Lungarotti - Montefalco

Chiara Lungarotti manages operations at both her family’s Montefalco and Torgiano properties. The Torgiano estate and vineyards, located north and west of Montefalco, specialize in Sangiovese. During my visit, Lungarotti spoke extensively about organic versus sustainable practices. The last two vintages have led many estates, including Lungarotti, to reconsider their stance on organic practices in the vineyards following the rainy 2023 spring and consequent peronospora outbreak. The similar, yet not so severe, conditions in 2024 have highlighted the challenges of keeping organic practices in the vineyards. Lungarotti explains, “The difference between Montefalco and Torgiano vineyard management is just in the treatments: organic in Montefalco and sustainable in Torgiano. I don’t really think that organic is the safest method for the vineyard. Whenever there is more than 20 millimeters of rain, we have to treat it again with sulfur and copper. It isn’t healthy for the plants.” She also spoke about a gradual reduction in the use of new oak for both the Sangiovese and Sagrantino. The estate now ages the more important wines in a combination of 20% new-, 40% second- and 40% third-passage barriques and 20-hectoliter casks, followed by extended time in bottle. I still feel that the wines would benefit from additional maturation.
The Sangiovese-based wines from the Torgiano estate are seriously noteworthy, offering a unique character. The Rubesco is a wine with a rugged personality offset by a sheen of oak, which is very different from anything from Umbria and Tuscany overall. The Rubesco Riserva Vigna Monticchio is another very distinctive wine in the range. Lastly, in 2020, Lungarotti decided to replant her Rosso di Montefalco vineyards and will rely on purchased fruit until those vines come to age. However, because the onset of peronospora resulted in inferior fruit, there will not be a 2023 vintage of the Montefalco Rosso or Rosso Riserva.