Paolo Bea 'Vigneto Pagliaro' Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG 2015

Paolo Bea is one of the more renowned producers in Umbrian winemaking, situated in the historic region of Montefalco. The Bea family has been documented to have been in the region as early as 1500, and the estate is quite small, encompassing 15 hectares of which only 5 are vineyards. They have 2 hectares of olive trees for oil production and the rest is devoted to fruit, vegetables, and grains, producing most of what the Bea family consumes daily. Paolo Bea is the senior member of the family, with his sons, Giuseppe and Giampiero, helping him with the farming, winemaking, and commercial aspects of the winery. The vineyard is dedicated to 60% sagrantino, with the remaining 40% being sangiovese and montepulciano, with a small parcel planted to several white grape varieties, all of which are farmed organically and harvested by hand. According to importer Rosenthal Wine Merchants, “Bea’s wines remain singular--boisterous, unabashedly wild expressions of their undulating, sun-drenched hills of origin, each new vintage of which is eagerly anticipated by a legion of loyal clients”. 

The sagrantino grape is indigenous to the Umbria region and a significant portion of the Pagliaro vineyard, situated at 1300’ altitude, is planted with the varietal. It is generally harvested in the second half of October, and spends 40-50 days in contact with the skins during fermentation. This sagrantino is aged for one year in stainless steel, another two years in large Slavonian oak barrels, and is then bottled without filtration and aged a fourth year in bottle. Expect loads of dense, dark, spicy fruit on a richly textured frame backed by robust tannins. Biodynamically grown, low-intervention/natural wine, vegan.