Laithwaites Wine - La Cittadella Pinot Grigio

Tasting Note
Description
Awards
Mixed Cases
If you like this

Tasting note
Colour - Pale straw.

Aroma - Citrussy, minerally with delicate hints of apricot and spice.

Taste - Balance of lemony acidity and lightly creamy, apricot fruit.

Type:Still White Wine	Country:Romania	Appellation:Transylvania
Grape Type:Pinot Grigio	Drink Before:End of 2009	Style:Dry
Alcohol:12.5%	Bottle Size:75cl	Bottle Code:26833

Serving suggestions
With its lively and floral character, this wine is a delight on Its own or served with trout, a prawn salad, grilled white fish with a light lemony sauce, or creamy pasta. Drink by end 2009.

Description
Pinot Grigio is currently the world's trendiest white grape and highly sought-after, particularly from the vineyards of northern Italy. As supply can't keep up with demand, particularly in the small 2007 vintage, consumers are paying a premium for it. The secret is, however, the Italians themselves like to buy it by the bucketload from Eastern Europe!

Some of Pinot Grigio's popularity must be put down to the fact that it has an excellent combination of roundness, blended in with subtle spice and lively stony and lemony acidity. This particular Pinot Grigio hails from Romania, which is thought to have a 6,000-year-old tradition of winemaking.

Today, it is the world's 9th largest wine producer (and the biggest within Eastern Europe) with 230,000 hectares of vines, but traditionally has exported very little. Being on the same latitude as France, it has ideal viticultural conditions which are a long way from being fully exploited - a country that has not, so far, attracted much worldwide investment, but that has enormous vinous potential.

Winemaker for La Cittadella is the well-travelled Australian Stephen Bennett, who works his magic in Transylvania, at a cellar that supplies Romania's royal family. Head of this winery is Dan Muntean - a local who can boast his own spooky castle!

International Wine Challenge 2008, United Kingdom