1998 Arnaldo Caprai Montefalco Sagrantino

Arnaldo Caprai is a 300-acre estate in Montefalco, Umbria. The estate was founded in 1971 by Arnaldo Caprai, a textile industry executive who wanted to make wine. He started with 13 acres and by 1988 he and his son Marco were working together to make and market wine. Caprai is best known for its Sagrantino, though it also makes a portfolio of Sangiovese blends and several white wines. Gambero Rosso notes that the estate “is one of the few genuinely major brands on the Umbrian wine scene…(and has) earned an international reputation…The modern yet classic wines…display majestic concentration, longevity as well as a unique, matchless style.”

Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG is south of Perugia in central Umbria near the communes of Montefalco and Bevagna. To carry this DOCG status, a wine must be 100% Sagrantino. The “secco” wines, or dry Sagrantinos, must be aged for a minimum of 30 months, with 12 months in wood. The sweet Sagrantinos, called “passito,” also require 30 months of aging, but do not need to spend time in wooden barrels. The appellation was awarded DOC status in 1980, then elevated to DOCG status in 1992. Sagrantino di Montefalco is considered one of the rising stars of the Italian wine world. The wines are rich, age-worthy and very high in polyphenols, which are naturally occurring chemical compounds in grape skins. Commonly called resveratrol, these are the compounds referred to in articles about the positive effects of red wine on cholesterol levels. The grape Sagrantino is an ancient and somewhat mysterious variety. It is thought to have arrived in Umbria from Greece, and its name refers, probably, to the word “sagra,” or festival. Though Umbria is mostly known for its white wines, Sagrantino is a big, tannic wine that, traditionally, was specially made for community festivals.