A favorite returns with a brand new vintage, just landed in the US!

“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 won Tre Bicchieri THE top accolade for Italian wine. 97 points ain’t too shabby either, for a (normally) $95 cult red that also happens to be a Wine Spies exclusive, that is according to Vinous “reminiscent of an Italian version of Colgin or Bryant Family.” And to be able to get this to you under $50 is as breathtaking a site as Positano.

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 has been named 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… and to quote them, “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 heavenly 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…”

Extremely indeed, hit that checkout button fast.

97 Points – James Suckling

“I love the nose and it makes me think of Campania with its crushed stone, pumice, blackberry, and cracked pepper. Some tar. The palate is full-bodied with polished and fine tannins that are chewy and give structure to this young wine. It lasts a very long time on the palate. Smokey and ashy at the end. Drink after 2025.”