Paparuda Chardonnay, Estate Selection 2023

The estate started in its current incarnation in 1991 when Englishman Philip Cox and his Romanian wife Elvira, along with two other families, took over a state farm bringing with them significant investment and innovation. Documents lying in the regional museum show vines have been grown on their plot in the Recaş PDO area continually since 1447.

Cramele Recaş is now the largest wine estate in Romania, but don’t let that put you off: the quality they consistently produce is impressive. They have 1200 ha of vines, cultivate 22 different grape varieties, and the wines are made in a state-of-the-art modern winery, with capacity for 39 million litres. It is a sight to behold; gleaming stainless-steel tanks, vast solar panel arrays and a wastewater reprocessing plant sit next to deep, ancient, barrel-filled cellars lit by candle.

Head winemakers, Australian Hartley Smithers and Spaniard Nora Iriarte, have worked together here for nearly 20 years and are supported by their team of five female winemakers. They produce modern, fruit-forward wines of a consistently high quality. Each grape variety is allowed to demonstrate its varietal characteristic and, with their focus on continually improving sustainability, are bottled in 350-gramme light-weight bottles. All the wines are vegan-suitable and receive no heavy fining. Sulphur is kept to an absolute minimum and the winery itself is certified organic. Theirs really is a story of tradition meets modernity. To our minds the wines are all the better for it!