This is a very elegant wine with wild berry aromas and hints of black cherry. It has concentrated fruit on the palate, good acidity, and a long finish. The winery is owned by the Milanese lawyer Paolo Nodari who is dedicated to making fine wine. The 400 hectare estate around the fortification know as Castelluccio Amerino dominates the valley, know as Le Regine (the queens), in southern Umbria between the towns of Narni and Amelia, not far from the border with Lazio. The oenologist is Franco Bernabei. I have been a big fan of this wine since the first vintage in 2000.
Merlot is now grown all over Italy. It is the third most grown red grape. Riccardo Cotarella, one of the world’s leading oenologists, has said that the best place to grow Merlot in Italy is Umbria.
