2020 Feteasca Neagra, Perfect Simplu, Catleya

• Grape Variety: 100% Feteasca Neagra
• Vineyard: young vines located in Corcova, Romania; organic grapes;
  
• Style: dry red wine, floral and fruity aromas (violets, bitter cherries) as well as those specific to the variety, of freshly cut herbs, and even notes of liquorice, 14% vol alc.
• LIMITED EDITION: 4158 bottles

Wine-making:

• Hand harvested in small crates;
• Pre fermentation maceration for 9 days to extract colour and aromas;
• Alcoholic fermentation performed by indigenous yeasts;
• Post fermentation maceration for 12 days to extract tannins;
• Malolactic fermentation performed by indigenous yeasts;
• Aging on fine lees during 10 months (85% of the volume in stainless tanks and 15% of the volume in new medium roasted 225 L Romanian barrels).

Red with magenta shades, this wine has an elegant body, balanced by the time spent in Romanian oak barrels.

About the grape variety

Fetească Neagră, literally ‘black young girl’, is an old variety that probably originates in the historical region of Moldavia (including today’s Republic of Moldova and the Romanian region of Moldova), where it has been traditionally cultivated, then spreading west to Transilvania and Hungary. Contrary to Roy-Chevrier’s (1903a) hypothesis, Fetească Neagră is not a colour mutation of FETEASCĂ ALBĂ, as evidenced by DNA profiling. Fetească Neagră shows significant biodiversity, with at least four distinct types, suggesting it is relatively old. 

In Moldova it was not planted during the Soviet era and more or less disappeared. However, producers such as began replanting the variety in the late 2000s. In Romania, Fetească Neagră produces some of the country’s best reds, planted mostly in Romanian Moldova in the east and in Muntenia in the south. The wines are typically dry and full-bodied with intense, complex aromas of spice, both red and black fruit, especially ripe plums, and tannins that become velvety as they age.

About the winery

Laurent Pfeffer is a french wine engineer and oenologist trained in Bordeaux, who first discovered Romania during a period of study and never wanted to leave. After realising the viticultural potential of Romania, he decided to look for land suitable for growing vines. Fate directed him to Corcova, where he discovered the history and winemaking tradition of this region. 

In 2007 he decided to settle here and founded the Catleya estate, which he currently runs together with his wife, Anne-Cecile. Since 2021, the Catleya estate has been converting to organic farming, both in the vineyard and in the cellar, in order to materialise our efforts through the certification of an approved body.