Montevetrano is a 26-hectare estate (about 5 vineyards), in the Monti Picentini Regional Park in southern Italy. The vineyards are in San Cipriano Picentino, in a former Bourbons’ estate at 100 meters above sea level, on the crest of a hill among oaks, chestnuts, hazelnut trees, citrus grove, and olive trees, by the shadow of an ancient medieval castle. The boundaries are marked by blackberry bushes and old roses introduced to the rows in the “Horse vineyard”, near the ‘700 country house.

Montevetrano estate comes from the enthusiasm of a group of friends for sharing and experiencing their wine passion, beyond Bordeaux style wines. The estate was bought by the Imparato’s in the ‘40s. In 1983 Silvia started to make wine in Montevetrano, as a game, among friends. Everything came from a simple tasting of Bordeaux style wines, in Rome, where a tipsy Silvia claimed that she could make such a kind of wine even in her South region, close to Salerno. Anyway, she could make an attempt! Riccardo Cotarella did and succeeded! Meeting him was Silvia’s sliding door and a revolution for her land.In 1985, 2-hectare of vineyards, Aglianico, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot were grafted on 40-50 year old plants of Barbera, Per’è palummo (piedirosso) and uva di Troia. In 1991 a bunch of few bottles were released, only for friends, blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Aglianico. This was the first and shy crop of Montevetrano wine. It was surprising,

as a game, Montevetrano was way beyond expectations. It took 2 years and half from the harvest to the release on the market. Bottles were given away to friends and winelovers. Sales of the 1993 wine only started in 1995. An unexpected success, unbelievable, encouraged Silvia to send three bottles to Robert Parker, just to have his opinion. Well, the answer was a bombastic column on his. “The Wine

Advocate”: Montevetrano was mentioned as the Sassicaia of the Southern Italy. Montevetrano success worldwide put Campania under the

spotlight. This region is a land with a deep farming tradition, because of the variety of grapes, different productions and the ability of local workers.