If you are interested in featuring Montoliva Vineyard & Winery's interesting, high-quality selection of Tuscan-styled wines, please contact Mark at mark@montoliva.com
2017 Falanghina The most widely grown white wine varietal in southern Italy, it is virtually unknown in California. Ours was the first commercially produced Falanghina in California. The Italians love this wine with seafood. I can’t say I disagree. It has the nose of a tropical fruit Sauv Blanc, melons and pineapple, with the crisp, refreshing finish. 60 cases produced. $22/bottle ($17.60 to CPWS members) 
2014 Aglianico While somewhat obscure in California, Aglianico is widely grown in the Basilicata region of Italy. Aglianico is considered to have been the best wine produced during the era of the Roman Republic. Only 90 cases produced. $30/bottle, ($24.00 CPWS) Best of Class, 2018 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition 
2014 Teroldego Teroldego is Italian for "Gold of the Tyrol Hills".Our 2014 Teroldego reflects the warm, dry 2014 growing season, and exhibits more of a fruit on the front/smokiness in the back that will make it a favorite with summer grilling. This wine spent two and a half years in mostly neutral oak, was bottled in the Spring of 2017. 90 cases produced. $30/bottle, $24/CPWS 
2014 Barbera Our 2014 takes Barbera’s natural fruitiness and acidity to new heights. We source the grapes from Viani Vineyard on Pilot Hill, working with owner Steve Viani to ensure we harvest as ripe as viticulturally possible while maintaining a good pH balance. Big fruit, MV&W’s signature earthy/complex mid-palate, nice cleansing acidity in the finish. 70 cases produced. $25/bottle ($19.20/CPWS) |
2017 Sei Ore “Sei Ore” is Italian for “Six Hours”, so named because that is how long I leave the crushed Sangiovese grapes on the skins before pressing. What I like about Sangiovese as a rose is that pressing it really early gives the wine an interesting salmon color, and a pleasing strawberry aroma. Only 50 cases produced. $16/bottle ($12.80 to CPWS members) 
2014 Nebbiolo This vintage of Nebbiolo follows in the footsteps of our Cal State Fair “Best of Class” 2013 Nebbiolo. It is somewhat lighter in body than the 2013 (reflecting the warmer, drier growing season), with a more pronounced rose petal/black tar nose (I know…but it works!). There is a noticeable dryness, though not as pronounced as a typical Italian Nebbiolo. 100 cases. $28/bottle $22.40/CPWS Price 
2013 Sinistra Italian for “left”, Sinistra as a proprietary blend of 65% Teroldego & 35% Barbera (so named because I’m left-handed). This wine exhibits an interesting minty/eucalyptus-y mid-palate, nice fruit on the front and good structure in the finish. Only 80 cases produced. $30/bottle ($24/bottle to CPWS members) 
Vin Santo In 2014 I started experimenting with a wine style that has not existed in its original form for centuries. Originally produced in Tuscany for use in religious ceremonies, Vin Santo, latin for “holy wine”, was traditionally made from grapes that were dehydrated to raisins before crushing. This made a wine both very sweet and moderately low in alcohol. It required nearly two acres of Barbera grapes, over two vintage years, to produce 30 cases of wine. It is dense, thick, sweet and highly unusual. $40/375ml bottle ($32 to CPWS) |
2016 Sierra Bella Sierra Bella is Italian for "Beautiful Sierra". This Super-Tuscan blend of Sangiovese, Primitivo, Teroldego and Barbera is indeed a beautiful wine. The Sangiovese gives this wine a pleasing acidity and earthiness, the Teroldego and Barbera provide a fruit lushness, the Primitivo pulls everything together. And at $18.00, it is a beautiful bargain as well! ($14.40 CPWS) Silver Medal ~ 2018 California State Fair Commercial Wine Competition 
2014 Due Baci Italian for “Two Kisses”, named , in part, because it is a blend of two of my favorite wines. This vintage is a blend of 75% Sangiovese and 25% Aglianico. I make this wine to be dry and lean, perfect for my favorite meals, which usually include a spicy marinara sauce and some well seasoned chicken. Only 85 cases produced. $28/bottle, $22.40 to CPWS members 
2014 Primitivo 2014 was the third year of the drought in California, and it was a very warm growing season. All of our wines from 2014 exhibit more fruit-forwardness than our wines usually due, mainly because the warm summer brought the grapes to much riper state by harvest time than is normal. I suppose my 2014 Primitivo is very “Lodi-esque” as a result. The fruit of this wine definitely shows it’s relationship to Zinfandel much more than any Primitivo I’ve made before. It holds together however, because the wine still has a trademark Montoliva dry finish. 100 cases produced. $28/bottle, $22.50 to members of the Chicago Park Wine Society |