“Imparato began the wine estate on a whim. The seed was planted one evening in 1983 while she was out with friends and acquaintances at a wine bar in Rome… ‘We were drinking a lot of great Bordeaux like Château Lafite and Haut-Brion from the 1959 vintage… I am sure we can make this kind of wine at Montevetrano.’” - Wine Spectator

Since the inaugural 1995, nearly every vintage of Montevetrano won a Tre Bicchieri THE top accolade for Italian wine.

97 points ain’t too shabby either, for a 55-buck-red (best price in America today at Wine Spies only) that is per Vinous “reminiscent of an Italian version of Colgin or Bryant Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon.”

Galloni adds that this is “the wine that put the south on the map with wine consumers in a big way… 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.”

Cotarella is Winemaker of the Year by Wine Enthusiast, Best Italian winemaker by Gambero Rosso, “one of the most influential wine personalities in the world” by Robert Parker and “one of the best in Italian winemaking” by Wine Spectator claiming “Cotarella says Montevetrano was the father of his career, teaching him that Italy wasn’t only Tuscany and Piedmont, but a wealth of regions with secrets nobody had revealed.”

Grown just a couple of miles inland from the Mediterranean at the stretch of the breathtaking Amalfi Coast, Montevetrano is, without a doubt a crown jewel of Italian wine, on the same pedestal as the best Napa or Bordeaux blends, with a bewildering layer of Aglianico, deeming it exotic and unique.

In the glass, there really is nothing like it. Perfumed with cherries red and black, fresh and macerated, a spice bazaar wealth of secondary accents blows the mind and that’s before a sip. Much more is revealed with a perfect balance between soft and silky mouthfeel and iron-clad, mineral-laced tannins, hinting at the serious longevity built in here. As we say, this is an incomparable red, but with that all too familiar pedigree found only the world’s greatest wines, be it from Napa Valley, Bordeaux, or Southern Italy.

Robert Parker joins the affirmations that Montevetrano’s proprietor “Silvia Imparato is a shining star, this winery has become one of the superstars of Italy. Sadly, the vineyard’s small size and low yields result in extremely small production…”

In sum, you can spend north of $100 later out there to experience this superstar when more and bigger scores swarm in or steal some today for $55, the choice is yours, but time is running out.

97 Points – James Suckling

“A red with plum and cherry character with hints of bark, mushroom and clove. It’s full-bodied with layers of fruit and a long, flavorful finish. Needs time to soften, but structured and beautiful. Such finesse with strength. Really impressive. Try after 2022.”