Paolo Bea Sagrantino: Lift, VA, and other puzzles

[Evan_Dawson]

@Peter C.

All that matters is how many points you think the color was worth, care to share?

I was 10.25 out of 15 on color. Not flawed, but sort of disappointingly un-black. Of course, we drank it in a cave, but still.

[Evan_Dawson]

@Ken V

@Evan Dawson

@Ken V

Not sure what you mean by “lift”, but these are typically earthy, natural wines that can be pretty funky young. And 04 is very young. If you can get your hands on the 98, give that a try.

Lift is a kind of euphemism, for me, of mild VA that does not overcome the wine. Tends to brighten the character.

And Ken, I’d love to come do a book event in Albany and then share bottles. I figure a Finger Lakes Riesling is a perfect trade for, say, a '96 Giacosa or some aged Monprivato…

96 Giacosa is way too young. Will 82 suffice?

I’m sorry, I just passed out.

I mean, sure, I suppose, if we must.

[John_Morris]

@Evan Dawson

@Loren Sonkin

I love these wines. I think the Sagrantino really needs a minimum of ten years from vintage and probably the Rosso blend as well. There is a bit of VA and like most things about wine, sensitivities differ. How did you store it over night and how much was left?

One full glass left, stored back in the wine fridge.

Even at regular refrigerator temperature (40F), VA can take off overnight, so at 55F it’s not very surprising.

[Andrew_Hall]

@maureen nelson

@Andrew Hall

@maureen nelson

Last summer someone I was dining with ordered a bottle of this particular wine for the table - I loved it and immediately bought some the next day. I’ve loved every Bea wine I’ve had, although I’ve not had all that many.

Ha! I got a Santa Chiara off the list at Dino’s w/ you and I believe I was sneered at by all the Burgheads.

A.

Absolutely not true - that group included Bob and Cole, two long-time Bea drinkers, and as I recall I had told them in advance you wanted to order that wine (because you’d so advised). And you might remember that I loved it and drank more than my share. You might also recall that Bob brought a 98 Monprivato for us to try as he’d found some to buy at a great price. Any sneering that occurred that evening would’ve been limited to me and I loved both Italians we drank and bought both of them.

So stop reinventing the past, Andrew.

I keed, I keed. It was a good evening. I remember you liking it. I do recall you limiting me to one ‘weird’ wine though.

A.

[John_Kight]

Your tasting note is dead on…I always get rhubarb & iron (and blood) from these wines. I have also experienced dramatic overnight changes in bottle, at times with a perceived sweetness (portlike or Amarone) on day one completely disappearing by day two and leaving a completely dry wine with NONE of the earlier porty characteristics. I think some amount of VA is not unusual for this wine (as it would not be for an Amarone or port as well).

I actually found the '04 to be a fairly “elegant” version of this wine, lighter in body and color than some other recent vintages. 1999 has been (to my taste) probably my favorite vintage, and the '03 is pretty great too…