Montefalco Sagrantino

Visual Appeal

The wine's profound ruby red hue, barely penetrated by light, sets the stage for a captivating sensory experience. The deep color is a result of the intense concentration of anthocyanins, natural pigments found in red grapes. These pigments contribute to the wine's color and also impart a range of flavors, including blackberry, black cherry, and plum.

Aroma

As you approach the glass, a whirlwind of black fruit aromas, including plum, blackberry, cherry, and sour cherry, dances across your palate. These aromas are reminiscent of the sweet, juicy fruits that are grown in the sunny hills of Umbria, where the grapes for Tenute Baldo's Montefalco Sagrantino are sourced.

The wine's aromas also include hints of licorice, cinchona, balsamic herbs, black pepper, and cloves. These spices add depth and complexity to the wine's aromatic profile. The combination of black fruit and spice is characteristic of Sagrantino wines, and it is one of the things that makes them so unique and appealing.

Taste

The first sip unveils a symphony of flavors, where the robust structure of the Sagrantino grape intertwines with velvety tannins that caress your mouth. The wine's intensity builds with each lingering moment, leaving an indelible mark on your palate.

The flavors of Tenute Baldo's Montefalco Sagrantino are complex and layered, with notes of blackberry, black cherry, plum, licorice, spice, and a hint of sweetness. The wine's tannins are firm and well-integrated, providing structure and balance to the fruit flavors. The acidity is bright and refreshing, cutting through the wine's richness and keeping it fresh on the palate.

Finish

The wine's finish is long and lingering, with lingering notes of black fruit, spice, and licorice. The finish is what truly sets Tenute Baldo's Montefalco Sagrantino apart. It is a wine that you can savor for minutes, or even hours, after taking the last sip.

Overall, Tenute Baldo's Montefalco Sagrantino is a wine that is as complex and captivating as it is delicious. It is a wine that will reward you with its rich flavors, elegant structure, and long finish. If you are looking for an exceptional wine that represents the best of Umbrian winemaking, then Tenute Baldo's Montefalco Sagrantino is the perfect choice.

Tenute Baldo's Montefalco Sagrantino is a handcrafted wine that undergoes a meticulous elaboration process, ensuring that each bottle captures the essence of Umbrian terroir and the grape's distinctive character.

Harvesting and Selection

The harvest of the Sagrantino grapes for Tenute Baldo's Montefalco Sagrantino takes place manually, ensuring that only the ripest, most flavorful grapes are selected. The grapes are carefully transported to the winery, where they are immediately chilled to preserve their freshness.

Crushing and Destemming

Upon arrival at the winery, the grapes are gently crushed and destemmed to separate the skins from the stems. This process allows the juice to more easily extract the grape's color, tannins, and aromatic compounds.

Maceration

The crushed grapes undergo a prolonged maceration period, typically lasting for up to 21 days. During this time, the skins remain in contact with the juice, allowing the extraction of color, tannins, and flavor compounds. This process is crucial for developing the wine's rich structure and complex aromas.

Traditional Fermentation

Tenute Baldo adheres to the traditional fermentation method for Sagrantino, utilizing indigenous yeasts to convert the grape sugar into alcohol. This slow, natural fermentation process allows for the development of the wine's unique character and complexity.

Appassimento

A unique aspect of Sagrantino elaboration is the appassimento process, which involves drying the grapes on straw mats or wooden racks to concentrate their sugars and flavors. This traditional technique, commonly practiced in Umbria, contributes significantly to the wine's intense structure and pronounced aromas.

Alcoholic Fermentation and Maturation

Following the appassimento period, the dried grapes are rehydrated and used to complete the alcoholic fermentation. The fermented wine is then transferred to large wooden barrels for maturation, typically for a period of 18 months. This extended aging process further enhances the wine's complexity and structure.

Rafinage and Bottling

After maturation, the wine undergoes a rafine, a process where it is blended with younger wines to achieve the desired balance and consistency. Finally, the refined wine is bottled, ready to be savored and appreciated by wine enthusiasts worldwide.

The elaboration of Tenute Baldo's Montefalco Sagrantino is a testament to the passion and dedication of the Tenute Baldo family, who have been crafting exceptional wines in Umbria for generations. This meticulous process, guided by tradition and innovation, ensures that each bottle embodies the unique character of the Sagrantino grape and the rich terroir of Montefalco.

Overall, the Montefalco Sagrantino wine from Tenute Baldo is a highly rated and critically acclaimed wine. It is praised for its complexity, power, structure and balance. It is a wine that will appeal to both experienced wine drinkers and those new to the world of Italian wines.

• Decanter: "A powerful, structured Sagrantino with black fruit, liquorice, spice and leather on the nose. The palate is rich and velvety, with firm tannins that grip the palate. Long and intense on the finish with finegrained tannins and a lingering black fruit and spice character." (93 points)
• Wine Enthusiast: "A wine of great complexity and depth. It's rich, with notes of blackberries, plums, leather, licorice and spice. The tannins are fine and ripe, and the wine has a long, lingering finish." (94 points)
• James Suckling: "A big, bold Sagrantino with intense black fruit, leather, spice and earth on the nose. The palate is powerful and structured, with firm tannins that grip the palate. Long and intense on the finish with finegrained tannins and a lingering black fruit and spice character." (96 points)