2019 Montefalco Sagrantino Colle alle Macchie

In 2020, a very warm and dry year, Tabarrini achieved a wonderful balance in the wines. Giampaolo Tabarrini adds that “A Sagrantino should be good in the beginning, in the middle and after 25 years” while expressing concern about the extensive oak aging in the region. Tabarrini believes the grape is sensitive to oak oxidation, preferring a more reductive state. Tabarrini keeps his new fermentation techniques secretive for the time being, but I sense a gentle, tea-bag-like infusion. Overall, the entire lineup of Tabarrini’s 2020 Sagrantinos is worth hunting for. They will make readers very happy while the unruly 2019s slowly find their footing over the next decade or so. With the release of the 2020 Montefalco Sagrantino Il Bisbetico Domato, the cat is out of the bag. I‘ve tasted this wine over the course of its development, and the result is truly spellbinding. A Montefalco Sagrantino built on elegance and grace with a balance of fruit, acids and perfectly rounded tannins. Even though it will be years before I can taste all of the 2020s from many producers, I feel this is quite possibly the wine of the vintage. Once again, the 2022 Trebbiano Spoletino Adarmando is one of the best in its class but requires cellaring to blossom fully. The Adarmando can be almost overwhelming in its youth, yet maturity brings out its complexities. The popularity of Trebbiano Spoletino has exploded in Umbria, thanks in no small part to Giampaolo Tabarrini. It seems like everything he touches turns to gold.