No one does it quite like Paolo Bea — or rather, Giampero Bea, who’s been carrying on his father’s towering legacy for decades now. The Beas are masters of Sagrantino, a native Umbrian grape variety grown and vinified by just a few dozen winemakers, mostly in and around the town of Montefalco. Rosso de Veo is a young vines selection, and Cerrete comes from the oldest, highest elevation vineyard. Each is treated to a long maceration, followed by even longer aging in stainless steel tanks, large oak barrels, and finally in the bottle.Long before natural winemaking was a 'thing', Paolo farmed without chemicals and with biodiversity in mind. Work in the cellar is minimal, with long, slow fermentations and long periods (many months to several years) spent aging in tank, barrel and bottle. These long macerations, somewhat paradoxically, actually make for more integrated tannins, and help temper the ‘bite’ of alcohol. They might be natural, but they're perhaps more appropriately compared to Italy's other grandly structured and age-worthy wines, like Barolo, Brunello, and Taurasi.
Professional Reviews
Antonio Galloni
What importer Rosenthal Wine Merchant has to say about this wine...
The fabled local grape of Montefalco is the Sagrantino and the Pagliaro vineyard, situated at 1,300 feet in altitude, is dedicated in large part to this grape variety. The harvest of Sagrantino normally occurs during the second half of October. The cuvaison extends for forty to fifty days. The wines is then aged for one year in stainless steel, another two years in large Slavonian oak barrels and, finally, spends one more year in bottle (the wine, like all Bea wines, is unfiltered) before release. Annual production from the Pagliaro vineyard is 15,000 to 20,000 bottles.
Details
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Grape Variety
Sagrantino
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Vintage
2018
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Size
750ml
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Farming Practice
Organic
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Style
Earthy , Fruity , Minerally
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Sweetness
Dry
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Body
Full Bodied