[⚠️ Preorder] Vinoteca Grasă de Cotnari 1989 | Release scheduled for April 2026 | Limited to one bottle per customer

• Country of origin: Romania
• Producer: Cotnari
• Type: white / sweet / botrytized
• Grape variety: Grasa de Cotnari 100%
• Classification: DOC-CIB Cotnari
• Readiness for drinking: now~∞
• Price range: more than 10,000 Yen
• Alcohol by volume: --%
• Residual sugar: -- g/l
• Acidity: -- g/l
• Body: medium (+)
• Bottle volume: 750 ml
• Bar code: --

Preorder for Members Only

A truly exceptional wine—celebrated worldwide as a historic vintage—is about to arrive in Japan. Born in the symbolic year of 1989, this wine is highly sought after both at home and abroad, and there is an extremely high chance it will sell out as soon as it lands. To ensure our members don’t miss out, Daniel’s Wine Club is offering an exclusive preorder opportunity. This allows you to secure your bottle in advance, without waiting for its arrival. Quantities are strictly limited, so we encourage you to reserve your bottle early.

A Bridge Between Eras

The Legendary 1989 Grasă de Cotnari

The Cotnari “Vinoteca” cellars hold over a million bottles of historic vintages, among them the 1989 Grasă de Cotnari—a wine of both sensory and symbolic importance. Produced in the Moldavian hills of Romania, a region celebrated for sweet wines since medieval times, this vintage carries the weight of history. Its grapes were harvested in the autumn of 1989 under the final days of the communist regime, while the final stages of winemaking and bottling took place after the Romanian Revolution in December. In that sense, this wine is more than a rarity: it bridges two eras, embodying both the hardships of the past and the first breath of a free Romania.

Made from the indigenous Grasă de Cotnari grape, the Vinoteca is a botrytized (noble rot-affected), late-harvest dessert wine. The 1989 vintage, like others in the collection, is naturally sweet with modest alcohol (about 12% ABV). Cotnari’s winemakers matured it in old oak casks, followed by decades of bottle aging in the cool depths of their cellars. With nearly 40 years of evolution, this release has reached a fully mature and expressive peak.

Tasting notes

Appearance

In the glass, the 1989 Grasă de Cotnari gleams with a deep golden hue, shading toward amber and orange glints from age. Once a pale yellow, it has darkened into the tone of antique gold, viscous and brilliant. Slow-forming tears trace the glass, a clear indication of its sweetness and concentration. Its developed appearance is fully consistent with long-aged botrytized wines.

Nose

The nose is intensely developed and botrytis-driven. Honey and honeycomb dominate, wrapped around layers of dried stone fruits—apricot and peach—alongside orange peel and marmalade zest. Hints of quince paste, caramelized raisin, and subtle oxidative notes add sherry-like complexity. Background tones of almond skin and walnut lend a nutty elegance. After four decades, the nose remains vivid, layered, and strikingly complex.

Palate

The palate is lusciously sweet yet lifted by bright acidity, avoiding heaviness. Medium-bodied, it delivers a silky, mouth-coating texture shaped by time. Flavors echo the aromas: orange marmalade, acacia honey, dried apricot, and raisin lead the way, followed by caramel, beeswax, and a touch of buttered toffee. Gentle oxidative tones suggest incense or resin, adding depth. The finish is long and resonant, with honeyed sweetness fading into a delicate bitter-almond nuance—a hallmark of mature Grasă de Cotnari.

Food pairing

This venerable dessert wine shines when paired with either complementary sweetness or savory contrast. Fruit-based desserts such as apricot tart, apple strudel, or quince pie mirror its flavors beautifully, while nutty pastries highlight its honeyed character. For contrast, aged cheeses—especially blue varieties like Stilton or Roquefort, or a salty mature cheddar—create a remarkable balance of sweet and savory. For a luxurious pairing, foie gras pâté finds a natural partner here, much as with Sauternes. Classic, time-honored matches allow this 1989 Grasă de Cotnari to reveal its full majesty at the table.

Disclaimer

Because of the wine’s considerable age, tasting profiles may vary from bottle to bottle. For best service, allow the bottle to rest upright before opening so any sediment can settle, and decant gently if needed. The tasting notes above reflect the general characteristics documented in published evaluations, but individual bottles may evolve differently.

Service temperature

• 10~12℃

Vineyard

• Wine zone: C I
• Wine region: Hills of Moldova
• Wine subregion: Cotnari
• Wine center: Cotnari
• LAU: Cotnari
• Village: Cotnari
• Vineyard owner: Cotnari Winery

Winemaking

• Ingredients: grapes 100%
• Production place: Cotnari
• Fermentation: stainless steel tanks; --°C-
• Fine lees maturation / bâtonnage: no
• Malolactic conversion: no
• Maturation: stainless tanks-
• Name of winemaker: --
• Bottling place: Cotnari

Package size

• Single item dimensions (mm): -- x --
• Bottles per case: 6
• Case dimensions (mm): -- x -- x --

Import information

• Importer: Daniel's Wine Club
• Import method: maritime import
• Import route: Cotnari ⇨ Daniel's Wine Club
• Quality control method during transportation: Use temperature-controlled containers

Storage information

• Seller: Daniel's Wine Club
• Storage place: Daniel's Wine Club Yokohama
• Storage temperature: 16~18°C

Gifts, wrapping, noshi

You can find gift boxes, along with packaging and noshi (traditional Japanese ceremonial wrapping) options, on the Accessories and Gifts page.

If you’d like to add a personal touch to your gift, we can also include a card or message in the package. Please feel free to contact us if you need assistance. We will do our best to ensure your gift arrives in perfect condition.