On the Road with the Grape Guy

Anteprima Sagrantino : Rosso / Trebbiano / Grechetto

03 Sep 2020

(February 2020) ... MONTEFALCO – I am for the second time doing the Anteprima of Sagrantino, I was waiting to turn my visit into  a magazine article, but due to CoVid it will have to wait for 2021. So let’s start here instead, Sagrantino is a tough wine that requires years of age to round out and come into its own. I have been at dinners where producers open wines from past vintages that are just starting to come around and I’ve even tried 18-year-old versions that were beautiful, with acidity that would blow your mind, and tannins that still hung on – a real eye-opening experience as to the age-ability of this grape variety.

GrechettoThe exciting news this year, is that there were more wines to try and not just the Rosso wines, there were the Trebbiano and Grechetto wines (whites) as well. Obviously, the whites are much more ready to go (if not all completely finished), but also there were the Rosso wines (including the Riservas) made with Sagrantino, but also Sangiovese (which makes up to 90% of the blend). Rosso wines are most approachable now (yet still have wonderful age-ability) – it was these wines I found most surprising during my touring of wineries and tasting; for those of you who think Rosso is just a “drink now” wine – think again.

As a rule during these anteprima I do not score unfinished wines (aka: barrel / tank samples), too much can go wrong between barrel and bottle that can compromise or otherwise change the wine … if that happens that score from a barrel sample can come back to bite me, if the finished wine isn’t as I perceived it from barrel – so I have just stopped the practise of giving final scores to these wines.

The wines of this report are broken down into four categories: Grechetto / Trebbiano Spoletino / Rosso / Rosso Riserva … and in keeping with my policy of scoring only “finished” wines I treated everything as “unfinished” and rated them on their future potential on a scale of Good – Better – Best ... and also look for my reports of the tours and tastings I did this year – coming in October.

10 Grechetto Tasted …

Good Potential

Benedetti & Grigi NV Montefalco Grechetto DOC “Adone”
F.lli Pardi 2019 Montefalco Grechetto DOC
Tenuta Colfalco 2019 Montefalco Grechetto DOC

Better Potential

Benedetti & Grigi 2018 Montefalco Grechetto DOC

Best Potential

La Veneranda 2019 Montefalco Grechetto DOC
Scacciadiavoli 2019 Montefalco Grechetto DOC


14 Trebbiano Spoletino Tasted ...Trebbiano

Good Potential

Briziarelli 2018 Trebbiano Spoletino Spoleto DOC “Rosso Matone”
Colle Mora 2018 Trebbiano Spoletino Spoleto DOC
F.lli Pardi 2019 Trebbiano Spoletino Spoleto DOC

Better Potential

Colle Ciocco 2019 Trebbiano Spoletino Spoleto DOC “Tempestivo”
Le Cimate 2018 Trebbiano Spoletino Spoleto DOC

Best Potential

Ninni 2018 Spoleto Trebbiano Spoletino DOC “Poggio del Vescovo”


40 Rosso Tasted ...

Good Potential

Antonelli 2017 Montefalco Rosso DOC
Arnaldo Caprai 2017 Montefalco Rosso DOC
Fattoria Le Mura Saracene – Goretti 2017 Montefalco Rosso DOC
Fattoria Colleallodole Milziade Antano 2016 Montefalco Rosso DOC
Il Torrione 2015 Montefalco Rosso DOC
Perticaia 2016 Montefalco Rosso DOC
Romanelli 2016 Montefalco Rosso DOC
Tenute Lunelli Castelbuono 2017 Montefalco Rosso DOC “Ziggurat”

Better Potential

Adanti 2015 Montefalco Rosso DOC
Colle Ciocco 2016 Montefalco Rosso DOC
Fongoli 2015 Montefalco Rosso DOC “Bicunsio”
Ilaria Cocco 2016 Montefalco Rosso DOC “Camorata”
Tenuta Alzatura-Cecchi 2016 Montefalco Rosso DOC
Vignabaldo Group 2016 Montefalco Rosso DOC “Nido Del Falco”

Best Potential

Montioni 2017 Montefalco Rosso DOC
Tabarrini 2016 Montefalco Rosso DOC “Boccatone”


13 Rosso Riserva Tasted ...Rosso Riserva

Good Potential

Adanti 2014 Montefalco Rosso Riserva DOC
Dionigi 2014 Montefalco Rosso Riserva DOC
Fongoli 2015 Montefalco Rosso Riserva DOC “Serpullo”
Terre Di San Felice 2017 Montefalco Rosso Riserva DOC

Better Potential

Romanelli 2015 Montefalco Rosso Riserva DOC

Best Potential

Antonelli 2016 Montefalco Rosso Riserva DOC
Arnaldo Caprai 2016 Montefalco Rosso Riserva DOC

 

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