2005 Montiano

Worthy of special note is the work that consulting enologist Riccardo Cotarella has been doing with a local native variety called roscetto, one of the rare Italian white grapes that yields wines that can age and improve over time. For example, the '02 Ferentano is one of Italy's top 25 white wines of that sorry vintage, and it's still very drinkable today. Though roscetto is considered a member of the trebbiano family (and you'll find it described so in books everywhere), recent studies have shown that it is probably a greco, something its vivid minerality and tannic strength attest to. Cotarella's success with the grape has led other producers to start planting roscetto, giving wine lovers a chance to try a new wine that had been forgotten. Also recommended: 2007 Poggio dei Gelsi Est! Est!! Est!!! di Montefiascone (86), 2005 Passiro Umbria Bianco (86). Other wines tasted: 2007 Merlot Umbria Rosso.

Riccardo Cotarella's numerous consulting engagements take him all over the world, but it is Falesco, his estate in the rolling hills of Umbria, that he calls home. Falesco is a family affair, with Cotarella's brother Renzo, and daughter Dominga involved in running the winery. The sprawling property covers 670 acres, 370 of which are under vine. Quality is incredibly consistent when one considers that nearly 3 million bottles emerge from these cellars each year. Never one to rest on his laurels, Cotarella has several new projects in the works. One of the most intriguing of these is a Sagrantino he is making from three hectares of rented vineyards in Bevagna. The first vintage, 2006, will be released later this year.