2019 Montevetrano Colli di Salerno

Full bottle 1,305 g. Blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Aglianico and Merlot from the estate vineyard in the village of San Cipriano Picentino. Liquorice nose. Black cherry. Dense and thickly dry on the palate, the tannins leading from the front covered in char. From behind the cloud portcullis of coal dust peeps an outline of dark cherry; tobacco, bitter dried herbs and cassia bark notes swirling at its feet like autumn leaves in a rain-grey wind. Quite hard to approach at the moment – a lot  of oak, making it very rough, even after it had been open for three days. I wonder if this will ever come round? (TC)

This is one of the icon wines of southern Italy. It maintains its timeless nature throughout the years, in good vintages and in bad. The 2019 Montevetrano embraces the radiance and elegance of the very good vintage this was in Campania, with cool nights, good moisture and average summer temperatures. The blend is 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Aglianico and 20% Merlot sourced from a five-hectare site with clay soils. Some 20,000 bottles are made. The bouquet reveals dark cherry and black plum with baker's chocolate and exotic spice. There is an especially black fruit quality that is almost tarry from the Aglianico, and that grape really pops from the blend, as it should, since this is one of the original "super Campania" wines.