La Citadella Pinot Grigio, Romania 2009 - Laithwaites

For me, this Laithwaites Discovery wine was not the novelty it might be as I have been to Romania many times on business and am reasonably familiar with the wines there.

Given how chaotic and grimy Bucharest is as a city, I was pleasantly surprised at how well-made the Romanian wines I had there were - reliable, fruit-driven, food friendly and complex, they are rather like the good, value wines that southern France and inland Spain are now producing.

The first bottle was definitely faulty, or at least sub-standard - overly acidic with little flavour of anything, but Laithwaites replaced it under their guarantee, so I have no complaints about that.

The second tasted as it should and was was a text-book Pinot Grigio - crisp and aromatic, with lemony elderflower, yet balanced with a minerally backbone and good length.

Like many Laithwaites wines, the price is a bit toppy for the quality. If a fiver is the point at which, for most people, quaffing wines become something more serious, then I would like to see this retailing for around £4; at that price it would be a serious value wine.

The Laithwaites website describes this as having elegant blossom aromas with crisp citrus flavours and the irresistibly moreish intensity of top Pinot Grigio. Lovely on its own or with seafood and white meat. That's fair enough, I guess.

£5.99 (plus delivery) from Laithwaite's. It has a Decanter award in the UK

Links

Laithwaite's - http://www.laithwaites.co.uk/