Bonnie Brae Wine & Liquor Mart
785 S. University Boulevard • Denver, CO 80209
Phone: (303) 733-7261

Azienda Vinicola Falesco
– Umbria, Italy

“Our customers purchased more bottles of wine from Falesco than from any other wine in the world! And it's no wonder, as this winery makes some of the top value wines in Italy, if not the world…enormous popularity of their wine and the countless worldwide accolades they have received.”

The Monthly Selection

2007 “Vitiano” Sangiovese-Merlot-Cabernet Sauvignon 

Winemaker's notes: With Vitiano we have tried to achieve a young red wine with an explosive, luscious, aromatic fragrance. This wine has a wonderful, deep, intense ruby red colour, with important, and complex organoleptic qualities, but above all it exalts the food with which it is combined. It is very rich, which harmonize with its fresh, tasty acidity. It is versatile red, quite innovative in style, and one which can be appreciated immediately. It adapts easily to various dishes, and can be drunk lightheartedly, contributing great pleasure with the intense fragrance of its perfumes, its luscious flavors, and its straightforward character.

Critical acclaim: "The 2007 Vitiano (Sangiovese, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon) is a soft-textured, caressing red that blossoms on the palate with layers of perfumed red fruit and sweet French oak. This is an especially seamless and beautiful Vitiano that is particularly rewarding for its textural richness. Vitiano is typically bottled in several lots, all of which undergo malolactic fermentation in French oak… a wine that delivers so much value. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2012." – 89 Points The Wine Advocate

"Ridiculously dark black-ruby color; pretty aromas of cassis, black plum and earth, with a pronounced vanilla presence that does not overpower the fruit. Rich and densely packed, with distinctly ripe flavors of black fruits, raisin and chocolate lifted by an intriguing balsamic vinegar note. This finishes lighter than it starts, with welcome acidity nicely delineating the borderline-overripe fruit. Finishes creamy and long. This is a lot of wine for the money, and the best Vitiano in years. – 91 Points International Wine Cellar

Regular Price $9.99 Web Special $7.99

The Falesco Story

Of interesting note, WINE.COM, the leading internet wine site, stated of Azienda Vinicola Falesco that, “Our customers purchased more bottles of wine from Falesco than from any other winery in the world! And it's no wonder, as this winery makes some of the top value wines in Italy, if not the world. Falesco's most popular wine is Vitiano, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sangiovese grown in Umbria. This is a perennial must-buy: It's lush and fruity, and always seems to garnish outstanding scores from the wine critics.”

“Falesco was founded in 1979 by Riccardo and Renzo Cotarella, brothers that also happen to be two of Italy's most acclaimed winemakers. Their philosophy is to strike a balance between the uniqueness of native Italian varieties and the versatility of more "international" grapes. As evidenced by the enormous popularity of their wine and the countless worldwide accolades they have received, they have clearly succeeded in achieving their goal.”

The Falesco Winery, owned by these brothers Cotarella – both oenologists and deeply rooted in this territory between Lazio and the Umbria regions – was established in Monte Fiascone (Lazio, Viterbo province) in 1979. Identifying and retrieving historical vines of the area, was considered of paramount importance among the initial goals. As a matter of fact, this territory had been famous for centuries for its outstanding wines, which were the privilege of the Roman aristocracy and The Popes, yet in recent years the area had almost sunk into oblivion. Therefore, it took several years of painstaking research and selection before old clones – which had been considered almost extinct – could be isolated along with the extremely delicate micro-varieties with their matchless aroma and organoleptic value, that were lost with the planting of specialized vineyards in the 1960s.

Beside attempting to salvage the vines, the Cotarellas have tried to identify vineyard sites with a historically proven viticultural reputation of past excellence, in which the exposure and the peculiar composition of the soils could result in very high quality wines. The area occupied by the Poggio dei Gelsi Vineyard, at 400 meters above sea level, with a southwest exposure looking towards the Lake Bolsena, was one of these. Here, in this area were found the oldest and rarest surviving white grape varietals – among others the Roscetto – whose calling for producing great wines, was well known locally. This variety, for example, substantiated from DNA studies by Professor Attilio Scienza, comes from Greek origins.

Recently Falesco has further enhanced its holdings with the acquisition of the Marcilio vineyard of 260 hectares, which is situated on a wonderful hill south of Orvieto in the Municipality of Montecchio. In these vineyards they grow the Merlot, Cabernet and Sangiovese grapes for the production of Vitiano – our store selection this month. Likewise, in a joint effort with Tuscia University in Viterbo, Falesco has planted an experimental vineyard in this same area with 32 different varietals ranging from Nero d'Avola, Primitivo, and from Malbec to Tannat, Carmen, Montepulciano, and Teroldego. They firmly believe in the potential of this territory, and are determined to verify the possible adaptability of more varieties to the peculiar soil and climatic conditions of the Marcilio area.

November 2009 SPECIAL FEATURES

Big House Winery - Monterey County, CA
• 2008 "Birdman" Pinot
  Grigio