2008 Paolo Bea Sagrantino di Montefalco Secco Pagliaro- Italy, Umbria, Montefalco, Sagrantino di Montefalco (6/28/2020)
This Sagrantino was a bit of a tease throughout the evening, but very nearly delivered everything I asked. At first medium bodied, savory, medicinal, with cigar smoke, amaro, and camphor. Decanting brought the texture out and really highlighted the excellent concentration. Not a bruiser, but notes of coffee, grilled herbs, and burnt sugar colored a decidedly elegant frame. Alcohol was well hidden, until half the bottle was gone, oops.
At first I thought the tannins had outlived the fruit, but on the second day this was a different wine, with graphite and tobacco tinged dark plums/blackberry dominating, and a fairly plush and full bodied palate.
A distinctive wine that was even better with a tri tip roast. Takeaway: these wines require a lot of air.
Yes I believe it’s their home estate, which is mostly mixed agriculture with a third or less planted to vines. They also have another higher altitude vineyard (or subplot?) called Cerrete that they started bottling in '07.
This wine doesn’t always need a lot of air, but it does frequently change drastically over time with air. I have had the wine transform from one beautiful oddball of a wine into another, completely different beautiful wine within a few hours time or even overnight. In some instances the wine has gone from great to horrible, and in others it has gone from being too port-y/raisin-y (sweet-ish and pruney) into a delicious and elegant dry wine. It is definitely not a wine I would ever consider decanting in advance of pouring. I also wouldn’t ever just open and consume the entire bottle (even if it’s delicious). I would always drink it over a period of time to experience the evolution (which may be for better or worse, but is always fascinating). I had the '01 last week and it was good out of the gate, but then definitely improved with air (although because we were drinking with a group, we only had about 90 minutes or so to experience it before it was gone).
Love Paolo Bea! A couple years ago, I loaded up on 2010 Pagliaro after trying some older ones (late 90s) and seeing how they mature beautifully. I did pop a 2010 on release and it was quite enjoyable. I don’t know at what point they start to shut down, but you immediately sense tannins and know when it does, it will be a dark slumber for many years. Highly recommend Paola Bea to anyone who loved Brunellos/Barolos. Elegant and floral like Barolo, but earthy and rustic like Brunello.
