The Sagrantino of Montefalco How to recognize a quality one

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bold: (|Sagrantino di Montefalco) is the Umbrian red wine par excellence and one of the most appreciated Italian wines in the world.
It is certainly one of the products that best represents the Umbrian tradition, the love and passion of the Umbrian people for their land and their great experience, the result of centuries of sacrifice and dedication.

In a market as large as that of wine production in Italy, what is it that makes Sagrantino di Montefalco unique and unmistakable among the many excellences?
What are the characteristics that distinguish it?
Let's see how to recognize Sagrantino di Montefalco, describing its historical and geographical origins and specific characteristics.

bold: (|The origins)
It is not easy to trace the origin of the Sagrantino grape, the only one used for the production of this wine.
The story that has come down to us offers two different possible versions.
According to the first, the Sagrantino grapes are the direct descendants of the hirtiola vine, a vine grown in the same area where Sagrantino is currently grown, mentioned in the writings of Pliny the Elder.
According to the other, Sagrantino has Middle Eastern origins: it was introduced in these Umbrian territories by the Franciscan friars returning from pilgrimages to Syria.
There is no certain information about it. The only certainty is that Sagrantino grapes have certainly been cultivated since 1500. We have evidence of this from the writings of the Franciscan friars, who describe their cultivation and the use they made of them: with these grapes they produced a sweet wine intended for sacred functions, hence the name of Sagrantino wine.

bold: (|Where it is produced)
The cultivation of Sagrantino grapes is strictly limited to a specific area of the Umbrian territory, in which the siliceous-clayey soils mainly hilly and the mild climate favor the best result of this native vine.
The affected area is located throughout the province of Perugia, distributed between the municipalities of Montefalco, Bevagna, Gualdo Cattaneo, Giano dell’Umbria and Castel Ritaldi.

bold: (|DOCG)
Sagrantino di Montefalco enjoys the DOCG designation, Controlled and Guaranteed Designation of Origin.
Compared to the many illustrious “colleagues”, however, this appellation arrived rather late, only in 1992, replacing the 1979 DOC.
The reason lies in its origins: until the end of the last century Sagrantino di Montefalco was still exclusively a sweet wine, as the Franciscan friars produced it centuries ago.
When, shortly before the 1980s, the production of the dry version began to be experimented, the success was so great that it was immediately given the DOC designation.
With the DOCG, finally, Sagrantino di Montefalco has been recognized at the height of the most famous and noble Italian excellences, thus contributing to the prestige of Italy and Umbria in the world.

bold: (|The features)
The characteristic that stands out the most in this wine is the high tannicity, so much so that the production disciplinary provides for a very long aging to allow the tannins to round off, to lose their aggressiveness: before marketing it must in fact age for a minimum of 33 months, of which at least 12 in oak barriques, which must then be refined in the bottle for at least 4 months.
The color of Sagrantino di Montefalco is a very dark ruby red, purplish, which tends to garnet with aging.
The aroma is intensely fruity, in which hints of blackberries and black cherries stand out, which blend with spicy essences, especially star anise.
On the palate it can be defined as a wine of thickness, full-bodied, alcoholic and tannic.
The ideal serving temperature is 18 ° C and needs to slowly oxygenate.

The Sagrantino of Montefalco How to recognize a quality one

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