Famiglia Cotarella

Famiglia Cotarella spans three generations of grape growers and winemakers from Umbria, the ‘Green Heart’ of Italy. The portfolio includes classic Italian blends and single varietal expressions of Merlot and Sangiovese from Lazio, Umbria, and Montalcino.

The Famiglia Cotarella legacy began in 1920 with Antonio and Domenico Cotarella, grape growers in the small village of Monterubiaglio, Umbria. In 1979, Domenico’s sons Renzo and Riccardo founded Falesco, a company with a clear mission: to resurrect Lazio and Umbria’s ‘micro-varieties’ that had become virtually extinct and to elevate Umbria’s status as a respected winemaking region. In 2017, Renzo and Riccardo placed the future of their company in the capable hands of their daughters, Dominga, Marta and Enrica. Today, they manage all aspects of the family’s business in Umbria, Lazio and Montalcino.

When Dominga, Marta and Enrica Cotarella took control of the family estates, their aim was to further tie the company’s identity to its native terroir and the family name. They rebranded their iconic flagship estate Falesco to “Famiglia Cotarella”, signaling the importance of family and sense of place in everything they do, from grape growing to vinification, from marketing and research to innovation and philanthropy.

Pier Paolo Chiasso is the head of production for all three Famiglia Cotarella estates. He serves as a consulting winemaker at several notable estates throughout Italy and Europe. The protégé of Ricardo Cotarella, Pier Paolo not only promotes the use of native Italian grape varietals but also explores and identifies new terroirs with the potential for high-quality wine production. His acute interest in experimentation both within winemaking and vineyard management dovetails with the continued refinement of the Famiglia Cotarella wines year after year.

The Tuscia Region

The Famiglia Cotarella flagship estate is nestled in the upper Tuscia, between Umbria and Lazio, at an altitude of 1,500 feet above sea level. The Tuscia was the historical heartland of the Etruscan civilization from the 8^th– 3^rd century BC. Originally much larger, the Tuscia used to include all of Tuscany, a great part of Umbria and the northern parts of Lazio.

Winery

The Famiglia Cotarella’s winemaking legacy began in the village of Montefiascone within the state of Lazio, which was once the center of the Roman Empire and one of Italy’s oldest wine producing regions.

Today, the Famiglia Cotarella flagship estate is located in neighboring Montecchio, Umbria, known as the ‘Green Heart’ of Italy. Nestled in the Apennine Mountain range and named for the lakes, forests and woodlands that cover these mountains, Umbria is the only Italian region bordered neither by sea nor foreign country. The family’s estate comprises 650 acres of nutrient-rich land, planted to native and select international varieties, perfectly suited to the microclimate found around Lake Bolsena and the hills surrounding Orvieto. With a focus on sustainability, tradition and modernity, the winery is Equalitas certified.

In 2017 the Cotarella family spearheaded a new winemaking project in the DOCG Brunello di Montalcino, with the purchase of Le Macioche. Containing seven acres of estate-grown, sustainably farmed Sangiovese Grosso, the winery of Le Macioche boasts a new fermentation hall with state-of-the-art conical stainless steel fermenters, manual punch down machines and several large oval oak tonneaux for extended wine aging, per DOCG requirements.