2019 Montiano

Showing great freshness coupled with darkly concentrated fruit, the 2019 Montiano Cotarella stands out beautifully when compared to recent past vintages. This wine is vibrant and dynamic with black cherry, redcurrant, sweet apricot and exotic spice delivered with full-bodied intensity. There is a Mediterranean element as well that recalls grilled rosemary or lavender. This edition of Montiano, one of Italy's most celebrated Merlots, stands out in a crowd.

The 2019 Merlot Montiano is a dark beauty, but also a bit of a caged beast; it smolders up from the glass with a bouquet of smoky blackberry and raspberry contrasted by crushed stone, grilled sage and incense. It washes across the palate with pure elegance, coming across as both polished yet also salty in character, with stimulating acidity that energizes its violet-laced plum and wild blueberry fruit. This finishes long with a coating of sweet tannins, while inner florals and nuances of licorice resonate. The 2019 is incredibly complex; as expressive as it is today, it will only get better over time. This is a brilliant showing. Famiglia Cotarella continues to dial back on the percentage of new wood used in Montiano, now at around 55%, which is a welcome change.