The “Falesco” Wine Company was founded in 1979 in Montefiascone by the brothers Riccardo and Renzo Cotarella, both oenologists and deeply rooted in this land between Lazio and Umbria.
One of the main objectives was to work to recover the ancient vineyards of the area. The territory, in effect, had enjoyed over the past centuries a fame thanks to the production of extraordinary wines, exclusive of the papal dining halls and of the ancient nobility, but for many decades in a worrying state of neglect. Then, long years of research and selections began, with the aim of finding out ancient clones, now considered extinguished, and flimsy but of high aromatic and organoleptic value micro–varieties that, in the specialized vineyards of the 60s, were almost disappeared. Near this operation of recovery, they tried to identify the vinegrowing areas where the exposure and the peculiarity of the soil could guarantee wines of very high quality. Here the most ancient and rare local white grape varieties survived, among which Roscetto that, as research on DNA carried out by prof. Attilio Scienza proves, derives from the family of the Greco grapes.
At the same time, a modern winery was built, where the use of modern technologies for the fermentation could enhance the aroma and taste heritage of local grapes.
10 years after, in 1989, the production of EST! EST!! EST!!! Poggio dei Gelsi began, which succeeded, in a few years, to give back prestige to a territory and a wine that had been unjustly forgotten.
Starting from the 1998 winery, then, after many years of experience and research on the fascinating Roscetto variety, we have produced Ferentano, a wine that expresses in the best way the potential and the richness of this grapes. To follow, a particular clone of Merlot.
Montiano, produced in the 1993 vintage, from the beginning had been acclaimed as one of the greatest and most innovative Italian red wines, distinguishing themselves for their outstanding elegance, for their precious aromatic value and for their great concentration and structure. Montiano has showed one more time the vocation to quality of our lands. The goal was to find out which grape was able to express it in the best way.
With the 2001 vintage, then, we considered important to give value to another vine, historically linked to the area surrounding Lake Bolsena. From Azienda Agricola Pomele, in effect, Aleatico grapes come, from which we obtain a wine, Pomele, that stands out for the aromatic notes typical of this variety, for its freshness and pleasantness.
In recent times, Falesco has enriched its estate purchasing the Marciliano farm, of more or less 260 hectares, located on the wonderful hill south of Orvieto, in the municipalities of Montecchio and Baschi. From these vineyards Merlot, Cabernet and Sangiovese grapes come, for the production of Vitiano and Merlot dell’Umbria, as well as Vermentino and Verdicchio for Vitiano Bianco.
From the best vineyard of the company, wonderful Cabernet Sauvignon clusters are grown, for the making of a wine that owes its name to the same company: Marciliano, that expresses fully the character of these grapes cultived in these lands. In the same area we planted, in collaboration with the University of Tuscia of Vitero, an experimental vineyard with more than 32 different varieties. They range from Nero D’Avola to Primitivo, from Malbech to Tannat, from Carmenere to Montepulciano, to Teroldego. We deeply believe in this Territory and we want to check the potential adaptability of other varieties to the special conditions of soil and climate of the Marciliano area.
