Of the many native red grape wines recently revived in Italy, Sagrantino di Montefalco - Umbria's flagship wine - is one of the most distinctive and . With its impressive complexity and longevity, it has the qualities to become the region's most famous wine, despite the fact that this low-yielding Sagrantino grape makes up a mere 6% of Umbria's total wine production.

The vinous reputation of central Italy rests on long-established commercial wines such as Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino or Vino Nobile de Montepulciano, based on the "omnipresent" Sangiovese grape and its clones, but Sagrantino of Montefalco can hold its own in any confrontation.

Sagrantino of Montefalco, in its dry version, is a garnet-red with muscular tannins and full body, a subtle scent of violet petals, an aroma and bouquet reminiscent of blackberries. A host of new, small, dynamic estates are now producing a new-wave style of Sagrantino; characterised by full fruit ripeness, concentration, firm but well-integrated tannins and a lively, peppery finish. It is an excellent partner to roasted meats, game and piquant cheeses.

The Sagrantino grape reaches its apogee as a passito style wine, produced from partially dried grapes: full-bodied, mellow, spicy, with robust alcoholic strength of over 14 %, and a garnet red colour. For both the dry and the sweet version, in order to reach perfect maturation, a protracted period of ageing is required to tame the abundant polyphenols and tannins of the grape: over 30 months, at least 12 of which in wooden casks for the dried-grape version.

Recommended Producer:  Arnaldo Caprai