Umbria

This is one of the better values in Montefalco Sagrantino.  While it may not be as good as some of the very expensive options, it is still an outstanding wine.  At age 12, this bottle is just  about at prime.  The vintage, 2011, was good but not great, so this is a nice wine to see how well one likes mature Sagrantino.  Purple in color with slight browning.  The nose has black cherries, char, vanilla and spices.  Medium bodied.  Silky tannins.  On the palate, black cherries, dried cherries and wisps of smoke.  Moderate finish.  This drinks easy and is probably better with food at this point

Gorgeous, if very young, wine.  This is typically a wine that needs a minimum of ten years of cellaring.  Purple in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, black cherries, dust, leather and spice.  Full bodied.  Very firm tannins!  Great almost seamless lush  texture.  On the palate, black cherries, black raspberries with some tobacco and spice.  very deep and complex if tight.  Long finish.  This is delicious on its own and will work well with roasted or slow cooked meat dishes.  Best to hold for another five to ten years and drink for fifteen after that.  As good

This is 100% Sagrantino from central Italy.  Typically, this wine needs a minimum of 10 years ageing, but, it's nice to try one young to determine if it is worth purchasing more.  Purple in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with a "sweet" scent of black cherries, dust, cloves and slight vanilla note.  Full bodied.  Very tannic!  On the palate, this is deep but tight.  Black cherries with cloves and black pepper.  A bit of anise on the finish.  This is 15.5% abv., but not noticeable while drinking.  It is delicious but needs another five to ten years cellaring and then shoul

This is 100% Grechetto from Umbria, Italy.  Light golden in color,  clear and bright.  The nose is nice with slight tangerine, peach and chalk.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, peach and tangerine with mineral undertones.  Good acidity.  Slight almond note on the finish.  This is a lighter wine that drinks well on its own and would be great with appetizers or lighter foods.  This would be nice with a vegetable/bean soup.  Drink over the  next couple of years.  

Screw capped.  This is an excellent value in white wine from central Italy.  It is a blend of Grechetto 40%, Procanico 20%, and other white varietals (Verdello, Canaiolo Bianco) 40%.  Light gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose is nice with minerals, copper, dust, and apples.  Not a lot of fruit from nice depth.  It has a nice, slightly oily texture.  On the palate, lemons with a slight candied note.  Good minerality.  Solid acidity.  A bit of bitter almond on the finish.  This drinks easy on its own and will work well with lighter foods.  It would work well with a squash soup.  Drink

This is a Chardonnay from Umbria..  While I have its big brother, this was my first time trying this bottling.  Hay/gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose is nice with gun powder, lemons, slight grapefruits and butterscotch.  Full bodied.  Creamy texture.  On the palate, lemon cream and toast.  Good finish.   Certainly some oak here, but not as much as its big brother.  This drinks easy and is a good value for people who like a slightly oaky Chardonnay.  Drink over the next few years.  

This is 100% Sagrantino from the heart of Italy (Umbria).  Deep garnet in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has black cherries, spice and slight anise.  Medium bodied.  Good acidity.  Soft tannins.  On the palate, this has nice black cherry fruit with some underlying char.  Crisp.  Long finish.  This is better with some food to cut the acidity.  Pasta is classic.  Drink over the next fie to eight years.  

This is from Umbria in Italy.  This bottle was bought on release and cellared.  Shared with friends who don't particularly like older wines and they did not like it.  I, however, was captivated by it.  Purple in color, opaque and mostly bright.  The nose has plums, black cherries, dust, and roasted herbs.  Full bodied.  Dense.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, not much fruit left but some black cherries.  Lots of tertiary notes of dust, tobacco, forest floor and minerality.  Strong acidity.  Complex and layered.  Nice finish.  Contemplative.  This is fully mature and past prime for some.  It

This is a blend of 80% Sangiovese and 20% Sagrantino.  An excellent value.  Deep ruby in color, mostly opaque and bright.  Medium bodied.  Excellent acidity.  The palate has cherries, some black cherries and slight mocha.  Some depth.  Light tannins.  This is drinking well now and may improve a bit.  It will make excellent drinking over the next eight to ten years.  This will work great with pizza or pasta.  

This is one of the great wines of Italy even if relatively obscure to the general wine drinking public.  it is made from the Sagrantino grape which is tannic and needs time to develop.  This is 13 years old and still needs more time until peak.  Purple in color.  The nose has black cherries, plums, slight coffee and anise.  On the palate, a wall of black cherry fruit with firm tannins.  It is thick and delicious.  With air, some additional notes of anise and spice come out on the palate.  Good acidity.  Long finish.