Cotnari

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• The vineyards are planted on deluvio-colluvial deposits of the Cotnari hillside; Sarmatian rocks appear only on small patches.
• At the eastern extremity, salt-bearing deposits occur, giving rise to salinised and alkalised soils — a soil type rare in Romanian viticulture.
• The microclimate of well-exposed slopes (south, south-east, and west aspects), sheltered from cold northerly and north-easterly winds, covers more than 45% of the podgorie.
• The temperat-continentală climate, with long, dry autumns, favours the development of noble rot and the slow ripening of grape varieties.
• The area lies at the northern limit of vine cultivation in Moldova, resulting in the slow build-up of aromas and well-integrated acidity.

• Old Romanian varieties such as Grasă de Cotnari, Tămâioasă Românească, Fetească Albă, Frâncușă, and Busuioacă de Bohotin are preserved in the highest proportion within the Cotnari area.
• Cotnari wines were prized by princes and boyars; the emblem featuring Vlădoianu Castle, built in 1901, has long defined their historical identity.

• Full-bodied still wines with aromas of citrus, honey, acacia blossom, and elderflower, gaining hints of vanilla and almond with short ageing.
• Noble rot, fostered by the long, dry autumns characteristic of Cotnari, imparts body and aromas of honeycomb, honey, and raisins; with ageing, amber nuances emerge.

• Long, dry autumns favour noble rot, imparting body and aromas of honey, honeycomb, and raisins, with amber nuances developing upon ageing.

Facts drawn from the cahier's terroir-link section (Lien au terroir) by automatic interpretation — see the source.

Sources

• Specification (EUR-Lex, single document)
• eAmbrosia register (EU) — File number PDO-RO-A0135
• Official trade body site — Oficiul Național al Viei și Produselor Vitivinicole (ONVPV) — DOC Cotnari