Montefalco Sagrantino (also Sagrantino di Montefalco before 2009) is a style of

Italian wine Italian wine is produced in every region of Italy. Italy is the world's largest producer of wine, with an area of under vineyard cultivation, and contributing a 2013–2017 annual average of 48.3 million hl of wine. In 2018 Italy accounted for ...

made with 100%

Sagrantino Sagrantino is an Italian grape variety that is indigenous to the region of Umbria in Central Italy. It is grown primarily in the village of Montefalco and the surrounding area, with a recent rapid increase in planting area from in 2000 to by 20 ...

grapes in and around the comune of

Montefalco Montefalco is a historic small hill town in Umbria, Italy, with a population of 5,581 in August 2017. It has been settled since pre-Roman times, and retains many of its historic buildings. From 1446 to 1861 it was part of the Papal States. Mon ...

in the

Province of Perugia The Province of Perugia ( it, Provincia di Perugia) is the larger of the two provinces in the Umbria region of Italy, comprising two-thirds of both the area and population of the region. Its capital is the city of Perugia. The province covered ...

Umbria it, Umbro (man) it, Umbra (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , ...

. The wines gained DOC status in 1979 as part of the

Montefalco DOC Montefalco wine (Montefalco Rosso, red wine; Montefalco Bianco, white wine) is a style of Italian wine made in Umbria, and awarded Denominazione di origine controllata (DOC) status in 1979. Geography The region lies in the province of Perugia ...

and were later separately elevated to

DOCG The following four classifications of wine constitute the Italian system of labelling and legally protecting Italian wine: * ''Denominazione di origine'' (DO, rarely used; ; English: “designation of origin”), * ''Indicazione geografica tip ...

status in 1992 after a renewal of interest from winemakers, particularly Arnaldo Caprai. There are two DOCG wines: Montefalco Sagrantino Secco, an oak-aged dry red wine (''"secco"'' is

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional It ...

for " dry"), and the less common Montefalco Sagrantino

Passito Straw wine, or raisin wine, is a wine made from grapes that have been dried to concentrate their juice. The result is similar to that of the ice wine process, but is a much older process and suitable for warm climates. The technique dates back ...

, a sweet, dessert red wine.

History

For a long time, the Sagrantino grape variety was only used for making Montefalco Sagrantino

, the traditional wine of the area, or to fortify other

Sangiovese Sangiovese (, also , , ) is a red Italian wine grape variety that derives its name from the Latin ''sanguis Jovis'', "the blood of Jupiter". Though it is the grape of most of central Italy from Romagna down to Lazio (the most widespread grap ...

-based wine, such as Montefalco Rosso.

Styles

There are two DOCG styles made, a modern (dry) wine that makes up the majority of production, and a more traditional sweet dessert wine style.

Montefalco Sagrantino Secco

Under

law, the term "Montefalco Sagrantino Secco DOCG" defines a wine obtained exclusively from Sagrantino grapes, produced exclusively in a defined area around Montefalco in the Province of Perugia, in the

region of central Italy. The defined area also includes areas around

Giano dell'Umbria Giano dell'Umbria is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Perugia in the Italian region Umbria, located about 35 km southeast of Perugia. Geography The municipality of Giano dell'Umbria contains the ''frazione'' (subdivision) of B ...

Bevagna Bevagna is a town and ''comune'' in the central part of the Italian province of Perugia (Umbria), in the flood plain of the Topino river. Bevagna is south-east of Perugia, west of Foligno, north-north-west of Montefalco, south of Assisi an ...

, Gualdo Cattaneo and

Castel Ritaldi Castel Ritaldi is a '' comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Perugia in the Italian region Umbria, located about 40 km southeast of Perugia. Castel Ritaldi borders the following municipalities: Giano dell'Umbria, Montefalco, Spoleto, Tre ...

. The wine must be aged for a minimum of 37 months, of which at least 12 months must be in oak

barrels A barrel or cask is a hollow cylindrical container with a bulging center, longer than it is wide. They are traditionally made of wooden staves and bound by wooden or metal hoops. The word vat is often used for large containers for liquids, u ...

. The combination of the very thick-skinned Sagrantino grape and the long aging time in oak produces a typically very dense, full-bodied wine, with a very high tannin content. This makes for excellent storage characteristics, which are required since it is highly astringent when young, but improves with age.

Montefalco Sagrantino Passito

Passito (sweet wine) is a more traditional Italian dried

straw wine Straw wine, or raisin wine, is a wine made from grapes that have been dried to concentrate their juice. The result is similar to that of the ice wine process, but is a much older process and suitable for warm climates. The technique dates back ...

style. Montefalco Sagrantino Passito DOCG must also be made only from 100% Sagrantino grapes from within the same defined area as the secco DOCG, the bunches dried in air for at least two months to reduce the water content and thus concentrate the juice produced from pressing. The fermentation must occur in contact with the grape skins, which results in a sweet style wine but with intense flavours and a high concentration of tannins. The wine must be aged for a minimum of 37 months, but there is no requirement for oak aging.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Video introduction to wines of Umbria: Sagrantino grape
Italian DOCG Italian wine