2011 Scacciadiavoli Montefalco Rosso

Scacciadiavoli in Montefalco, Perugia, has one of the most alluring names imaginable. In Italian the name means “cast out the devils” and the estate was named in honor of a 19th century exorcist who lived near the vineyards and used wine during his exorcisms. Founded by a prince, the estate is today owned by the Pambuffetti family. Amilcare Pambuffetti acquired the estate in 1954 and it is today run by his great grandchildren. Scacciadiavoli has nearly 300 acres, 90 of which are vineyards in the Montefalco appellation. The estate’s two main wines are its flagship Montefalco Sagrantino, made of 100% Sagrantino, and the Montefalco Rosso, a blend of Sangiovese, Sagrantino and Merlot. Sagrantino is grown only in Montefalco and some other parts of Umbria. The indigenous grape is believed to have originated in Greece or Asia Minor and it produces wines of great concentration. Gambero Rosso calls Scacciadiavoli “an esteemed operation” that produces wines “increasingly contemporary in style.”

Umbria is a relatively small region tucked up against the eastern edge of Tuscany and the Marche’s western border. A rich agricultural area famous for olive oil, grains and black truffles, commercial winemaking was not a priority until the mid-20th century, when Giorgio Lungarotti slowly turned his family’s long-held estate from a general agricultural enterprise to commercial vineyards and a winery. In 1968 the area was awarded its first DOC appellation. Today there are two DOCGs and ten DOCs in Umbria, and 30% of the 41,000 vineyard acres are in classified appellations. Umbria is now the sixth largest of Italy’s 20 regions in the quantity t of DOC wines produced. Until the last decade or two, the white wines of Orvieto were Umbria’s best-known wines. Orvieto blends often include the regional grapes Grechetto and Verdello, and may also include Trebbiano and Drupeggio. With the rise of the Lungarotti winery and several others, however, distinctive red wines have also become part of the Umbrian wine portfolio. Sangiovese is the dominant red grape, and it is used for blending. But the unique red grape of Umbria is Sagrantino, a deep, dark grape that makes tannic, spicy wines. Sagrantino accounts for only about 250 acres of Umbria’s vineyards, and it grows nowhere else in Italy, one reason why Sagrantino has become something of a cult wine. Gamay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Canaiolo are also grown.

This red grape is largely grown in central Italy. As the sole component or in a blend, it gives us Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Morellino and Super Tuscans, among other favorites wines. The name is derived from the Latin for “blood of Jove.”