Falesco, Est! Est!! Est!!!, Montefiascone DOC 2001
Price $6
Rating 85
Enjoy the aromas that include earthy notes with lime hints. There are earthy and light flavors of lime, along with multi-grain bread nuances in the pleasant finish. The grape blend is 60% trebbiano, 10% roscetto, 30% malvasia.

One of the hottest winemaking consultants throughout Italy is Riccardo Cotarella. Falesco is his home base, and this is a cutting-edge winery that he and his family operate. For more information, email them directly at falesco@leonet.it. This wine is imported into the U.S. by Winebow.

Falesco, Poggio dei Gelsi, Est! Est!! Est!!!, Montefiascone DOC 2001
Price $10
Rating 86
Poggio dei Gelsi is a single vineyard. It is a somewhat non-traditional blend of 40% trebbiano, 40% roscetto, 10% malvasia, 15% altri, 5% sauvignon blanc.
First there are aromas of bright lime melded with subtle earthiness, followed by flavors that are more structured, being medium weight in the mouth. There are elements of lime, earth, cracked wheat.

Falesco, Vitiano Red , Umbria IGT 2000
Price $8
Rating 88
"With Vitiano, we try to make a young wine with explosive and luscious elements,"explains Pier Paolo Chiasso, wine maker and general manager, "the blend is composed of merlot, cabernet sauvignon and sangiovese. This is a breakthrough red from the Umbrian region, known primarily for white wines."

A sniff reveals blackberry, black liquorish, and an intriguing mushroom hint.
There are flavors of black fruit laced with soft, though tannin, structure. One detects fennel seed, tar, plum, and menthol. The Falesco Vitiano is an affordable red wine to ponder as it coolly lingers. Chiasso sums the wine up by saying that it is "not difficult."

Fontana Candida, Frascati Superiore DOC 2001
Price $7
Rating 85
The sometimes generic Frascati is a classic, though not always renowned, Italian white. This bottle is a blend of 40% trebbiano toscano, 20% malvasia del lazio, and 40% malvasia candia. Soft pressing of the grapes with a cool, controlled fermentation to retain fresh flavors results in the Fontana Candida, Frascati Superiore being a good white wine costing very little.

There are aromas of melon, citrus, a bit of herb followed by flavors of citrus, lemon, lime, and ripe melon. In the past, Frascati was pasteurized, but that is not the case with this wine, thus more refreshing flavors are apparent.

Fontana Candida, Santa Teresa, Frascati DOC 2000
Price $11
Rating 86
The Fontana Candida, Santa Teresa, Frascati is believed by many to be one of the best versions of Frascati from all of the region. It is a blend of 30% trebbiano toscano, 30% malvasia del lazio, 30% malvasia candia and 10% grechetto. Aromas of lemon, lime and delicate herbs are followed by flavors of delicate citrus, cantaloupe melon, soft herbs, with a medium length on the palate.

"In difficult years, class shines through and Franco Bardi has once more shown his oenological pedigree," proclaims the Italian wine bible of sources, Gambero Rosso, "and his is a titanic undertaking, given the vast quantity of wines handled at Fontana Candida. These value priced wines are imported to the U.S. by Brown-Forman. For more information, go to www.fontanacandida.com.

Fontana Candida, Terre dei Grifi, Malvesia del Lazio, IGT 2000
Price $9
Rating 86
Fontana Candida is a huge producer, known primarily for white wine. They have risen in quality in big ways during recent years. The malvesia is a great example. There are aromas of honeydew melon, watermelon rind, a touch of yeast and almond complexity. There are wonderful flavors of citrus, with a relatively crisp entry, filled with the same elements presented in the nose.

Fontana Candida, Merlot, Lazio IGT, 2000
Price $9
Rating 87
Fresh aromas of plum, berries, with a hint of evergreen greet the nose.
Delicate flavors of red cherry, plum, and cocoa powder are found in this pleasant, approachable red wine. There is a bit of mint at finish, along with cranberry, and black pepper sprinkled at the end.

Castel de Paolis, Campovecchio Frascoti Superiore DOC 2000
Price $13
Rating 88
"The difference between our Frascati and others is that we replanted the less known, less used historic grapes with lower yields of fruit," says Dr. Fabrizio Santarelli of the family owned Castel de Paolis, "For example, our yield is two-thirds of what is allowed by law." Another reason would be the winery's retaining consultant Franco Bernabei, an oenologist based in Tuscany, rated by the Italian Sommelier Association as the best Italian winemaker in 2001.

Imagine aromas of vibrant melon and citrus, with floral, and a touch of flint or mineral. Imagine, now, flavors of vibrant fruit, with great concentration for what is often a generic, diluted wine produced elsewhere in Lazio. There is ripe melon, a drop of honey, lime/citrus, and brioche.

Castel de Paolis, Frascati Superiore DOC 2000
Price $18
Rating 88
Picture aromas of cool honeydew melon and mint, concentrated, lime, graham cracker. Then there is a crisp, delicate and elegant entry of lemon and melon, with richness at end almost like butterscotch crème brule. The wine, though rich, is crisply dry.

"We started in 1996 to treat vineyard organically. We are just now allowed to label our wines as organic,"explains Santarelli. "Our grapes are softly pressed and fermented at a colder temperature to capture the most flavor and aromatic complexity. The ratio is 15% malvasia del lazio, 10% trebbiano toscano, 25% bellone cacchiome, 25% bom vino and 25% grechetto." Definitely a historic and contrary blend compared to the many other Frascati wines on the market. For more information, contact info@castedepaolis.com.it.

Castel de Paolis, Vigna Adriana, Frascati Superiore DOC 2000
Price $25
Rating 90
A delicate nose of flint, lime and limestone begin the courtship with this delightful white wine. Then there are flavors within the almost oily entry of butterscotch and cantaloupe brule, ethereal lime and bright floral blossoms, as well as evergreen notes.

An interesting note is that art for the label was created by Umberto Mastroianni (uncle of actor Marcello Mastroianni), renowned as one of the top Italian artists of the 20th century, as well as a neighbor of the Santarelli family.

Castel de Paolis, Campo Vecchio Rosso, Lazio IGT 1999
Price $18
Rating 89
The blend for the Campo Vecchio Rosso is 50% syrah (aged in French oak), 20% cesanese d'affile, 20% montepulciano d'Abbruzzo and 10% sangiovese. There are aromas of spice, flint and subdued dark fruit, followed by flavors of red currant, plum and black pepper, with an earthy middle of dark cocoa powder, black berry, and more gripping notes in the black cherry finish.