Dubbed ‘the Sassicaia of the South’ by Robert Parker
in 1995, Montevetrano is a cult Italian wine that sells at
a price well below its true worth.
With a trailblazing owner, creating wines from
international grape varieties that are recognisably
Italian, Montevetrano has gained a cult following. It’s
not hard to see why the estate is so frequently likened
to Italian legend Sassicaia.
It’s the brainchild of owner Silvia Imperatore, who
enlisted the help of her friend and top winemaking
consultant Riccardo Cotarella as she set out to make
a top quality wine from Campania, the region to the
south of Tuscany.
It’s made from a blend of Merlot and Cabernet
Sauvignon alongside local grape variety Aglianico.
The four hectare vineyard has gravel soils and is just a
couple of kilometres in from the sea, just like Sassicaia’s
famed terroir.
But whereas Sassicaia make 180,000 bottles
of the top wine, there are just 30,000 bottles of
Montevetrano produced each year. A prized Southern
Italian gem.