On the Road with the Grape Guy

Sagrantino: Tasting on Tannin Strength and Positioning

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Category: On the Road with the Grape Guy

(June 2024) ... Nothing beats a comparative tasting. And while most regions do it to see if their wines can compete on an international level. Montefalco knows they have world-class wine, so that is not their metric for comparison. Today, the question is about tannin - their strength and position in the mouth. Where do you feel them, and do Montefalco / Sagrantino tannins hit differently than wines from other places in the world?

Not a typical topic of comparison - but when you have, what many consider, the most tannic grape; it's good to see where you sit with other regions and how they are perceived and tasted.

About & Speculation: Montefalco got its DOCG designation in 1999 - for the wines made with 100% Sagrantino. Vineyards of the area lie primarily between 200 and 450 m above sea level. Sagrantino is also a late-ripener (late-October) – it needs a long growing season. The four designated growing areas are: Bevagna, Gualdo Cattaneo, Giano Dell'Umbria and Castle Ritaldi; and while I mentioned them here - they do not, as of writing, appear on bottle labels ... If I were a betting man, my speculation would be the following: we just might be looking at the future potential "cru" system of Montefalco, or at least the sub-appellations. Many other regions around Italy are already doing it or are in the progress of doing it; so why not Montefalco? Time will tell.

10 wines were poured blind - the questions: where do the tannins attack? And when to drink them? Let’s taste …

                    
The Wines Tasted …                
                    
Scacciadiavoli 2019 Montefalco Sagrantino (Umbria)
A 20 day maceration ... Tannins attack the top of the palate, but are well-integrated.  Drink now

Bocale 2019 Montefalco Sagrantino (Umbria)
A 40 days maceration ... Tannins seem to be all over the mouth, but come across as lush, fine and chalky.  Drink or Hold (3-7 yrs)

E. Guigal 2018 Chateau D'Ampuis (France)
A 20 day maceration (Syrah) ... Tannins are juicy and velvety, attacks the middle of the tongue. Wine comes across both dense and youthful.  Hold

Franchetti 2021 Passopisciaro (Sicily)    
A 20 day maceration (Cesanese) ... Tannins are subtle, smooth, silky and savoury – they attach to the lips, which is an interesting place to find tannins.  Drink now

Antonelli 2018 Montefalco Sagrantino (Umbria)
A 20 day maceration ... Tannins sit middle of the tongue. Wine has medium acidity, but the high alcohol content is perceived, bringing an unbalanced nature to the wine.  Reserve Judgement

Messorio 2019 Le Macchiole (Tuscany)
A 20 day maceration (Merlot) ... Tannins grab at the tongue, but yet seem creamy, smooth and thick.  Hold

Chateau Montrose 2021 Grand Cru Classe (France)    
A 20 day maceration (Blend) ... Tannins are green and woody. As my January trip to Bordeaux proved, 2021 was not a great year for Bordeaux wines.  Drink now

Tenute Lunelli 2016 Carapace Lunga Attesa (Umbria)
A 40 days maceration ... Tannins attack a multitude of places: lips, teeth, tongue, and although the wine is dry there is an element of sweet fruit. This one is good for short term aging.  Drink or Hold

Ridge Vineyards 2019 Lytton Estate - Petite Sirah (California)
A 20 day maceration (Petit Sirah) ... Tannins in this wine are fine, firm, juicy and well-integrate; there is plenty of subtlety on the tongue.  Drink or Hold

Colpetrone 2015 Memoira - Montefalco Sagrantino (Umbria)    
A 15 day maceration ... Tannins are refined and soft with some minerality mid-palate and well-integrated on the finish – the tongue gets the majority of the tannin-effect.  Drink or Hold

Montefalco Rosso and Riserva Report

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Category: On the Road with the Grape Guy

(June 2024) ... Time to turn the attention to the red wines, Montefalco's bread and butter. We start with the base model wines and over the course of the next week I'll release the Sangrantino report and the Annata for 2020 report (along with some other treats) ... but first, let's look at the Rossos and the Riservas.

Rossos I have long been a big fan - this year is no different; but I had some harsh words last year for the Riservas - did they step it up? Or are we looking at the death knell for long ageing? Read below:

Montefalco Rosso DOC …

For the most part, I love these wines; they are the winemaker's playground, the sandbox, if you will. This year the wines were served with a little chill, which made them more enticing and more exciting to taste, and ultimately drink. If you are not putting a chill on your reds you are missing out completely. Montefalco blends are primarily Sangiovese and have a percentage of Sagrantino – though they are not allowed to mention it on the bottle. WTF.

Arnaldo Caprai 2021 Vigna Flaminia Maremmana - Montefalco Rosso - Better+

Tabarrini 2019 Boccatone - Montefalco Rosso - Better+

Arnaldo Caprai 2022 Montefalco Rosso - Better
Benedetti&Grigi 2021 Attunis - Montefalco Rosso - Better
Bocale 2021 Montefalco Rosso - Better
Briziarelli 2022 Montefalco Rosso - Better
Tenute Lunelli / Tenuta Castelbuono 2022 Ziggurat - Montefalco Rosso - Better
Tudernum 2021 Fidenzio - Montefalco Rosso - Better

Colpetrone 2021 Montefalco Rosso - Good+
Dionigi 2020 Montefalco Rosso - Good+
La Veneranda 2021 Montefalco Rosso - Good+
Romanelli 2020 Capo De Casa - Montefalco Rosso - Good+
Scacciadiavoli 2022 Montefalco Rosso - Good+
Terre Di San Felice 2021 Montefalco Rosso - Good+

Antonelli 2021 Montefalco Rosso - Good
Colle Ciocco 2020 Montefalco Rosso - Good
Di Filippo 2022 Montefalco Rosso - Good
Fattoria Colsanto 2020 Montefalco Rosso - Good
Le Cimate 2021 Montefalco Rosso - Good
Tenuta Alzatura 2021 Montefalco Rosso - Good
Tenuta Di Saragano 2018 Montefalco Rosso – Good

Montefalco Rosso Riserva DOC ...

Last year I threw a little shade onto the Riserva wines, telling winemakers it was a style that should be abandoned … unlike in this year’s white report, where I gave an ultimatum for the white blends category – to me the Riservas were already in the grave.

Talk about a phoenix rising from the ashes. This year, 18 wines were tasted (one more than last year) and 8 wines were scored (one more than last year) – but none received an “ok” – this time “good” was the lowest score – a marked improvement. Seems winemakers stepped up and made me re-notice this category. The impressive part is that wood seems to be a background player – a seasoning if you will – and in most of the “better” wines fruit was front and centre and remained at the core of these wines.

Good job. Now, can they keep it up remains the questions? I’ll let you know after the 2025 edition of A Montefalco. But I sure do hope so.

Romanelli 2019 Molinetta - Montefalco Rosso Riserva - Better+

Arnaldo Caprai 2021 Montefalco Rosso Riserva - Better
Cesarini-Sartori 2020 Ripenere - Montefalco Rosso Riserva - Better
Dionigi 2019 Montefalco Rosso Riserva - Better
Tenute Baldo 2019 Re Migrante - Montefalco Rosso Riserva - Better
Terre De’ Trinci 2020 Montefalco Rosso Riserva - Better

Briziarelli 2021 Rosso Matone - Montefalco Rosso Riserva - Good
Tenute Lunelli / Tenuta Castelbuono 2021 Lampante - Montefalco Rosso Riserva - Good