Montefalco - Crimson, Complexity & Beauty
Montefalco is located in one of the most beautiful landscapes of Umbria, at the heart of the Italian “boot”. Set on a hill, it is surrounded by breathtaking panoramic views of colorful valleys under the steep green and blue mountains of the Umbrian Apennines. Driving in narrow roads, you absorb the beauty of the Strada del Sagrantino vineyards, olive groves and charming medieval villages. You discover delicious local dishes, truffles, excellent olive oil, artisanal ceramics, religious artworks, unique festivals and one of the biggest red wines in the world. Among good friends, around a ceramic table in the piazza, let us raise a glass of velvety dark Sagrantino, a smooth red Montefalco Rosso, a crispy white Grechetto or an orange-gold complex Trebbiano Spoletino, as we celebrate life and love. Welcome to Montefalco!
Umbria
Umbria, a relatively small region in Italy, fondly nicknamed "the Green Heart of Italy" is unique in several ways. For one, it is the only region without access to the sea. There are few lakes, the largest of which is the beautiful Lago Trasimeno close to the border of Toscana.
Ancient traditions are preserved in Umbria, and almost every month there is at least one festival somewhere to celebrating ancient traditions and customs.
Umbria's most famous son is San Francesco. Assisi, his hometown, is an important pilgrim and tourist destination, with the famous Basilica where the Saint is buried, as well as many important cathedrals, churches and of course priceless artworks.
Unlike other Italian regions, Umbria does not have one main central city. Instead, there are 2 reginal towns, Perugia and Terni, surrounded by a rich network of towns and villages, each with its unique character. Together, they create one of Italy's enjoyable and authentic regions.
Montefalco Location, Soil & Climate
Montefalco is a rising star in Italy boasting 2 DOCG and 2 DOC wines. It is a relatively small geographical area, located 150 km northeast of Rome. The capital of the wine region is Montefalco, and the area includes Bevagna, Gualdo Cattaneo, Bastardo and Castel Ritaldi and many small villages.
The clay/limestone lands are very fertile. The climate is dry moderate continental, with a good amount of rains, dry sunny days and warm/hot summers. Winters are cold with very little snow.
A Mosaic of Beauty
The village of Montefalco is a lively medieval village, with some 6,000 residents, seated on the top of a hill at an altitude of 450m-550m, surrounded by three valleys and soft hills. It is considered one of Italy's most beautiful villages.
Montefalco is nicknamed the "Balcony of Umbria" thanks to the panoramic spectacular views to the north, east, south and west to Assisi, Spello, Trevi and Spoletto.
In autumn, the leaves of the Sagrantino vines turn into unique burning colors, of pink, magenta, red and crimson, standing out among the golden colors of other varieties.
History & Art
Montefalco is populated since the times of the Umbri (the ancient Italians) in the 9th century BC. Legend says that, in the 13th century, an angry Austrian emperor wanted to destroy the village because it resisted him. Luckily, his own favorite falcon flew to the top of the tower, where he joined many "local" falcons. The emperor decided, there and then to name the village “Montefalco” (the "mountain of falcons") and the village was saved.
The ancient part of the village is surrounded by a thick wall, with several arched gates. Passing the arched gate, the visitor walks up hill on ancient stones, with many shops, bars and restaurants left and right, all the way to the piazza, where the Palazzo Comunale (“Town Hall”) is standing since the 13th century. The piazza hosts annually Montefalco's famous 2-week Ferragosto, as well as many wine festivals and events.
Adjacent to the piazza, there is one of the most important art museums of Umbria, in the San Francesco Museal Complex, with magnificent artworks. In addition, there are numerous churches with a lot of important artworks, that one would not expect to find in such a small village.
Historical Viticulture
The region is famous because of one grape variety - Sagrantino, native to the area. Viticulture started in the area thousands of years ago, by the Ancient Romans, however the first documented evidence of cultivation of Sagrantino is from 600 years ago, by Franciscan monks, typically for religious purposes.
Sagrantino is probably the most tannic grape in Italy (perhaps in the world). Until recently, Sagrantino was almost undrinkable as a dry wine, exhausting time and patience until it stopped biting and kicking. Only increased sweetness could somewhat overcome the tannins, and the varietal wines were mainly produced as sweet sacramental wine. Dry Sagrantino was produced in small quantities to add flavors and structure to the blend of Montefalco Rosso.
The quantities of production did not justify commercial production and cultivation was reduced.
Modern Wine Growing & Produce
The story of modern Sagrantino starts in the 1970’s, with Arnaldo Caprai, a local producer, who believed in the potential of the variety. Together with his son Marco, and with the Lungarotti family, they searched how to tame and control the wild tannins, and how to best demonstrate the potential of this variety. Their efforts, in collaboration with a Milano university, were successful. When the tannins were finally tamed, the quality of wines improved, DOC classification was granted in 1979, more producers followed, and finally, in 1992, Sagrantino was awarded the prestigious DOCG top Italian appellation.
There are already more than 100 wineries in the region, including the few important wineries from the 1970’s. Over the past 40 years, boutique local family wineries have emerged, owned, managed and cultivated by locals. Many of the current owners grew up in the vineyards and in the wineries, before completing wine-related and engineering studies and their transition into modern technologies is natural and smooth.
As the younger generation takes over, there is also a transformation of wineries into bio-dynamic, organic wineries, with a holistic, balanced sustainable approach, a constant strive for excellence rooted in passion for wine, understanding the symbiotic relationship with the surrounding environment and deeply respecting tradition. Some of the best "natural wines" ('Vini Veri") of Italy are produced in Montefalco, by wine producers who see their role as "enabling" the wine.
Montefalco wines are gaining recognition among the best red Italian wines, winning awards and being served in the best of restaurants. Recently, white and orange (golden) wines emerge, as part of Montefalco's evolution into a premium wine region.
Partly because of tradition and partly because of preference and philosophy, Montefalco wine region, although small, has not only vineyards but also a lot of olive groves, producing excellent Extra Virgin olive oil as well as other produce like honey, legumes, flours, oats, truffles, in addition to wine.
Sagrantino DOCG
Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG is one of the “biggest” wines of Italy, quite distinguishable from other wines. Although Sagrantino is a varietal wine and its production is regulated, interestingly, each producer has its own winemaking philosophy and production techniques and, due to the topography, different areas have different aspects and growing conditions. As a result, there is a spectrum of wine styles, and each winery ("cantina") has its unique expression of the wine.
Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG is produced from 100% Sagrantino grapes that are inky black, small, thick-skinned, with an almost black circle and little juice. In addition to their unique health values (high antioxidants and anti-inflammatory elements), the taste is very concentrated.
Cultivation and production require expertise, experience and constant intervention in all aspects, from the vineyards to the winery. The result is affected by many variants: vine training, pruning, leaf management, selecting the optimal harvest time (usually by hand) balancing flavors, juice, sugar, depending on weather conditions, considering timing and of course - topography and aspects.
The producer carefully selects the grapes for the different styles, fermentation for Sagrantino DOCG, or for the red blend, and the grapes to be dried on the aired mats for Passito DOCG. As the tannins are in the skins, seeds and stems, over-pressing may result in more tannic wine. Often wineries use free-run juice for Sagrantino and press the grapes for the blended Montefalco Rosso.
Fermentation is in stainless steel tanks followed by a long maturation in wooden barrels. Maturation is at least 36 months (with no maximum) including at least 12 months in wood and 4 months in bottle. Although maturation is usually done in used oak, the wine producer can determine the duration of maturation and aging, the barrel size (large casks or barriques), the oxidation level, and how long will the wine age in the bottle before it is sold. The longer the maturation and aging period is, the more velvety and smooth is the wine, as the tannins soften.
The quality of Sagrantino is quite consistent in spite of different vintages, and typically ranges from very good to outstanding. Although sometimes sold early for economic reasons, the wines are usually ready to drink after 5 years, and can age very well for up to 25 years. Before drinking, the wine must breath to allow the deep complex flavors to develop as the wine oxidizes, and not be overwhelmed by the tannins.
Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG is velvety and elegant, complex, masculine, profound. One of the most interesting red Italian wines, characterized by its boldness, earthy dryness and complex flavors like black cherry, mushroom, earth, licorice, leather, spices, all fused together with high alcohol levels (typically 15% and above). It is an autumn & winter wine that can be drank on its own or paired with the local foods, like game, meat, truffles and cheese.
Montefalco Rosso DOC & Passito DOCG
The second most famous wine of Montefalco is Rosso di Montefalco (or "Montefalco Rosso") DOC. This wine has a strong ruby red color, and aromas of spices, plums and black fruits. Montefalco Rosso DOC is a blend of 60%-70% Sangiovese, 10%-15% Sagrantino (adding complexity and flavors), and 15%-30% Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon (or both), a smooth, round, balanced red wine with good acidity.
Following fermentation in stainless steel tanks, Montefalco Rosso matures in barrels for at least 12 months (18 months for the Riserva). Montefalco Rosso is becoming increasingly popular as a year round red wine, suitable to pair with a large variety of dishes.
Passito DOCG, the traditional varietal sweet red wine (100% Sagrantino) is still produced, though in smaller quantities. Passito is a complex, sweet yet highly acidic, highly alcoholic, interesting dessert wine. The Sagrantino grapes used for Passito are laid to dry for a few months after the harvest on aired mats, to increase sugar levels and flavors. The dried grapes are fermented and matured in oak barriques.
Grechetto DOC & Trebbiano Spoletino
Italy is not famous for its whites, yet, one of the best dry white Italian wines, Grechetto DOC, is a varietal wine produced in Montefalco.
Grechetto is fresh, fruity with floral aromas of white peach, honeydew, pear, strawberry, sometimes even hazelnuts. It has a pleasing crispness, freshness, complexity, with a good body and relatively high alcohol. Grechetto is harvested in late September, typically by hand, fermented and aged in stainless steel. It is drunk young.
Trebbiano Spoletino is an emerging orange ("golden") wine with outstanding potential. A white grape with high acidity and minerality, stone fruits flavors, and a medium to full body, Trebbiano Spoletino was traditionally used in blends. In recent years, producers are exploring its potential as an orange varietal wines with outstanding results. These are year-round wines, that can be paired with a large variety of dishes including meat, sometimes even desert.
White Blends & Rose
Many wineries produce white blends like the Montefalco Bianco DOC (at least 50% Grechetto, at least 20-35% Trebbiano Spoletino and up to 30% a white variety at the producer’s choice). This wine is fresh, acidic and drunk young.
In recent years, some of the wineries are experimenting with rose wines from the Sagrantino grapes. These wines have a unique color, aromas and structure. There can also be found sparkling wines, white and rose.
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