Umbria: Peeling Back the
Layers

BY ERIC GUIDO |&nbsp;OCTOBER 10, 2024Returning
to Umbria is always an eye-opening experience. Deciphering the vast mix of
vintages, producer styles and varieties is a rewarding process. The region
inches forward with each passing year, notably beyond its two major growing
areas, Montefalco and Orvieto. Look to Sangiovese from Torgiano, championed by
the Lungarotti family, for a more rugged character, or to Gamay, which finds
complexity in the hands of Madrevite in Trasimeno. Moreover, I am amazed by how
many good IGTs come across my tasting table on each visit. From the south,
explore the playful yet serious Ciliegiolo from Bussoletti, the refined-in-amphora
Trebbiano Spoletino from Annesanti and the Bordeaux blends around Lake
Trasimeno. Even Pinot Noir, produced by two of the region's benchmarks, Arnaldo
Caprai and Castello della Sala, are worth seeking out. Umbria’s diversity is its
greatest strength.&nbsp;<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1728571257394-The+gently+rolling+hills+of+Montefalco_copy.jpg">Montefalco’s gently rolling hills. 

As I
have discussed in previous articles, the region’s multifaceted terrain allows
the production of a vast array of grape varieties and styles. Umbria cannot be
encapsulated into one easy-to-swallow pill for readers. For starters, the main
growing areas of Montefalco and Orvieto experience significantly different
growing seasons.

Montefalco,
a hilltop town surrounded by vineyards, looks like a massive crater encircled
by the Apennine Mountains on all sides. Weather systems become easily trapped
within or outside this area, forming contrasting conditions compared to Tuscany
to the west and Abruzzo to the east. Summer days in Montefalco are sweltering,
while at night, cold winds swoop in from the surrounding higher elevations to
the point that you need a jacket in the middle of July. This unique combination
of climate, soils and topography contributes to the depth, concentration and
complexity of its primary grapes: Sagrantino, Sangiovese, Trebbiano Spoletino
and Grechetto.

Moving
on to Orvieto, one of Italy’s most famous wine towns for decades, a handful of
high-quality growers work to keep production relevant despite the significant
number of forgettable wines. This vastly vine-planted area straddles the
borders of Umbria and Lazio, with the most important vineyards located in
Umbria. The terroir here is defined by a combination of influences: the
mountains, the Mediterranean Sea and the nearby Lake Corbara. While the wines
from the interior of Umbria suffer through the warm seasons, the ones from
Orvieto can still find balance, as in the outstanding 2022 vintage.

Beyond
describing terroir and climate differences in Montefalco and Orvieto,
approaching Umbria from a critical standpoint poses another challenge: the
range of vintage releases available to taste each year. During my visits, I
often go through seven or eight vintages, even within Montefalco, where, for
example, I still found newly released 2016s this year. This makes it difficult
to assess the results of the growing seasons as I never have all or most of the
wines from the same year in the same tasting. This report covers 2019 and 2020
Reds, some 2021 Rossos and mainly Trebbiano Spoletino and Grechetto from 2022 and
2023. While the abundance of vintage releases can, at times, be overwhelming for wine
professionals and consumers alike, exploring this diversity is well worth the effort.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1728571347967-Botti+Grande+in+the+cellar+of+Paolo+Bea_copy.jpg">Botti in Paolo Bea’s cellar. The Current State of the Montefalco DOC Consumers
often associate Umbria with Montefalco. Famous for its varietal Sagrantino, the
Montefalco area also excels with its Rosso, typically a blend of primarily
Sangiovese and Sagrantino and other indigenous or international red grapes. This
is a hot topic today, as many winemakers have petitioned the Consorzio to
restrict the blending rules of the Montefalco Rosso DOC to only indigenous
varieties. These include Montepulciano, Colorino, Canaiolo and Barbera. While
this desire aligns with current trends, many wineries, like Dionigi, Arnaldo
Caprai or Fattoria Milziade Antano, have become famous for their Montefalco
Rossos blended with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. I have always found Rossos with
international grapes to be well-balanced and complementary to the local
varieties. I'm also a fan of 100% indigenous blends, especially&nbsp;those that
use varieties&nbsp;like Barbera and Montepulciano to add a fruity or
acid-driven profile.&nbsp;We have seen this story
played out before, but here, it is essential to question if fixing something
that isn’t broken is truly necessary.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1728571389064-The+perfectly+manicured+vineyards+of+Arnaldo+Caprai_copy.jpg">Arnaldo Caprai’s perfectly manicured vineyards. Umbria’s White Wine Resurgence In
recent years, Umbria has seen a resurgence in white wine production, with
Trebbiano Spoletino emerging as the region’s most exciting wine category. In
the Spoleto area, just south and east of Montefalco, producers have invested
significantly in improving the quality of the wines under the Spoleto DOC. Here,
producers are pushing the envelope primarily in the vineyards, ensuring
they are using the correct clonal selections and plantings in the proper
locations, as the DOC regulations are not very stringent. Don’t confuse Trebbiano
Spoletino with Trebbiano Toscano; they come from the same broader family but
are entirely different varieties. While Trebbiano Toscano is often used for
simpler, less expressive wines, Trebbiano Spoletino offers more tropical fruits
and florals elevated by juicy acidity. Tabarrini’s Adarmando, a benchmark wine,
demonstrates Trebbiano’s remarkable aging potential. Paolo Bea’s Arboreus is a
fantastic example of complexity achieved through older vines, while Romanelli’s
Le Tese is nearly impossible to resist for its incredible freshness and
drinkability.

During
my tastings, I expected that other exciting whites would come from the Orvieto
DOC, although they are mostly IGT wines made from Grechetto, Procanico and
Chardonnay all across Umbria. Of that group, Grechetto, in particular,
captivates with its stimulating character. Produced throughout Umbria,
Grechetto wines aren’t highly aromatic, yet they provide fantastic depth and
concentration offset by refreshing acidity and tannic crunchiness. As one of
the world's most tannic white grapes, Grechetto contributes to the aging
potential of a good DOC Orvieto, like an unoaked Chardonnay with more of a
structural kick. Today, Grechetto is also offered in sparkling form, where its
acidity wins the day.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1728571458292-Remnants+from+the+earthquake+of+2016+which+seriously+altered+the+terrain+of+Umbria%2C+including+a+river+that+changed+its+direction+entirely+near+the+town+of+Norcia_copy.jpg">Remnants from the earthquake of 2016, which seriously altered the terrain of Umbria, including a river that changed its direction entirely near the town of Norcia. Current Vintages Recent
vintages of Montefalco Sagrantino are nothing short of impressive. I find these
wines easier to taste and enjoy than ever before, though cellaring them will
benefit their balance throughout their lifetimes.&nbsp;For many years,
winemakers’ main focus has been on taming Sagrantino’s searing tannins, and now
consumers can finally experience the fruits of their labor. Each winery employs
its own taming process, with equally pleasurable results. Arnaldo
Caprai’s Sagrantino undergoes a whole-berry fermentation followed by 40-to-50
days of slowly rotating each barrel once a day. This method softens the tannins
while remaining prevalent and lending a beautiful balance. Tabarrini’s gentle
steeping approach, a teabag-like infusion of skins and juice, gives more
elegant and graceful wines with seductive textures. Paolo Bea mastered their
technique many years ago, allowing the wines to ferment very slowly in large,
neutral barrels, followed by extended aging.

As
mentioned previously, this year, most new releases I tasted in the form of red
wines were from 2020 and 2019, two distinct vintages. In 2019,
Montefalco experienced a more typical growing season: warm and dry throughout
the summer, balanced by diurnal temperature shifts. The 2019s are intense,
powerful, structured, radiant and fruit-focused wines. Lovers of classic,
long-aging Sagrantino will find much to like about them. The 2020 vintage
was hot and incredibly dry through most of the season. Still, when rain finally
did arrive in late September, it was accompanied by hail, causing problems for
the later ripening Sagrantino and Trebbiano Spoletino. Managing disease among
the vines was paramount to a successful harvest. Some producers rushed picking in fear of
disease pressure, while others stayed the course and, through careful
selection, ended up with gorgeous fruit. The 2020s have turned out much better than expected, yet
not consistently so. Consumers should choose producer over the vintage, as
those who harvested healthy fruit made lovely wines. The 2020s are soft,
cool-toned, wonderfully perfumed, and, combined with proper tannin management, pleasurable
wines with medium-term aging capacity.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1728571527508-Sea+shells+unearthed+from+the+vineyards+of+Barberani+in+Orvieto_copy.jpg">Seashells unearthed from the Barberani vineyards in Orvieto. 

Last
year, I only tasted a small number of the fresh 2021 reds and whites.
This year, many producers have released their 2021 Montefalco Rossos. These
wines are rich and show the warm and dry conditions of the season, still with acid
profiles that maintain freshness despite elevated alcohol levels. Ultimately,
the wines are elegant and charming and hide their heat well. I attribute the
success of the 2021s to the cooler temperatures brought by precipitations in
the later part of the season. I am hesitant, though, about the potential of the
2021 Sagrantinos–to be released next year–considering the Rossos already
struggle with balance with their 15-16% alcohol by volume. &nbsp;

Two
thousand twenty-two was a vintage of extremes, with a considerably warm and
dry winter and spring. June saw record-breaking temperature spikes, and drought
conditions persisted through July. While vines produced a healthy amount of
buds, berries were small due to the hydric stress. Although disease risk was
low, vines’ health was a concern as they shut down due to the extreme
temperatures and lack of water. In Orvieto, rains in early August released
stress in the vineyards, with cooler temperatures. Meanwhile, Montefalco
experienced similar conditions later in the month. Although the damage had
already been done, vines somewhat recovered with the persistent cooler trend
into harvest. These conditions resulted in an early picking–generally a week
earlier than usual–and lower yields. Based on my tastings so far, the 2022
whites are perfumed, rich and opulent, while the reds come across as
soft-textured and pliant, lacking energy and complexity. However, they will be
enjoyable without much cellaring.&nbsp;

I tasted
the wines for this article in Umbria in July and in our office in New York City
in August 2024.&nbsp;© 2024, Vinous. No portion of this article may be copied, shared or re-distributed without prior consent from Vinous. Doing so is not only a violation of our copyright, but also threatens the survival of independent wine criticism.<hr> You Might Also Enjoy<a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/tipping-the-scales-new-releases-from-umbria-oct-2023">Tipping the Scales: New Releases from Umbria</a>, Eric Guido, October 2023 <a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/umbria-taking-it-to-the-next-level-nov-2022">Umbria: Taking It to the Next Level</a>, Eric Guido, November 2022 <div><div></div></div><div><div><div><a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/umbria-lazio-italy-s-underdogs-aug-2021">Umbria &amp; Lazio: Italy’s Underdogs</a>, Eric Guido, August 2021</div></div></div>

Content

Engage

Vinous

Social