Falesco’s Riccardo Cotarella earned admiration for Montiano, his single-vineyard Merlot, and that imprint of precision is felt in his value wines such as Tellus. Latin for Earth, Tellus serves to reference our place in the world and beyond. Labels for the Tellus line were created during a crowdsourcing contest in 2008. At this event in Rome, painters were paired with passionate wine lovers to translate the crowd’s wine impressions into visual form.
Tellus Chardonnay is sourced from five hectares in the Montecchio vineyards located in Umbria. Soils here are crumbly, sedimentary soils rich with rich layers of pebbles sitting at 250 meters above sea level. Even ripening is assured due to the moderate climate allowing aromatic development and phenolic structure.
After an early September harvest, the Chardonnay is fermented in stainless steel with 12 days of skin contact during maceration. Further refining in stainless for three months captures the fresh fruit and subtle textural play.
Tasting Notes
Tellus Chardonnay aims to capture imminent drinkability through stainless steel elevage. Expect a crisp reference to citric fruits such as lemons and orchard fruits such as apples to define the aromas and palate impressions.
Food Pairing
Unoaked Chardonnay offers delightful play around the table. Citric and orchard fruits together with moderate acidity and round mouthfeel complement a range of both raw and cooked seafood. Further, the subtle spice enhances grain-based salads coaxing out inherent nuttiness of quinoa, farro or wild rice.