Famiglia Cotarella Sodale Merlot Lazio 2020

Three-generation operation delivers exceptional merlot

Jun 20, 2025

Wine time humor

A truck loaded with thousands of copies of Roget’s Thesaurus crashed yesterday losing its entire load. Witnesses were stunned, startled, aghast, taken aback, stupefied, confused, shocked, rattled, paralyzed, dazed, bewildered, mixed up, surprised, awed, dumbfounded, nonplussed, flabbergasted, astounded, amazed, confounded, astonished, overwhelmed, horrified, numbed, speechless, and perplexed. Wine time.

Famiglia Cotarella Sodale Merlot Lazio 2020

Deep ruby color; plum, cherry, cranberry, black olive, vanilla, spice, pepper, violets, earth, minerality-crushed stone on the nose and palate.

Dry; supple, polished tannins that become even more approachable with air; amiable, balancing acidity (3.63 pH/5.09 g/L TA). Medium body. Reflects the soft approachability of merlot. Ripe fruit gives illusion of sweetness, but touch of herbaceousness pulls this back from being overripe fruit bomb. Located in central Italy, encircling the city of Rome, Lazio is the seventh-largest Italian wine production region.Volcanic hills contribute to minerality. While primarily a white wine region, red wine production is increasing. Famiglia Cotarella has two separate lines. Cotarella is their special selection, upper shelf pours. Falesco are their value pours. 14.1% ABV

Grapes were hand-harvested in early September. They were manually selected in the winery, then fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel for 12 days with gentle punch-downs. After alcoholic fermentation, the juice was transferred to barrels for malolactic conversion. Aged nine months in combination of new and neutral French oak. Finally, the bottled wine was held for one year for addition integration.

Cotarella brothers Renzo and Riccardo in the beginning

Famiglia Cotarella is a three-generation family operation. Dominga, Marta, and Enrica are the principals. Famiglia Cotarella is a young brand, but as the operation points out, the principals bring decades of experience and tradition to the brand. The Falesco Winery was founded in 1979 by brothers Riccardo and Renzo Cotarella. Today, Riccardo is president and general manager of Riccardo Cotarella Winemaking Consultancy and professor of viticulture and enology at the University of Viterbo, along with other prestigious positions in Italian wine.

Cotarella leadership-Dominga, Marta, Enrica Cotarella

Falesco Winery grew and diversified. Then came brand and leadership transition in 2017. The winery notes: “Dominga, Marta and Enrica Cotarella, a new, third generation has officially arrived at the helm of the family. With the new brand architecture, Famiglia Cotarella has become the reference brand that includes Falesco (for traditional wines), Cotarella (for the top of the range), Intrecci (the Higher Education school) and Liaison (distribution brand of Champagne Alexandre Filaine and Vilmart and of the wine Per Papà of the Castello di Cigognola Company).”

Famiglia Cotarella cellar

Famiglia Cotarella Sodale Merlot Lazio 2020 is smooth, delicious Italian take on merlot from a three-generation wine family. Decanting allows the structure to emerge and improves the tannins. Ripe red fruits, led by plum, but avoids jammy or fruit bomb. Exceptional merlot, enchantingly smooth after some air, good value. $26

Pairing—outstanding with poultry; roast or fried chicken, white or dark meat; chicken cacciatore, herb-crusted chicken; game birds—quail, dove, pigeon. Asian chicken dishes with soy-based marinades or five-spice preparations. Roast pork, pork tenderloin. Exotic fare—bison burgers. Lamb prepared with herbs. Lean beef—filet mignon rather than marbled ribeye. Cheese—pecorino romano, caciotta romana di aprilia, pecorino fresco, Goot Essa Butta Schaf (sheep milk pecorino style); aged cheddar, Italian gorgonzola, Swiss gruyère.

Famiglia Cotarella website