Arnaldo Caprai 25 Anni Montefalco Sagrantino 2018
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Winemaker Notes
Surprising complexity from blackberry jam to rose potpourri, nutmeg to pepper, pine resin to mint, clove to cocoa. Soft and persuasive, intense, persistent finish. Fresh, with complex tannins.
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
An exotic and smoky mix of dusty dried flowers, allspice, sage and dried black cherries emerges from the hauntingly dark 2018 Montefalco Sagrantino 25 Anni. This is densely textural and weighty in feel, yet the balance is on point, as brisk acids maintain momentum and a saturation of ripe red and black fruits permeate the palate. Balsam, mint, tobacco, dark chocolate and licorice can all be found through the long and utterly dramatic finale, as the 25 Anni finishes structured, yet more approachable than I've come to expect. Arnaldo Caprai did a great job in created a highly successful wine in 2018, however don't expect it to take the usual ten years (or more) that this bottling usually does to come around.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
One of the headline wines of Umbria, the 2018 Montefalco Sagrantino 25 Anni gives us an important and complex expression of one of Italy's most stubborn (and tannic) grape varieties. The workmanship behind this wine is precise and technique-based, and of course it's reliant on the best fruit produced in these manicured vineyards. The results show a full-bodied style that is given momentum by ample fruit weight and a 15.5% alcohol content. Blackberry, cherry liqueur and baking chocolate segue to sweet oak and spicey mahogany.
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The family operation began in 1971 when textiles entrepreneur Arnaldo Caprai purchased 12.5 acres in Montefalco. In 1988, ownership passed on to Arnaldo’s son, Marco, who began the project to cultivate the promotion of the grape that has been growing in the Montefalco region for more than 400 years: Sagrantino. Today, the winery is the leading producer of top quality Sagrantino di Montefalco, a wine produced exclusively from this native variety. In addition to its commitment to quality, Arnaldo Caprai is recognized for its dedication to environmental, economic and social sustainability, as well as being champions for the wines of Umbria. Winery visits available for tasting.
Known for dark and dense red wines, Sagrantino is a grape unique to Umbria. The best examples come from the clay, sand and limestone soils around the village of Montefalco. Since Sagrantino grapes have a high level of tannins, law requires Sagrantino di Montefalco age at least 30 months before release to market. Sagrantino often benefits from further aging—though look to those labeled Rosso di Montefalco for early drinking Sagrantino-Sangiovese blends. Somm Secret—Sagrantino contains some of the highest polyphenol (antioxidant) levels compared to other red wine grapes.
Centered upon the lush Apennine Range in the center if the Italian peninsula, Umbria is one of the few completely landlocked regions in Italy. It’s star red grape variety, Sagrantino, finds its mecca around the striking, hilltop village of Montefalco. The resulting wine, Sagrantino di Montefalco, is an age-worthy, brawny, brambly red, bursting with jammy, blackberry fruit and earthy, pine forest aromas. By law this classified wine has to be aged over three years before it can be released from the winery and Sagrantino often needs a good 5-10 more years in bottle before it reaches its peak. Incidentally these wines often fall under the radar in the scene of high-end, age-begging, Italian reds, giving them an almost cult-classic appeal. They are undoubtedly worth the wait!
Rosso di Montefalco, on the other had, is composed mainly of Sangiovese and is a more fruit-driven, quaffable wine to enjoy while waiting for the Sagrantinos to mellow out.
Among its green mountains, perched upon a high cliff in the province of Terni, sits the town of Orvieto. Orvieto, the wine, is a blend of at least 60% Trebbiano in combination with Grechetto, with the possible addition of other local white varieties. Orvieto is the center of Umbria’s white wine production—and anchor of the region’s entire wine scene—producing over two thirds of Umbria’s wine. A great Orvieto will have clean aromas and flavors of green apple, melon and citrus, and have a crisp, mineral-dominant finish.