Umbria: Tasting in Sagrantino-land

Travel, Wine Tourism, and Restaurants Forum
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The hubs and I just returned from a few weeks in Italy, heavy on Umbria due to my passion for Sagrantino. Already planning another visit. If you have any Umbrian favorite wineries to visit, please do share.

Quick reference of my own:

  1. Paolo Bea - don’t miss it. Cough up the steep tasting price (for Umbria) and sink into perfection.
  2. Arnaldo Caprai - who started it all, re-imagining Sagrantino as a well-aged, smoothly tannic, black cherry and spicy bold wine instead of sacramental church goo. Their Spinning Beauty 2013 (gulp … 250 euros … heavenly smooth heady and silky) … the 25 year (any vintage, the latest release around 50 euros) — O. M. G.
  3. Castelbuono-Lunelli, with their excellent range of Sagrantino at various price points but my favorite being the sublime 2015 Lunga Attesa Carapace (about 75 euros, with hypnotizing earthy mustiness layered on the fruit and spice).
  4. Milziade Antono - we came through their warehouse/garage and made friends with an Italian couple who were mid-tasting with the son. 20-to-50 euros generally, and I especially liked their lower-end Sagrantino blend and main Sagrantino offerings, more than the reserve. Working farm, basic, delish, the way it should be.
  5. Fratelli Pardi - interrupted the family at lunch during harvest, but the matriarch insisted that the door’s “aperto” sign was accurate and they were open. Super steady and wonderful Sag’s at attractive price points (we focused on 20-to-40 euro range, thank God after the Spinning Beauty from Arnaldo Caprai). Spent an hour chatting about food, family, life generally with the lady of the family in my broken Italian in one of the most enjoyable visits of the whole trip.
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Thanks for sharing.

It’s been at least a decade since I went wine-tasting and very fondly remember my time at Paolo Bea’s house with Giampero casually pouring from many bottles, including one from an experimental vat, in their home kitchen while dad Paolo was outside in their garden pruning the olive tree. I presume that the adjacent winery that they started constructing then had been completed and operational. There was no tasting fee then, what is the tasting price?

Also visited Arnaldo Caprai where we were poured 14 different wines-vintages! As per their wines image, the tasting room was huge and modern and was a stark contrast to Bea’s mom-n-pop approach. Is there a tasting fee nowadays, as well?

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With the Spinning Beauty, we actually had that at an enoteca in the town of Spello, where the patriarch and I waxed poetic about Sagrantino and he brought it out among a handful of others that were utter perfection. They also ship to the US. And, the prices are fantastic when you buy 3 cases and shipping is included (compared to paying 120 Euros to ship a case). Cannot recommend them highly enough: Enoteca Properzio, www.EnotecaProperzio.com.

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We’ve visited Scacciadivoli a couple times and have always enjoyed the tastings.

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