Portrait of Laszlo Kalocsai
i. Biography
Laszlo Kalocsai’s work is dry szamorodni, the style that has become the clearest expression of his craft at Château Dereszla in Bodrogkeresztúr, Hungary. In a region where wine is tied to place, that focus reads as discipline: one estate, one Tokaj setting, and a named specialty pursued with consistency.
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The Path
The manager’s role at Château Dereszla puts Laszlo Kalocsai inside the daily mechanics of the estate. The work sits where vineyard decisions, fermentations, and cellar operations meet, with responsibility carried in practical terms rather than in abstraction. In Bodrogkeresztúr, Hungary, that position places him within the continuity of Tokaj winemaking, where each vintage is expected to reflect the house.
The Work Today
Winemaking here is defined by a specific focus: dry szamorodni at Château Dereszla in Bodrogkeresztúr. That emphasis points to a practiced control of style, where the distinctions between expressions matter and precision is part of the method. The work is about making wine that carries its origin clearly while answering to the demands of the present vintage.
Signature
Chateau Dereszla Szamorodni Szaraz 2016 is the signature wine, and it condenses into a single bottle reference. Estate, style, and year are all visible in the name, which makes the specialty legible in finished form. As a signature, it ties Laszlo Kalocsai’s practice to a specific release.
Acclaim
Recognition is framed by specificity rather than by a separate award list: a named role, a named Tokaj site, and a named specialty. Château Dereszla in Bodrogkeresztúr, Hungary, gives the setting; dry szamorodni gives the focus; and the manager-and-winemaker role gives the work its shape. The standing that follows is built on exactness and on repeated attention to a craft closely identified with place and style.
FAQ
Asked of Laszlo
What is Laszlo Kalocsai's current role?
As of 2026, Laszlo Kalocsai is Winemaker.
What is Laszlo Kalocsai known for?
Dry szamorodni.
The Sunday email
Read about winemakers like Laszlo Kalocsai in the Sunday email.
Every Sunday we send a lead story and up to four more about the chefs, winemakers, sommeliers and hoteliers behind the restaurants, bars, wineries and hotels we cover.
Recent stories
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