2016 Rosso Marciliano

The Cotarella family's wines are a perfect example of how international varieties can and do thrive in Lazio. The better-known name “Falesco” was how the 100% Merlot Montiano and its second wine Sodale had previously been marketed. Today, however, Famiglia Cotarella, the company started by brothers Renzo and Riccardo Cotarella, but now run by their daughters Dominga, Marta and Enrica, has decided to label these wines solely under the Cotarella name. The Falesco brand continues to be produced, making wines from both Umbria and Lazio, and existing under the umbrella of Famiglia Cotarella. Winemaking is currently headed up by Paulo De Carvalho, whom I tasted with on a recent visit. De Carvalho's goal is to breathe new life into the wines of Cotarella with a focus on purity and balanced restraint. That’s not to say that a single vintage could prove this point, but it is interesting to see how different the 2015 Montiano was from the 2016, as well as the following vintages of 2017 and 2018. There’s certainly more clarity here, with less focus on concentration and more emphasis on lifted aromatics, balanced structure and minerality. These vineyards are located in the northern part of Lazio, planted in the late eighties and growing in heavy clay soils. The winemaking is inspired by Bordeaux using tronconical tanks for fermentation, and refining the wine for one year in barrique, of which 60% are new. With Paulo De Carvalho constantly tinkering to improve upon past achievements, it will be exciting to follow Montiano as the more classic 2019 and 2020 vintages are released.