Grasă de Cotnari
How to pronounce Romanian wine terms
Romania's noble botrytized treasure, producing rich golden dessert wines from the ancient hills of Cotnari since the 15th century.
Grasă de Cotnari is Romania's most celebrated indigenous white grape, producing luscious botrytized dessert wines in Moldavia. Grown at the northern edge of viable viticulture near 47° North latitude, the variety yields golden wines with honey, apricot, and walnut character. Once prized across 15th-century Venice and favored by Russian Czar Peter the Great, the grape is experiencing a well-deserved revival.
- Name translates as 'fat grape of Cotnari', referring to the variety's characteristically large berries
- Planted across approximately 450 hectares in Romania and 37 hectares in Hungary, where it is known as Kövérszőlő
- Residual sugar typically ranges from 260 to 300 g/l, with exceptional harvests reaching 520 g/l (1958 vintage)
- Vineyards sit at 47°17' to 47°35' North latitude, placing Cotnari at the European northern limit for grapevine cultivation
- Noble rot reduces yields from 7 to 8 tons per hectare down to 4 to 5 tons per hectare
- Documented in Cotnari since at least 1448, with cultivation linked to Prince Stephen the Great (1457 to 1504)
- Awarded the Grand Prix at the Paris International Exhibition in 1889 to 1890
History and Heritage
Grasă de Cotnari has roots stretching back to the reign of Prince Stephen the Great of Moldavia, who ruled from 1457 to 1504. The village of Cotnari itself appears in official records as early as October 5, 1448. By the 15th century, the wine was commanding the highest prices on Venetian wine lists, making it one of Europe's most sought-after sweet wines of that era. Russian Czar Peter the Great developed a well-documented fondness for the wine in 1711, and the Moldavian scholar Dimitrie Cantemir praised it in writing in 1716. At the Paris wine competition of 1875, Cotnari was judged equal to the great Tokay wines of Hungary. The Grand Prix at the Paris International Exhibition followed in 1889 to 1890. Decades of neglect during the communist era pushed the variety into obscurity, but production has been actively revived since the 2000s.
- Cotnari village officially documented since October 5, 1448
- Recognized as equal to Tokay at the 1875 Paris competition
- Czar Peter the Great was recorded as a consumer in 1711
- Revival of quality production has been underway since the 2000s
Terroir and Climate
The Cotnari DOC sits in the Moldavia region of northeastern Romania at 47°17' to 47°35' North latitude, at the northern boundary of viable European viticulture. Vineyards occupy hillsides at elevations between 260 and 395 meters, with Cătălina Hill reaching 395 meters and Stroieşti Hill at 392 meters. The cool climate records an average annual temperature of just 9°C and annual rainfall of 474.6 mm. Critically, low cloudiness between May and September allows extended sun exposure that drives sugar accumulation in the berries. The region sits at the intersection of Eastern European and Baltic air masses, and the combination of warm, sunny autumns and cold nights creates ideal conditions for Botrytis cinerea to develop in late October. Soils are primarily chernozem and calcareous, with a sandy-clayey composition rich in humus, alongside marl, sand, clay, and sandstone.
- Average annual temperature of 9°C confirms the cool-climate character of the appellation
- Low cloudiness from May to September is critical for sugar accumulation
- Chernozem and calcareous soils rich in humus underpin the site quality
- Botrytis cinerea develops naturally during the late October harvest window
The Grape and Wine Style
The name Grasă means 'fat', a direct reference to the variety's large, cylindrical-conical berries, which are greenish-yellow with rust-colored shading at full maturity. The grape produces hermaphrodite flowers with a pollen germination rate of 50 to 60 percent. It ripens late and is harvested in late October after over-ripening and Botrytis cinerea infection. Noble rot concentrates sugars dramatically, and the most celebrated style is the nobly sweet dessert wine, though dry, semi-sweet, and sweet versions are also produced. Finished wines typically show alcohol between 11.5 and 14 percent and residual sugar of 260 to 300 g/l in classic sweet expressions. The color ranges from golden yellow to deep yellow with orange tints, deepening further with age. Aromatically, expect honey, apricot, raisins, walnut, and almond. The variety has low resistance to powdery mildew and grey rot but tolerates frost down to minus 20°C.
- Large, cylindrical-conical berries with greenish-yellow to rust coloring at maturity
- Residual sugar ranges from 260 to 300 g/l in standard sweet styles, peaking at 520 g/l in exceptional vintages
- Alcohol ranges from 11.5 to 14 percent across the various styles produced
- Color evolves from pale yellow to deep yellow with orange hue as the wine ages in bottle
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Train your palate →Classification and Region
Cotnari holds Denominare de Origine Controlată (DOC) status, Romania's highest wine classification. The appellation is located within Moldavia and grows six authorized varieties: Grasă de Cotnari, Fetească Albă, Tămâioasă Românească, and Frâncușă for whites, alongside Busuioacă de Bohotin and Fetească Neagră for reds. Grasă de Cotnari is planted across roughly 450 hectares in Romania and is genetically identical or very closely related to Kövérszőlő, a variety grown in Hungary's Tokaj region across 37 hectares. The leading producers operating today include Cotnari Wine Company (COTNARI S.A.), Casa de Vinuri Cotnari, and Viile Cotnari. Despite a distinguished international history, the variety remains a rarity outside Romania and Hungary.
- Cotnari DOC is Romania's highest classification tier
- Six grape varieties are grown within the appellation, four white and two red
- Grasă de Cotnari and Hungary's Kövérszőlő are identical or very closely related
- Total Romanian plantings stand at approximately 450 hectares
Golden yellow to deep amber in color, Grasă de Cotnari delivers honey, dried apricot, raisins, walnut, and almond on the nose. The palate is rich, concentrated, and sweet, with high residual sugar balanced by the grape's natural acidity. Noble rot adds characteristic complexity. With age, the wine deepens in color and develops greater nutty and dried fruit intensity.
- Cotnari S.A. Grasă de Cotnari$10-18The benchmark producer for the appellation, offering authentic noble-sweet style at accessible prices.Find →
- Casa de Vinuri Cotnari Grasă de Cotnari$20-35Premium expression from Cotnari's revived estate, showing honey, apricot, and walnut complexity.Find →
- Viile Cotnari Grasă de Cotnari Noble Sweet$50-80Top-tier botrytized selection with concentrated residual sugar and serious aging potential.Find →
- Cotnari DOC holds Romania's highest classification (DOC); located in Moldavia at 47°17' to 47°35' North, at the European northern limit for viticulture
- Grasă de Cotnari is genetically identical or very closely related to Hungary's Kövérszőlő grape grown in the Tokaj region
- Noble rot (Botrytis cinerea) is harvested in late October; yields drop from 7 to 8 t/ha to 4 to 5 t/ha after noble rot processing
- Residual sugar in sweet styles typically 260 to 300 g/l; exceptional 1958 harvest reached 520 g/l
- Six authorized varieties in the appellation: Grasă de Cotnari, Fetească Albă, Tămâioasă Românească, Frâncușă, Busuioacă de Bohotin, Fetească Neagră