Montevetrano - Core Rosso 2018

Proprietress Silvia Imparato indulged in wine as a hobby until she decided to rebuild her family’s vineyards in Montevetrano, in the oft-underestimated region of Campania. She employed the skills of highly regarded winemaker Riccardo Cotarella and they have created an outstanding icon wine they decided to name Montevetrano. Montevetrano is a small zone in the hills near the commune of San Cipriano Picentino, not far from Salerno. Mountains surround the property, with the vineyards situated on gentle slopes facing south by southwest. The heart of the estate is a beautiful, ancient villa. In the first years of production the basement of the villa also served as the cellar. Now the wine is made and stored in a new modern cellar, built in 2000. Silvia and her friends use the old cellar for private vintages. Within a very short period of time her work with Cotarella has produced an absolute jewel in this location. Between the end of September and the start of October, Montevetrano first harvests the Merlot grape, followed by the Cabernet Sauvignon and finally the Aglianico. Fermentation initially occurs in steel vats for about 15 days, after which the wine is transferred to new barrels for 10-12 months. The process is traditional but also strictly controlled, guaranteeing proper refinement and a balanced maturation. The process also ensures the grapes retain the regional features typical of Montevetrano. Cotarella is particularly proud of this wine, being the very first icon wine he has made; he considers it the father of his reds.

Super balance to this intense red with exquisite spice to the mixed berries on the nose, following through to a full body with fine, well-integrated tannins, succulent fruit and a long, elegant and flavorful finish. All in place and lovely to drink now, but best from 2023.

The Core bottling from Montevetrano di Silvia is composed entirely from Aglianico, with most of its grown on the estate in San Cipriano, but also includes some purchased fruit from serious growers who the proprietor works with as far as Benevento. This cuvée is raised in French barriques for ten months prior to bottling, with a sizable percentage new, and the 2018 version comes in at 13.5 percent octane. It offers up a fine bouquet of black cherries, dark berries, a bit of pepper, bonfire, hung game and a generous serving of cedary oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, focused and nascently complex, with a fine core of fruit, ripe, well-integrated tannins and a long, well-balanced and promising finish. This is approachable today, but still fairly primary and could do with some time in the cellar to fully absorb its oak tannins; more complexity will clearly emerge if the wine is given at least a few years’ worth of bottle age. Good juice in the making, but if this bottling was raised exclusively in the used barrels from the flagship wine at the estate, it would be even better!