2006 Montevetrano Montevetrano Colli di Salerno IGT

• By Antonio Galloni
  The Noble Wines of Southern Italy (Aug 2010), (See more on Vinous...)

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• By Antonio Galloni
  Central & Southern Italy: A World Waiting to be Discovered (Apr 2009), (See more on Vinous...)

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Garagiste

• By Jon Rimmerman
  1/19/2011, (See more on Garagiste...)

  (MONTEVETRANO) Montevetrano Dear Friends, We’ve offered this imposing wine 3-4 times over the past few years but (it would appear) many of you have taken your first stab at its 2005 Lafite-like structure. Based on the number of holiday emails I received a few weeks ago, the 2006 Montevetrano was a Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve choice for many of you and I’ve been able to secure a final parcel this morning at an eye-opening tariff... I’ve spouted on ad nauseum about the 2006 vintage in central Italy and it is probably the best overall campaign up and down the western Italian coast since 1990. There are so many memorable wines from the year but let’s not forget the 2006 Montevetrano – a product of a growing season that gave classic, compact and structured components unlike any previous vintage. If my records are correct, the 2006 version of this wine has not only the highest dry extract in its history but also the highest acidity (in a similar, almost eerie vein to the Left Bank First Growths in 2005 – massive dry extract but also the fresh and firm acidity to emphasize and nurture very long-term ageing – something the 2009s do not possess – in Bordeaux or Burgundy or the Northern Rhone – 2005 is a better and more age-worthy vintage in all three areas...although we haven’t discussed 2010 yet - stay tuned). With Montevetrano, the Cabernet gives structure, the Merlot body and the Aglianico adds an exotic and mysterious character that cannot be found in Bordeaux. With age, all of the elements in this wine meld into a wonderful display of nuance and nobility that makes Montevetrano a singular expression in the wine world. One of the keys to Montevetrano is the fermentation – it is still done in tank to preserve the exact and precise expression of the vintage. Only after the fermentation is complete is this wine transferred to barrel (an age-old technique I wish many newcomers would remember who insist on performing their malo or other fermentations in wood). Built for the long-haul, too many bottles of this wine are opened too young – the wine should be treated like a First or Second Growth Bordeaux and placed in the same “do not touch” place in your cellar. In a recent vertical tasting of Montevetrano (1991-2008), penned by Antonio Galloni, no vintage received less than 90pts – even in rain-soaked years – that is the hallmark of great terroir. If I haven’t brow-beaten you enough, it is my firm opinion that Solaia, Sassicaia and other more famous Cabernet-based names may get all the attention but give me a bottle of aged Montevetrano any day of the week (for 50-70% less of an entrance fee) and my vinous sensibilities are satiated by much more than the obvious – they are caressed and challenged by the landscape of a vintage and by an owner who places your dreams and desires first – not her own profit. That deserves a second and third sip. ONE FINAL SHIPMENT ONLY at this tariff with perfect provenance (this is not via the grey market - it is from the winery cellar straight to the US). FIRST COME FIRST SERVED up to 36/person until we run out: 2006 Montevetrano (Colle di Salerno IGT) - (Veronelli-95)(5/5Grappoli)(GR3) (compare at up to ) To order: niki@garagistewine.com This parcel is set to arrive in 3-4 weeks (please check OARS for local pick up after March 1st). It will ship during the Spring shipping season. Out of state orders will be held for free under ideal storage conditions (56 degrees/70%humidity) until shipping is possible. Locals may pick up at their leisure. For current local pick up and arrival/ship information, please see your OARS link below (at the bottom of this offer) - don’t know how to access your OARS? Simply click the link and see your account. You can also paste the link into your browser. If you are having trouble with your link or your account, please contact: support@garagistewine.com NO SALES TO RETAILERS OR WHOLESALERS Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA Italy5896 Click here to view the status of your orders in O.A.R.S.

• By Jon Rimmerman
  8/7/2009, (See more on Garagiste...)

  (MONTEVETRANO) Gift Horse Dear Friends, My mom is fond of clichÄs, phrases actually. While we were growing up, my sister and I often heard many of life's most astute lessons uttered in a series of clichÄs and phrases that used to drive us batty. Why? My mom was always right. I remember a specific weekend, while I was in junior high school, where she spoke in nothing but clichÄs and phrases the entire weekend - to prove a point that only a few words can say everything if you listen closely to their meaning (too bad I never learned the part about the "few words" - sorry mom). My sister, caught in a high school cat fight with another 15 year old debutant was forever changed with a simple "people who throw stones shouldn't live in glass houses". The incredible thing about that weekend is that everything my mom said made perfect sense and instead of rolling our eyes when my mom shouted something cryptic like "a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush", we started to listen...and learn. Which brings us to today's offer that may seem to have "neither rhyme nor reason" but certainly reflects one of my mom's favorites: "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth". Silvia Imparato is a kind woman - how kind, I never knew until this morning (actually last night as it is 8 hours ahead in Rome). She was so overwhelmed by the support of the 2004/2005 packs from a week or two ago that ("out of the blue") she asked if everyone would enjoy the 2006 as well... Yes, indeed we would. The 2006 vintage in nearly all of central Italy has been well documented - from the Tuscan Coast to Brunello to Campania, a cache of exemplary wine exists that may even eclipse the uniformity of 1990. Like the 2006 Galardi (which I shared with my mom at her birthday dinner on Tuesday), the 2006 Montevetrano is supremely elegant and sophisticated - it is the coming of age from Silvia Imparato who finally realized you don't need the deepest, darkest most obtuse wine to have the finest expression in the region (the 2006 Galardi is the same - an incredible perfumed and feminine effort that is the opposite of what most will expect - it is without question the finest wine they've ever made but it a firm departure in style from the past). "When push comes to shove" and "backed into a corner" Silvia will tell you the 2006 is her favorite vintage ever from this property as it holds a nuance missing from past vintages that were more about brute strength than subtle complexity and finesse. She is convinced it will age in the most glorious fashion and who am I to argue. What I find most interesting about this wine is the dense framework that cradles a noble and unforced middle - much like a great vintage of Lafite (as opposed to Latour that is typically masculine from start to finish). A top wine in the making that should rival the best 2006 has to offer from anywhere in Italy: Like the 2004/2005 packs, I've whittled the margin down to "skin and bones" to pass the savings on to you. Maybe a "picture is worth a thousand words" but, in this case, so is the wine. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED as a distinct and new expression of Montevetrano that may be her finest hour. ONE SHIPMENT ONLY at this price with impeccable provenance. 2006 Montevetrano (Colli di Salerno) Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA Italy6679