2020 Citra Pinot Grigio Terre di Chieti Abruzzo 750 ml

We were SHOCKED at the level of quality the 2020 Citra Pinot Grigio Terre di Chieti Abruzzo brings for the price. Then we realized Riccardo Cotarella was attached to the project, and it all made sense. 

In Italy, there are few on his level. He’s been called a “star winemaker” and “Italy’s leading consulting enologist” by Wine Spectator, and “one of the most famous names in Italian winemaking today” by Decanter. Robert Parker once said that no one in the world—not even France’s Michel Rolland—makes a better Merlot. Cotarella is even the vineyard consultant to the Pope!

And yet this same prodigious talent, who has crafted 98-point triple-digit-priced bottles, also has his fingerprints all over this vividly sensuous 2020 Citra Pinot Grigio Terre di Chieti. It’s assembled from a mosaic of tiny family-owned vineyards that average around two acres in size, and Abruzzo’s warm, lush microclimate shines through.  

Cotarella became famous for his bombshell Montiano cuvée, a Merlot from Lazio—at the time, not exactly a province known for producing high-quality wines. That attitude made him the perfect fit for Citra. Most of Italy’s Pinot Grigios are produced in the north, where alpine-bordering regions like Aldo Adige and Friuli lend the grape a craggy minerality and jeweler’s precision.

But more southerly expressions, like this 2020 from Chieti, feel more voluptuous, blending a touch of mango richness to the zingy acidity and fresh, green aromas. Here, restraint is key, and the best vinifications are usually the simplest, employing stainless steel or concrete to age the wines for a short period before bottling. You’ll find few expressions that are purer or cleaner than Citra’s.