Sagrantino varietals in the US

WINE TALK
1

Sagrantino fan here! Who makes this powerhouse Umbrian varietal in the US? I thought I’d recap my personal rough list below. Corrections and additions are welcome! Prices below are winery retail or my best estimate. (Updated February 2024)

California - roughly north to south:

  1. Prima Materia - Lake County - very nice with beautiful aromas! $50, give it some age or plenty of time in decanter. Link to my review: BerserkerDay 14 Master Thread/FAQ - our 14th Event! Jan 27, 2023 - #146 by Konda Prima Materia offered the only Sagrantino at BerserkerDay 14. If you’re this post on 1/29/23, his fantastic build-your-own offer was still open today, last I checked: https://www.prima-materia.com/berserker-day. (February 2023 update - I went back for more at BD15, as Prima Materia is now a permanent addition to my Sangrantino cellar.)
  2. Denier-Handal - Dry Creek Valley, $40 - Denier-Handal Sagrantino and more of their offerings are permanently stocked in my cellar as a top value, nice case discounts
  3. Nello Olivo - El Dorado, ranging from $85-$100
  4. Orsi Family Vineyard - Dry Creek Valley, $48
  5. Monticello Brothers (sourced from June Mountain Vineyards, still in stock, $49)
  6. June Mountain Vineyard - Fountaingrove AVA (done - owners recently sold that plot with new owners planning to replace vines - Muscardini in Sonoma County sourced grapes in a one-off bottling, now sold out)
  7. Benessere - St. Helena, $75
  8. Jacuzzi - Central Valley / Tracy Hills, $27, out of stock
  9. Da Vero - Sonoma County, $95-$100
  10. VJB - Sonoma County, $54
  11. Dysfunctional Family Winery - Carneros, $68, and now the new related Sonocaia Estate Vineyard dedicated to Sagrantino in the Sonoma / Carneros appellation beginning with the 2021 release ($85)
  12. Ripken - Lodi, first harvested in 2015 from 120 plants grafted to existing rootstock in their Guard Road Ranch in the Delta section of Lodi, $26
  13. Pondl Winery - Lodi, aged in stainless steel for 20 months, $28
  14. Cabin 5 Wines - Lodi, out of stock, possibly was $25-$30
  15. Clesi Wines - Central Coast / Paso Robles area, maybe $40 range
  16. Noceto, Calaveras County, Airola Road Vineyards, $49 (2020 new release as of 2024)
  17. Guglielmo Winery - Central Coast / Santa Clara Valley, $40
  18. Poppaea Vineyards - Ramona Valley, $38, $36 for Marcus Aurelius blend
  19. Principe di Tricase - Ramona Valley, possibly in $35 range
  20. Ryme Cellars, making Sangrantino from Siletto Vineyard (grown by Siletto Family Vineyards) in Cienaga Valley, San Benito County
  21. Harrington in San Benito (looks like he just retired/closed - Sagrantino was sourced from Siletto Family Vineyard’s Calleri Vineyard in San Benito County)
  22. Vega Vineyards (formerly Mosby, owner passed away in 2021 - new owners bought winery and inventory but no info yet on Sagrantino) in Buellton / Santa Barbara area.

Musto Wine Grape Company sells Sagrantino grapes from Mettler Family’s Costamagna Vineyard near Lodi. Would love to know which wineries source from this vineyard.

Washington State:

  1. Wilridge Vineyard - Columbia Valley area, $36 - $40.
  2. Swick Wines - Columbia Valley area (their website mentions sourcing from Wildridge vineyard in Naches Heights AVA), $36
  3. Boudreaux Cellars - Columbia Valley (Wahluke Slope)
  4. Tanjuli - Rattlesnake Hills / Yakima Valley, $38 50/50 Aglianico/Sagrantino blend
  5. Clearwater Canyon Cocos Reserve, $38

Oregon:

  1. Golden Cluster - Columbia Gorge, aged in Hungarian and French oak puncheons, $28 for their Vinous Obscuris Sacris Sagrantino
  2. Marchesi Vineyards - Columbia Valley, $40 for their Matteo Sagrantino

Other US States:

  1. Texas - Messina Hof Winery - High Plains, $35 Riserva, $65 Estate, and $65 Paolo blend
  2. North Carolina - Raffaldini, $39

Bonus - other countries:

  1. Hungary - Heimann Bikaver Red Szekzard (Sagrantino blend)
  2. Australia - quite a few, especially in McLaren Vale and Granite Belt, many listed at this website (possibly outdated after serious droughts in Australia killed off some vines): Sagrantino wine in Australia

Double bonus - leads from CellarTracker and beyond:
California - Amphora Winery (Sonoma County), Bannister (Knights Valley), Blue Epiphany (Tracy Hills), Bonitata Boutique Wine (Sierra Foothills), Colagrossi (Mendocino), Cougar Vineyard (Temecula), D’Argenzio (Mt.Oso Vineyard -Tracy Hills), Domenico (Tracy Hills), Felicita ($25 from Lodi) (Tracy Hills), Inizi (Dry Creek AVA from Denier-Handal Vineyard), Matthew Gibson (Amador County), Poggio Leano (Temecula), Rosa D’Oro (San Joaquin), Ser (Siletto Vineyard - Sam Benito County), Stone’s Throw (Santa Clara Valley), Tulip Hill (Tracy Hill), Villa Vallecito (Calaveras County, $90), Wargin Wines (wine club only - Circle S Vineyard - San Benito County). Monserate Vineyards & Winery in San Diego County also apparently made a 2021 South Coast Sagrantino ready for tasting in 2024 for $40, winning some awards.
Arizona - Autumn Sage, Jerome, Sand Reckoner, (plus 1764 Vineyard announced future plans to plant Sagrantino)
Oregon - Stoltz, Hood River
Pennsylvania - Reid’s Orchard (Gettysburg)
Texas - Ab Astris, Augusta Vin, Bending Branch, Cicada, English Newsom ($35), Hilmy, Kalasi, Pebble Rock, Rivenburgh
Washington - Bartholomew (Yakima), Cellar Beast (Yakima), Pleasant Hill (Columbia Valley)

2 Likes
2

Here are producers in Cellartracker.

This doesn’t work on mobile

2 Likes
3

Yes, we at Harrington made it in '17 and '18 from the Siletto family’s Calieri Vyd. Worth keeping an eye out for a bottle. Ghostnote took over those grapes when we shut down. Tiny production in '19 and he skipped '20 due to the fires. Looks like the first of his '21 wines are available, the Corvina and a white blend. No idea when the Sagrantino will be ready.

1 Like
4

I’m waiting for cesanese to catch on in the U.S.

1 Like
5

Matthiason has some planted on their property but use it to blend with Cabernet Sauvignon. ‘Wouldn’t surprise me to see a varietal release at some point.
And my personal props for Harrington’s Sag; really good.
Best, Jim

2 Likes
6

Wes, thanks very much for the info about Harrington - and Ghostnote. I’ll be on the lookout!

7

Interesting, had no idea. Which of their Cabernet bottlings has Sagrantino blended in? Keen to try. I don’t think of Oak Knoll (?) Cabernet as needing more tannic structure, but perhaps I should?

1 Like
8

I bought a few of these from Bryan. I miss him.

3 Likes
9

Thank you - this has filled some holes in my list, without a doubt. The tip about using desktop made the link work perfectly.

10

Thanks for the list.

So which ones are especially good?

Which ones are especially good considering price and availability?

1 Like
11

You’ve piqued my curiosity about an interesting sounding grape. I can see myself enjoying it. When next in Rome!

12

Without looking it up, isn’t Sagrantino the variety that produces wines that are so tannic you might die of dehydration by just smelling them?

2 Likes
13

Yes, basically, but in my experience classically styled examples — at least from Montefalco — can often begin to blossom around 10 years from vintage.

1 Like
14

Just to be clear, to me that level of tannins sounds like fun. I’ll find a bottle or two to try out.

15

Paolo Bea is the icon, but Scacciadiavoli or Tabarrini 15 years from vintage can be really wonderful. And very well-priced.

1 Like
16

I’m holding on to a 2007 Adanti Il Domenico from Montefalco. Maybe 2027. Will open a Prima Materia NV between now and then.

1 Like
17

Hi Chris, it was all Umbrian in my cellar (Arnaldo-Caprai etc.) until recently. For Umbrian selections at high value and fairly available in the US, I’d go with Scacciadiavoli, Antonella, or Colpetrone. New oak and age required. It’s easy to find fantastic Umbrian Sagrantino at high value. I have yet to drink a disappointment.

Will be watching for responses to your question re: US.

Denier-Handel is my go-to Sagrantino at $40 retail for the 2017 - they sell through Geyserville’s Locals Tasting Room at https://localstastingroom.com/buy-wine/, with a 20% case discount = $32. It’s big but frankly approachable right out of the bottle without much decanting. Their 60% Sagrantino blend (Don Angelo) is quaffable, retails for $32 / $26 by the case, but I prefer my Sagrantino straight up.

Prima Materia is a new find from Lake County, north of Napa. It needs some time - either years in the bottle or long decanting. I’m very happy I bought some. Fairly priced. The winemaker is using neutral oak. This is the type of wine I’d give along with a wedding present to someone who liked boutique “big reds” and liked to go off the beaten path - with the note for them to save it for the five-year (or longer) anniversary of the event, with the extra advice to decant before lunch to drink it for dinner if they just can’t wait.

June Mountain - I’m bummed that this grower is off the Sagrantino map in Sonoma. If what Monticello Brothers did with their grapes is anything like Muscardini, it’ll be intense but approachable today with decanting but will run out soon. I still need to try Monticello Bros.

Orsi is a solid bet - Sagrantino has been and will be in their lineup for years. Orsi Family Winery has been around for about 10 years and in the business with multiple ventures. Only had the 2014 once so far but found it solid and will buy more. Dick Schultz is the winemaker. (Bernie Orsi sells Sagrantino from Mendocino under the lower priced Orsianna brand — I haven’t tried but hear QPR is lower. I’m curious whether Mendocino Sagrantinos from the cooler areas tend toward jamminess in an effort to lower the tannins and acidity for faster drinking but losing that essential dry power. Hmm. VJB uses Mendocino grapes in their Sagrantino — I’ll have to see.)

Jacuzzi - jammy … I wouldn’t have guessed the varietal. Since tannin + acid + fruit + herb varietal are what I’m looking for, this isn’t a repeater for me.

4 Likes
18

Hi Mikko - Tannic is true. They’re fantastic with the power of softened tannin, plus the acidity and alcohol to let the wine mellow over time to let dark fruit through. Consider a 6+ year old $20-$30 Umbrian import first to get a feel for its essential notes. I hope you do and let us know your thoughts on WineBerserkers … in case I’m just the proud possessor of a strange palate.

I don’t actually like massive tannins — it’s off-putting for me when a Cab needs a block of cheese just to choke it down. Sagrantino, though … it’s like being embraced at the same time by the mama and papa of a big Italian family.

2 Likes
19

I’ve had the Benessere Sagrantino before, was quite enjoyable. It’s been a few years, but I don’t recall it being tannic at all. Well balanced.

2 Likes
20

I don’t mean to hijack the thread even more, but I just wanted to +1 the recommendation for Scacciadiavoli, which should be fairly easy to find in the US. I had the 2015 last year and it was fantastic, definitely not a tannic monster. A 2016 Tabarrini, while also great, was much more in line with the tannin-dominated profile I was expecting. Other producers I would recommend from my limited experience are Adanti and Moretti Omero.

2 Likes