2017 Montefalco Sagrantino Colle alle Macchie

“Essentially am not in madness, But mad in craft.” – Hamlet. Giampaolo Tabarrini is one of the most charismatic, flamboyant, straight-talking yet enlightened and drop-dead serious (when the chips are down) winemakers. Tabarrini is also the current president of the producers' Consorzio, which I believe is a very good thing for the region. This past summer was the first time I had the opportunity to meet with Giampaolo Tabarrini, touring the winery and tasting through nearly any tank, barrel or library wine my heart desired. The experience certainly taught me a thing or two, such as the Umbria Bianco Adarmando’s amazing aging capacity or how a Sagrantino from two vineyards just a stone's throw from each other can be so markedly different. While some winemakers went inward during the past few years of lockdown, Giampaolo Tabarrini did the exact opposite by beginning construction on a new carbon-neutral winery that will also serve as an adult playground for wine lovers once construction is completed. He foresees visitors staying for an entire day, sampling not just local wines and organically grown foods sourced right there on sight. Tabarrini is also at work on maceration and aging techniques to help round out the hard tannins of Sagrantino, a project I’m looking forward to following. Until then, his selection of single-vineyard Sagrantinos continues to show its unique terroir in spades. Whether it’s the Grimaldesco (southeast-facing, silty-limestone-clay soils at 350 meters), Campo alla Cerqua (south-facing, looser clay, mineral soil full of river stones at 365 meters) or Colle alle Macchie (south-facing, deep, thick clay and limestone soils at 380 meters), it can be fun to find the expression that most appeals to each palate.