.
At A Glance
Field
Detail
Home
Tokaj
Focus
Single vineyard dry wines and Tokaji Aszú
Main grapes
Furmint and Hárslevelű
Signature wines
Estate Furmint, Király dűlő and Zafír Dűlő
Defining feature
Small lot wines from low yielding vineyards using sustainable and organic viticultural practices
The Producer
At Bem út 16 in Tokaj, Erzsébet Pince is a family winery founded by Erzsébet Prácser, whom the estate describes as one of Tokaj's first female winemakers. In 1989, Erzsébet and her husband bought a cellar on Bem Street in the historic centre of Tokaj to establish their family business.
The Prácser family, father, mother, daughter and son, runs the estate, which produces around 1,000 cases annually. Its first bottled vintage was 1993. Miklós Prácser Junior has been the winemaker since 2008, after studying viticulture and winemaking at the University of Mosonmagyaróvár and working in the United States, Argentina and Holland.
The wines are made in small lots from low yielding vineyards. The house focuses on single vineyard dry wines and Tokaji Aszú, Tokaj's classic natural botrytis wine.
Place
The vineyards lie across the communes of Tokaj, Tarcal, Bodrogkeresztúr and Mád, with Tokaj's indigenous grape varieties planted in several crus. The range therefore draws from more than one local vineyard area while remaining within the Tokaj landscape.
Király is a south and southwest facing Mád grand cru planted to Furmint. A grand cru is a classified vineyard site, so Király names a particular place on the bottle rather than a broad commune blend. The wine made from it is a single vineyard dry wine.
Wines
Estate Furmint is the broad dry white of the range, made from Furmint grown in several vineyards. It is 100% Furmint, with 7.6 g/l residual sugar, 7.2 g/l titratable acidity and 13% alcohol. The wine ferments in barrel and receives six to eight months of barrel ageing. The producer describes it as a rich Tokaj dry Furmint with marked character. Estate Furmint 2018 showed ripe fruit, light floral aromas, medium fullness, some fatness, minerality and length.
The named vineyard wines narrow the address. Király dűlő is a single vineyard dry wine from 100% Furmint, with strong acidity, low pH and pronounced minerality. Zafír Dűlő 2020 is a dry Tokaj white composed of 90% Furmint and 10% Hárslevelű. It has sweet spice and honey aromas, a full harmonious aromatic palate and a sour note on the finish.
Tokaji Aszú remains part of the house focus alongside the dry wines, giving the range both single vineyard whites and Tokaj's classic botrytised style.
Final Word
Erzsébet Pince combines family winemaking in Tokaj with a range that moves from multi vineyard Estate Furmint to named dry wines from Király and Zafír, alongside Tokaji Aszú.