Arnaldo-Caprai Collepiano Sagrantino di Montefalco – Exquisite!

100% Sagrantino from Montefalco, Umbria, Italy.

SRP of $60 and available for as low as $50 for the 2005 vintage (Saturday Splurge). Sample submitted for review.

From the bottle:

“Montefalco’s tradition as a wine region dates back to the Romans, and Sagrantino, a unique grape variety indigenous to Umbria, epitomises this heritage. Collepiano is Sagrantino’s area of production, and refers to the gentle slopes that characterise our hills. Rich and complex, Sagrantino Collepiano, made from 100% Sagrantino grapes, shows notes of red fruit, leather and vanilla; full-bodied, yet elegant and balanced, it is an ideal accompaniment to red meats and roasts.

14.5% Alcohol”

Today we have one more Super Splurge for those of you looking to buy expensive wine as a gift. We end this mini-series in Italy, where there is plenty of delicious and expensive wine, but today we feature a variety that is not well known — Sagrantino. Traditionally made in a sweet style similar to Port, it’s just been the last 25 years or so where a select group of winemakers (led by the winery behind today’s wine, Arnaldo-Caprai) saw the potential for making dry wines from this grape. And what a wine they make. Virtually unheard of outside Italy, and very rare even in the country, Sagrantino is an exclusive treat. Powerful is probably the best way to describe it.

The 2005 Arnaldo-Caprai Collepiano Sagrantino di Montefalco begins with an exquisite aroma loaded with dark berry fruit (black raspberry, blueberry and strawberry) along with notes of lavender, leather, spice and vanilla. The wine tastes extremely delicious — all that fruit from bouquet continues and is wrapped up in a silky, soft texture. This is a big, powerful, dry, full-bodied wine that exhibits wonderful balance. It ends very dry with lots more luscious fruit flavor that turns a bit tart and then lingers in the mouth for a very long time. Bring on the Sagrantino, I love it!

See a listing of local retailers selling this wine here.

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