Recommendation: Not inexpensive, but a good value for a very special wine.
Winery/Producer: Paolo Bea; Montefalco, Italy.
Grape Variety: Sagrantino.
Geographic Region, Appellation: Umbria, Italy.
Vintage: 2005
Price: Gift (about $50)
Purchased From: The Caviste Wine Shop; Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Paired With: Homemade pizza with eggplant, tomato, red bell pepper, onion and mozzarella cheese; garden salad with dressing of Persian lime oil and blackberry ginger balsamic vinegar.
Tasting:
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He said: Opened 1-hour before drinking. Lots of fine sediment, brown garnet color with the same color rim. Lots of cherry and damp wood aromas with just a slight hint of floral. Very dry, medium body mouth-feel; intense cherry and burned wood flavors and a long finish with structured tannins. Robust, flavorful, bright acidity, lots of mineral and delicious…what more could you want from an Italian red wine. Not inexpensive, but a good value for a very special wine. This wine and the delicious pizza made a memorable meal!!!
She said: Opaque, dark red with brownish red rim; lots of closely spaced thick legs that moved rapidly downward. Strong juicy red fruit aroma, very flavorful taste that was amazingly dry and had a medium body and firm tenants. The finish was long and full of flavor with the tenants taking a very secondary role. Since this was a gift I don’t know the price but would recommend it and try it again for under $50.
Alcohol: 14%
UPC Code: 8 11644 01011 5
Imported by: Rosenthal Wine Merchant; New York, New York.
Photo from Rosenthal Wine Merchant.