Cortese

What you can expect to taste and smell?

Primary Flavours & Aromas

Cortese presents crisp green apple, citrus, and floral aromas with a touch of almond.

Cool vs. Warm Climate

Cool Climate: In cooler regions, Cortese retains its vibrant acidity and green fruit character, often producing the best expressions.

Warm/Hot Climate: While it can be grown in warmer areas, it tends to lose some of its characteristic acidity and crispness. Cortese is renowned for thriving in cool climates, and it does indeed ripen in cooler regions.

Secondary

• Yeast notes - Lees stirring
• Some old oak maturation

Appellations / Producers of Note

Explore Gavi DOCG in Piedmont for some of the finest Cortese-based wines - specially Gavi di Gavi

Age-worthiness

Cortese is best enjoyed in its youth, capturing the essence of its fresh fruit and zesty acidity.

While not typically a wine for extensive aging, it can evolve subtly over a few years, retaining its crisp character.

Meet the author

Damien Saunders
WSET3 award - Has been on a journey to learn more about wine, viticulture since I started travelling. Every country has something to drink.
Find our more about me.