Five Favorite Montefalco Rosso under $20 including a BULK BUY!
Montefalco Rosso? Sagrantino? Unfortunately these words don't mean much to the average wine drinker, but in today's post we'll try to show you why you should get to know them!
Montefalco is a special place in Umbria. Special for many reasons, but the one that concerns us today is the Sagrantino grape. This grape is only grown in the Montefalco area, and a unique grape it is with very low yields, extremely thick skins (and accordingly extremely high polyphenols), a very late ripening character, no known relationship to any other grape varieties in Italy and the ability to age quite gracefully, earning the nickname "The Jewel of Umbria".
Of course all of this comes with a high price tag, as we discovered in our Saturday Splurge review of the Arnaldo-Caprai Collepiano Sagrantino di Montefalco 2005. No worries however -- we're not turning our back on our Reverse Wine Snob tendencies. Instead today we're featuring a way to sample this wonder grape without leaving our price range: Montefalco Rosso.
Montefalco Rosso wines are required to contain 60-70% Sangiovese, 10-15% Sagrantino and 15-30% other varieties such as Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. You might be wondering (as we were) if only 10-15% Sagrantino can really make that much a difference but surprisingly it absolutely does. Unfortunately, even though there is about twice the amount of Montefalco Rosso produced as there is Montefalco Sagrantino they can still be quite hard to find in the United States. There are a few reasons for this, the main one being that most of the wine never makes it out of Umbria as it is consumed locally! In addition, in today's economy importers are reluctant to bring in new wines that consumers are unfamiliar with, which is a shame.
So today we are highlighting five wines that have at least some distribution in the United States. Though they may still be hard to find, we encourage you to seek these out and experience the magic of Sagrantino!
First up is the 2009 Scacciadiavoli Montefalco Rosso, a blend of 60% Sangiovese, 25% Merlot and 15% Sagrantino from Montefalco, Umbria, Italy. Available for as low as $17. 55,000 bottles produced. Imported by Selected Estates of Europe. Sample submitted for review.
From the winery:
"Sangiovese, Sagrantino and Merlot grapes are hand-picked around the end of September and fermented at controlled temperature into stainless steel tanks. The wine ages in wooden barrels for 8 months prior to bottling and commercial release.
14.0% Alcohol"
The 2009 Azienda Agraria Scacciadiavoli Montefalco Rosso smells of black cherry, spice, cola, licorice and dried herbs. These are some deep aromas, give your glass a good swirl to really enjoy them, and it gets even more expressive the more air it gets. Tasting reveals the perfect balance of tart dark fruit and oak along with a wonderful mouthfeel featuring soft yet grippy tannins. It ends dry with more luscious tart fruit that lingers for a long time. This is a really tasty wine that is super enjoyable to drink!
See a listing of local retailers selling this wine here.
Overall Rating: 8.5
Bulk Buy
Second is the 2010 Perticaia Montefalco Rosso, a blend of 70% Sangiovese, 15% Colorino and 15% Sagrantino from Montefalco, Umbria, Italy. SRP of $25 and available for as low as $15. 3,000 cases produced. Imported by Belvino LLC. Sample submitted for review.
From the winery:
"Aging: Total of 18 months - as set by the wine producer's regulations. They are set as follows: 12 months in steel vats; 6 months in the bottle.
Ideal With: This wine may be drunk throughout the meal. It goes especially well with salame and cold cuts, with pasta and first course dishes from the Umbrian cuisine and with Mediterranean cuisine in general.
Evolution: This is a wine that will evolve in the bottle so if it is stored properly it will mature for at least 5 years.
13.5% Alcohol"
The 2010 Perticaia Montefalco Rosso begins with a very pleasant bouquet of red fruits plus a little red licorice and even a whiff of perfumed floral notes. The wine is medium-bodied with lots of sour cherry, wild strawberry and a little cranberry. This one is mostly fruit on day 1 but it's quite good and has a soft texture with mild tannins. It ends dry with medium-long length. It evolved even further on day 2 where a really nice spice component developed.
See a listing of local retailers selling this wine here.
Overall Rating: 8.0
Third is the 2009 Colle Ciocco Montefalco Rosso, a blend of 70% Sangiovese, 15% Merlot and 15% Sagrantino from Montefalco, Umbria, Italy. Available for as low as $16. 27,000 bottles produced. Sample submitted for review.From the winery:
"Intense ruby-red colour. Deep and complex aroma, with flavours of plum, cherry and spices. It has good structure, is balanced and persistent, easy to drink. Ideal with strong-flavoured pasta dishes like strangozzi with truffle, tagliatelle with goose sauce and risotto with porcini mushrooms. Perfect with red meats main courses.
14.0% Alcohol"
The 2009 Agricola Spacchetti Colle Ciocco Montefalco Rosso begins with a very nice and quite complex aroma featuring plum, black cherry, a little black pepper, tobacco and spice. The transformation on this wine with just a couple hours in the glass is tremendous -- it's a fascinating wine to smell and taste every 20-30 minutes to watch it evolve. Tasting reveals spice, cola, a few oaky notes and persistent sour cherry flavors all the way through the finish. It ends dry with slightly chewy tannins and good length.
See a listing of local retailers selling this wine here.
Overall Rating: 8.0
Highly Recomended
Fourth is the 2010 Le Cimate Montefalco Rosso, a blend of 60% Sangiovese, 15% Merlot, 15% Sagrantino and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon from Montefalco, Umbria, Italy. Available for around $18. Sample submitted for review.
From the winery:
"Obtained from Sangiovese, Cabernet, Merlot and Sagrantino grapes. A clear, luminous and consistent colour. An inviting aroma, with hints of plum and cherry. Warm, smooth and enveloping in the mouth, with an elegant tannin which perfectly blends the structure. Refined for 6 months after bottling, it combines perfectly with full flavoured first courses and grilled vegetables.
14.5% Alcohol"
The 2010 Le Cimate Montefalco Rosso begins with deep and enticing aromas of dark fruit, a little smoked meat and a little mint. This is a very dry wine with a smooth and delicious texture and similar flavors to the nose when tasting. It's hard to believe this wine doesn't see any time in oak. It ends with a seriously lip puckering dry finish with good length.
See a listing of local retailers selling this wine here.
Overall Rating: 7.5
Last is the 2009 Romanelli Montefalco Rosso, a blend of 65%Sangiovese, 15% Sagrantino, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10%Merlot from Montefalco, Umbria, Italy. Available for around $17. 15,000 bottles produced. Sample submitted for review.
From the winery:
"Aging: 12 months in French oak barrels of between 225 and 2500 Litres. Minimum 6 months aging in bottle.
Aging Potential: 8-10 years
Pairing Suggestion and Serving Temp: This wine can be enjoyed by itself or with food, such as red and white meats, charcuterie, or aged cheeses. Temperature 17C.
14.5% Alcohol"
The 2009 Romanelli Montefalco Rosso starts with wonderful aromas of dark berries, spice and vanilla. Tasting reveals nice structure, lots of dark fruit, a bit of toasty oak and dry, grippy tannins. This wine will stand up nicely to lots of different Italian dishes and is a great match with pizza. It ends dry with very good length and lingering dark berry and toasty oak notes.
See a listing of local retailers selling this wine here.
