1998 Paolo Bea Montefalco Sagrantino Pagliaro

Paolo Bea is near the commune of Montelfaco in central Umbria. The 37-acre domaine has been in the Bea family for nearly 500 years, and is today run by patriarch Paolo, his wife and two sons. Like most traditional Italian family farms, the property has historically been home to a variety of crops, orchards and farm animals. Vineyards and winemaking have always been in the mix, but it wasn’t until 1980 that the family began bottling their wine for commercial sales. Today they farm 13 acres of vineyards, with 60% planted to Sagrantino, an ancient grape grown primarily in Montefalco. Sagrantino is thought to have Greek origins, and its name is believed to come from the word “sagra,” or feast, since red wines were always drunk at seasonal celebrations. Sagrantino wines are rich, full-bodied and relatively tannic, giving them the ability to age well. Paolo Bea makes Sagrantino secco, a dry wine, as well as a passito, which is sweet. The domaine also grows Sangiovese, Montepulciano and a few white grapes. The estate is 100% organic. All fruit is harvested by hand and wines are made without filtration.

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.