The 2006 Montiano (Merlot) offers up a bouquet of sweet toasted oak, black cherries, plums, new leather and licorice. Soft and harmonious on the palate, the wine reveals excellent depth and silky tannins in an engaging, supple style. This is a very pretty effort from Falesco. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2016. Riccardo Cotarella’s numerous consulting engagements take him all over the world, but it is Falesco, his estate in the rolling hills of Umbria, that he calls home. Falesco is a family affair, with Cotarella’s brother Renzo, and daughter Dominga involved in running the winery. The sprawling property covers 670 acres, 370 of which are under vine. Quality is incredibly consistent when one considers that nearly 3 million bottles emerge from these cellars each year. Never one to rest on his laurels, Cotarella has several new projects in the works. One of the most intriguing of these is a Sagrantino he is making from three hectares of rented vineyards in Bevagna. The first vintage, 2006, will be released later this year. Importer:A Leonardo Lo Cascio Selection, Winebow, Montvale, NJ; tel. (201) 445-0620