Cult Cabernets, Cliquish Chardonnays, Rhone Rangers, Sinful Zins... the wine lover’s palate is always looking for something new to grab hold of and embrace. Recently, I became aware of Sagrantino while looking for an out-of-the-way vacation spot in Italy. Sagrantino is a indigenous red wine grape from Umbria. It has been used in the production of local wines for hundreds, no, thousands of years. Why were large conglomerates beginning to buy up local wineries? Why did Luigi Cecchi & Sons - one of Tuscany’s most respected wine producing families - stake a claim in Umbria for the production of Sagrantino wines? The more information I found about Sagrantino, the more curious I became and, when I discovered that the Sagrantino Wine Festival (Settimana Enologica - Wine Week) coincided with our travel plans I decided that I had to find out what the fuss is all about. The access point for the beginning of our introduction to the wines of the Sagrantino grape was the ancient hill town of Montefalco (known as the balcony of Umbria).
While attending the Pinehurst Wine Festival in 2006, we met importers of Italian wines (Banfi) and representatives from several wineries with connections in Umbria. They kindly set up meetings for us in Montefalco, the first of which was with the Cecchi winery. For over a hundred years, the wine-makers Luigi Cecchi and Sons have been producing and selling quality wines from Tuscany. In the 1970's the wine-makers moved to Castellina in Chianti, a zone of great historical and geographical importance in the Chiantigiana area. The Cecchis’ have invested in Sagrantino with the estate Tenuta Alzatura in Montefalco. We were told that a winery representative would meet us at the Villa Pambuffetti on the morning of the 20th of September.
Much to our surprise, the representative was Andrea Cecchi himself, along with assistant, Giulia Dirindelli. We strike up an immediate, friendly relationship and set off for lunch at one of Andrea’s favorite restaurants in the town of Brevagna, a few miles away. We finish lunch and Andrea insists we go back to Montefalco for a vertical tasting of their “Uno” a 100% Sagrantino. The wine is dry on the palate, with a strong structural body derived from 14 months of aging in small oak barrels. Due to its full bodied structure, Uno, like most other Sagrantinos is ideally served with highly flavored meat dishes and mature cheeses. We taste 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, and the newly released 2003. 2002 was a difficult year and Cecchi choose not to release that vintage. The younger wines have a strong tannin load in the mouth. As we progress to older vintages, the tannin takes on a velvety softness and hints of blackberries, plums, vanilla, leather and coffee come to the forefront. At this point, we must take a break because tonight is the opening gourmet dinner for Sagrantino Wine Week.
Mary and Andrea Cecchi at Lunch
Tasting “Uno” with Andrea and Giulia
Settimana Enologica - Wine Week has officially opened... Montefalco is abuzz with Sagrantino producers, farmers, Sagrantino aficionados, artists, film makers and a mix of curious tourists. The exhibition and tasting hall next to an ancient church on the main street of Montefalco is packed. Over 30 local producers are showing off their just released 2003 vintage of Sagrantino di Montefalco as well as Montefalco Rosso, Grechetto and Passitos. The talk is lively, the pours are generous and everyone is in a festive mood as a spread of antipasto, local cheeses and breads and other delights are sit in the open courtyard to help ward off the effects of too much tasting and not enough spitting or dumping. There will be seminars, an exibition of “Sagrantino in Paintings”, a photographic exhibition, “Scatti Divini”, by young European photographers, food and wine pairings, a concert and more.
We have come to Umbria and have been seduced by beauty, history, kindness and, of course, Sagrantino di Montefalco. It remains to be seen whether Sagrantino will be the next big thing to hit the international wine market but, for those who travel La Strada Del Sagrantino and taste the Umbrian experience, it will remain a very special wine.
Settimana Enologica - Wine Week is held the 3rd week of September in Montefalco, Umbria.
Traditional Umbrian Pasta Dish
The Wine Week Tastings Begin
Elegant Wine Service at Villa Pambuffetti
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