Review: 2020 Famiglia Cotarella Sodale Merlot Lazio IGP

Did you know you can get a merlot wine — 100% merlot — from Italy? Sodale is made from grapes grown in the Lazio region (the administrative region where Rome is located).

It’s considerably spicier on the nose than your typical glass of merlot, with an equally atypical punch of juicy currants and plums. The wine is rich on the tongue and lasting, with moderate but manageable tannins and a slightly gamy edge.

There’s a slightly vegetal quality that emerges as the finish builds that vaguely evokes cooked carrots, but this works, adding a savory touch to what could have otherwise been an overdone fruit bomb. The violet florals of the typical domestic merlot are absent here, but they’re not particularly missed. Go in instead with the expectations you’d normally have for a Super Tuscan and you won’t be disappointed. Excellent value for the price.

A- / $25 / famigliacotarella.it

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