The first vintage of Riccardo Cotarella's newest baby is the 1999 Marciliano. Aged 16 months in 100% new French oak, and bottled unfined and unfiltered, this 70% Cabernet Sauvignon/30% Cabernet Franc blend already displays a fabulous, complex fragrance of lavender, mint, creme de cassis, licorice, spice box, and toasty oak. Dense, with great fruit and richness on the attack, extraordinary elegance and precision, and a long, layered finish, it is not as hedonistic as the Montiano, but it is potentially more complex, with more subtlety and nuances. Like the Montiano, the Marciliano is a wine of first-growth quality, and deserves serious attention. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2018.
A Leonardo Locascio Selection, Winebow, Hohokus, NJ; tel. (201) 445-0620