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Montevetrano 2005 150cl

IGT | Colli di Salerno | Italy
CHF 129.70
Critics scores
93 Robert Parker
Readers looking for a recent Montevetrano that is ready or close to ready to drink should consider the 2005. Early tertiary notes of tobacco and smoke have begun to develop. The fruit is round, soft and harmonious all the way through to the long, polished finish. This is a relatively simple, accessible Montevetrano in this context, but it should drink well reasonably early. The balance and overall sense of harmony remain that of a first class red. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2025. <br/><br/>Proprietor Silvia Imparato is one of the early pioneers in the world of Campanian oenology. Originally trained as a photographer, Imparato came to winemaking accidentally when one of her clients invited her to join a wine tasting group in Rome in the 1980s. Over the course of the following years, Imparato had the opportunity to taste many of the world’s great bottles on a regular basis. On a lark, she thought she would try to make wine at her family’s small estate in Salerno. She enlisted the help of consulting oenologist Riccardo Cotarella, and together they created Montevetrano, the wine that launched Campania in a big way around the world. This was the first complete vertical Imparato had ever hosted on this scale, and she was clearly moved by the occasion. All of the wines were shipped directly from the estate, guaranteeing perfect provenance. The wines were opened a few hours before being served. It was a warm, humid summer day in New York and the wines were particularly radiant and expressive. Montevetrano is approximately 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 10% Aglianico (the international varieties were planted on the existing Aglianico rootstocks) although the exact blend changes from year to year depending on vintage conditions. Imparato makes it clear she isn’t a big fan of giving the exact breakdown in each vintage, so readers should take the varietal blend as a rough guideline. Clearly there are a number of vintages where the Aglianico seems to come through with a much more assertive voice than 10% would lead one to believe. The harvest times vary greatly from Merlot to Aglianico, so the different grape varieties are harvested and vinified separately. Consulting oenologist Riccardo Cotarella fashions the final blend before the wines undergo malolactic fermentation. As opposed to Terra di Lavoro, which mostly sees malo in steel, here Cotarella feels more at ease doing the malos in oak as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are clearly more suited to this approach than Aglianico. Montevetrano was aged in 100% new oak until 1995, when the percentage of new barrels was dropped to 50%.
93 Wine Spectator
Very ripe and raisiny, with tar and licorice character that turns to volcanic ash and dried flowers. Full and chewy, yet balanced and polished, with a solid core of fruit and a long, subtle, flavored finish. Best after 2009. 1,500 cases made.  –JS
93 Robert Parker
Readers looking for a recent Montevetrano that is ready or close to ready to drink should consider the 2005. Early tertiary notes of tobacco and smoke have begun to develop. The fruit is round, soft and harmonious all the way through to the long, polished finish. This is a relatively simple, accessible Montevetrano in this context, but it should drink well reasonably early. The balance and overall sense of harmony remain that of a first class red. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2025. <br/><br/>Proprietor Silvia Imparato is one of the early pioneers in the world of Campanian oenology. Originally trained as a photographer, Imparato came to winemaking accidentally when one of her clients invited her to join a wine tasting group in Rome in the 1980s. Over the course of the following years, Imparato had the opportunity to taste many of the world’s great bottles on a regular basis. On a lark, she thought she would try to make wine at her family’s small estate in Salerno. She enlisted the help of consulting oenologist Riccardo Cotarella, and together they created Montevetrano, the wine that launched Campania in a big way around the world. This was the first complete vertical Imparato had ever hosted on this scale, and she was clearly moved by the occasion. All of the wines were shipped directly from the estate, guaranteeing perfect provenance. The wines were opened a few hours before being served. It was a warm, humid summer day in New York and the wines were particularly radiant and expressive. Montevetrano is approximately 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 10% Aglianico (the international varieties were planted on the existing Aglianico rootstocks) although the exact blend changes from year to year depending on vintage conditions. Imparato makes it clear she isn’t a big fan of giving the exact breakdown in each vintage, so readers should take the varietal blend as a rough guideline. Clearly there are a number of vintages where the Aglianico seems to come through with a much more assertive voice than 10% would lead one to believe. The harvest times vary greatly from Merlot to Aglianico, so the different grape varieties are harvested and vinified separately. Consulting oenologist Riccardo Cotarella fashions the final blend before the wines undergo malolactic fermentation. As opposed to Terra di Lavoro, which mostly sees malo in steel, here Cotarella feels more at ease doing the malos in oak as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are clearly more suited to this approach than Aglianico. Montevetrano was aged in 100% new oak until 1995, when the percentage of new barrels was dropped to 50%.
93 Wine Spectator
Very ripe and raisiny, with tar and licorice character that turns to volcanic ash and dried flowers. Full and chewy, yet balanced and polished, with a solid core of fruit and a long, subtle, flavored finish. Best after 2009. 1,500 cases made.  –JS
Producer
Montevetrano di Silvia Imparato
Campanian superstar wine, Montevetrano, burst onto the scene in 1995 and achieved cult status almost overnight. Italian photographer Silvia Imparato initially had just 4 hectares of vines south of Naples and made a little wine in 1991. Encouraged by the results she hired winemaker Ricardo Cotarella to help with the 1992 vintage. In 1995 she sent vintages 1991–1993 to Robert Parker who gave it a high score and famously called it the “Sassacaia of the south”. With this, the wine became sought-after overnight. The vineyard is on a south-facing slope with gravelly soils, and while the first vintage was 70% Cabernet and 30% Aglianico, the blend is now more typically 60% Cabernet, 30% Merlot and 10% Aglianico. Initially just 1000 bottles were made; now production is more like 30,000 bottles. The vineyard area has increased from 4 to 6 hectares and is planned to increase to 11 hectares in the near future; the expansion will stop when production reaches 50,000 bottles.