Around a mere 7,000 bottles of this Sagrantino are produced each vintage, so it's a good thing that it isn't on most people's radar... though it should be! Sagrantino is Umbria's star native variety, with a strong tannic structure and plenty of dense stuffing, particularly when made in the traditional fashion as it is here at Romanelli: a long 60 days of slow extraction from the skins, followed by 2 years in oak barrels varying from small to mid-sized (225L - 2500L). Such wines can take extra years to enter a good drinking window, and around 15 years to mature fully. Thankfully we've got the wonderful 2019 bottling, which is not only a delicious rendition in its own right, but is now at the beginning of its drinking window. Get your hearty pairings like big, flavor-rich roasts.
JANCIS ROBINSON 17++ (SUPERIOR IN CLASS) - "Lustrous deep crimson. Cherry, blackberry with orange hints and a chalky minerally undertow. Succulent, layered and with firm but fine tannins. Long and with lots of concentration. Real depth and spread on the finish. You can approach this now but it would age well, too. Fantastic balance for 16%. "
VINOUS 93 POINTS - "Rich and spicy from the first tilt of the glass, the 2019 Montefalco Sagrantino Terra Cupa blends dusty rose with spiced orange, crushed rocks and hints of sage. This is velvety in texture yet lifted with zesty red fruits embellished by vibrant acidity as a cascade of balsamic spice flows across the palate. Dusty tannins and chalky mineral tones linger as the 2019 leaves the palate coated in a bitter staining of primary concentration..." - Eric Guido, July 2023
JANCIS ROBINSON 17++ (SUPERIOR IN CLASS) - "Lustrous deep crimson. Cherry, blackberry with orange hints and a chalky minerally undertow. Succulent, layered and with firm but fine tannins. Long and with lots of concentration. Real depth and spread on the finish. You can approach this now but it would age well, too. Fantastic balance for 16%. "
VINOUS 93 POINTS - "Rich and spicy from the first tilt of the glass, the 2019 Montefalco Sagrantino Terra Cupa blends dusty rose with spiced orange, crushed rocks and hints of sage. This is velvety in texture yet lifted with zesty red fruits embellished by vibrant acidity as a cascade of balsamic spice flows across the palate. Dusty tannins and chalky mineral tones linger as the 2019 leaves the palate coated in a bitter staining of primary concentration..." - Eric Guido, July 2023
