Sagrantino di Montefalco 2018, the King of Umbria wines, is “regular and fresh”

It is called “Preview Sagrantino”, but it has now become a review of the most important wines in Montefalco (and also Spoleto). The “King” of the territory is still Sagrantino (the grape vine was rediscovered and relaunched by Marco Caprai, thanks to his pioneering spirit, who also made major investments, long before it was in fashion, which were beneficial for the entire territory. These investments included scientific research, communication and sponsorships to enhance and restore the historical arts in the territory, such as, for instance, the frescoes by Benozzo Gozzoli in the San Francesco Museum Complex, ed.). However, alongside “His Majesty”, a number of denominations have flourished and re-flourished, such as Montefalco Rosso, Sangiovese base, Montefalco Grechetto and Bianco, in which Trebbiano Spoletino plays a primary role, as well as the Spoleto DOC wines, confirming the versatility and confidence of the territory and its numerous varieties and types.
The event took place in the town hall of the “Ringhiera d’ Umbria”, transformed into an extraordinary tasting room for the Italian and International medias, while the wineries opened their doors for targeted visits and tastings. The event was held, of course, to taste Sagrantino 2018, the vintage just coming out on the market. It is much fresher and does not have the caloric peaks of the previous vintage, as the summer never showed extreme conditions, so the ripening of the grapes was regular. Therefore, conditions were ideal for a late variety such as the native Sagrantino, which benefited from the cool temperatures of late summer, including sporadic rains and good ventilation. In other words, 2018 can be considered a regular and quite classic vintage, at least considering the current climatic trend, which permitted the winemakers to bring ripe grapes that had good acidity levels to the wineries. The wines, even though we must give the very young samples the benefit of the doubt, which in several cases are not yet in the bottle, and considering they are a long-aging type, seemed harmonious and balanced, without aromatic, alcoholic or phenolic excesses. Further, they are intense and dynamic, deep, and almost never have excess tannins.
The Vini di Montefalco Consortium confirmed the “official” judgment. For many years, there has been an “internal” Commission, made up of technicians and winemakers from the associated wineries, and an “external” one, made up every year of journalists and International experts. The previous commissions included Daniele Cernilli (Doctor Wine), Marco Sabellico (Gambero Rosso), Matteo Zappile, sommelier and restaurant manager of “Il Pagliaccio” in Rome (two Michelin stars) and Marco Reitano (chef sommelier of the Three Michelin Starred restaurant “La Pergola“ in the Hotel Rome Cavalieri in Rome). This year instead, Giancarlo Gariglio (Slowine) and Giampiero Cordero, sommelier of the Michelin star restaurant “Il Centro” in Priocca, evaluated the new vintage of Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG. The official response was 4 stars (“good year”) for 2018 and the specific score was 92/100.
These data summarize a gem of Italian winemaking, such as Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG (produced from just 390 hectares of vineyards divided among 118 winemakers, while there are 76 winemaker-bottlers, and the 2018 production is estimated at 1.6 million potential bottles). 35% of production (including Montefalco DOC, counting 445 hectares) is exported abroad, especially to the United States and Germany, but also to Belgium, Japan, England, Switzerland and China. Plus, 40 other countries around the world, such as Canada, Holland, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Luxembourg, Austria, Australia, Finland, Poland, Russia, Spain, Brazil, Latvia, Ireland, Taiwan, France, Thailand, Norway, Czech Republic, Hong Kong , South Africa, Singapore and Korea. The wines in the Montefalco area, in general, are worth 22%of the production of the entire Umbria Region.
Per tradition, the celebratory vintage label was also presented. The label was created by Alessandra Piccini, the best in the “Author Label” competition. Alessandra Piccini is a restorer and illustrator who worked in the fashion world and then decided to experiment her passion for drawing in other sectors as well, such as ceramics, decorations on walls and wood, and restoration. The winner of the Sagrantino Grand Prix was also announced: Isacco Giuliani, sommelier of the Ferrara delegation. The Italian Sommelier Association (AIS) organized the competition in collaboration with the Consorzio Vini Montefalco, and professionals came to Montefalco from all over Italy to participate.