Intensity, concentration and an extraordinary capacity to last. These are the ingredients of the perfect love story, characteristics shared with Sagrantino di Montefalcothe red wine that has made Umbria famous throughout the world and that reflects its truest aromas and flavours.
Solemn, full, alcoholic, with powerful tannins, it is one of the most tannic wines in the world, smelling of black cherries, small berries, earthy notes, red flowers, cinchona and star anise. On the palate it is full, warm and persistent. When you taste it you will not easily forget it, its tannic texture is dangerously seductive.
The recovery and relaunch of Sagrantino di Montefalco is due to a man, Marco Caprai, and a company, Arnaldo Caprai, which to emphasise once again the infinite potential of this wine, decided to release two exceptional Library Collection packages: the Library Collection 25 years, containing 3 bottles of the vintages 2003, 2004 and 2005therefore more than 15 years of ageing, a selection that tells of the evolutionary potential of this reference; the Library Collection Collepiano (the first Sagrantino produced by the winery), which contains a vertical of the 2008, 2009 and 2010 vintages.
For both boxes, climatically very different vintages were chosen, which best express the typical peculiarities of the vintage and the various expressions that the grape variety can give.
Two very limited edition packages: the Library Collection 25 years was released in just 150 copies (recommended price €250), the Library Collection Collepiano in 100 copies (recommended price €160).
In detail:
Library Collection 25 years
The year was characterised by a particularly cold winter with little rain and a dry spring except for the month of June. The summer was particularly hot with no rainfall, especially between July and August, when temperatures reached 40 °C several times. The rain at the end of August proved crucial for late varieties such as Sagrantino. The 25 anni 2003 shows all the power and ripeness of the fruit typical of hot vintages with a warm, full-bodied sip.
The 2004 vintage is remembered as tending to be late, characterised by good productivity. After a rainy and cool spring season, the summer was hot but without excessive peaks and with good temperature ranges. The harvest period was mild with alternating rainy days. The warm and sunny first week of October allowed excellent phenolic ripening of the Sagrantino. The 25 anni 2004 proves to be a wine that plays on finesse and has excellent evolutionary potential.
Late winter and spring are initially very cold, then normal, with regular alternating rainy and sunny periods. From July to August, the summer continues alternating between hot and cooler, rainy periods. The day-night temperature range is always optimal. September, after an initial rainy phase, returns dry with mild temperatures, favourable to the phenolic ripening of Sagrantino. The perfect ripeness and quality of the grapes allowed very long macerations on the skins. The Sagrantino 25 anni 2005 shows great richness and elegance with the typical olfactory complexity of the great vintage.
Library Collection Collepiano
The spring was very rainy, negatively influencing the quantity of production. Between July and August, warm and dry weather led to a rapid accumulation of sugar. Moderately warm days and strong sunshine characterised the first ten days of September, but the situation changed again in the second fortnight of September, when a perturbation was followed by a brisk, cool north wind. The climate was decidedly favourable to slow and optimal ripening, which preserved the aromas and acid component. The 2008 Collepiano shows all the characteristics of the wine son of an excellent vintage, ripe and crisp fruit and a balanced and persistent sip.
The 2009 vintage opens with an averagely early spring, warm and sunny days favouring optimal sprouting. The month of May ends with a major disturbance. Between June and the end of July, warm and sunny days favour good bud growth. An early start to harvest is followed by a slowdown in the ripening process. High daytime temperatures revive a brief September summer. Sagrantino ripening proceeds very slowly. The 2009 Collepiano has the typical characteristics of a cool vintage, a wine that plays on elegance, with a nose of small fruits and a fresh sip.
Vintage characterised by a particularly warm and rainy winter. Sprouting and subsequent phenological phases significantly delayed by 10-15 days compared to the norm. Cool summer until mid-August, followed by higher temperatures that made it possible to make up for much of the delay in ripening. Very interesting vintage for late varieties such as Sagrantino. The perfect ripeness and quality of the grapes allowed maceration on the skins for up to 50 days. The 2010 Collepiano is a very well-balanced wine, warm in the mouth and with an imposing structure.
ARNALDO CAPRAI FARM AT A GLANCE
Few other wineries in Italy and around the world are immediately identified just by mentioning the name of the denomination to which they belong, like Arnaldo Caprai, itself a symbol of Sagrantino di Montefalco. A unique reality, synonymous with Italian excellence, capable of creating wines that are out of the ordinary in terms of depth, elegance and longevity: not only reds, but also whites. The credit for this adventure that began in the late 1970s goes to Marco Caprai, Arnaldo's son. It was he, in fact, more than anyone else who believed in the richness of Sagrantino, reinterpreting it in a modern key, through the most innovative production and business management methods, which have enabled him to win the favour of the public and critics all over the world. Not to be outdone by the whites: Arnaldo Caprai's Grecante, 100% Grechetto, managed to conquer Wine Spectator's Top100.
A great company, Arnaldo Caprai, that guards a green soul, considering issues concerning sustainability, protection and safeguarding the environment as fundamental. The point of observation always remains the same: trying to behave in harmony with natural evolution cycles, preserving and enhancing the territory in which it operates. This is why the company decided to create an Environmental Management System that complies with international regulations, developing a voluntary territorial protocol of environmental, economic and social sustainability of the production process.
It is in this unparalleled context that wines of unforgettable substance are born, complex and elegant, capable of narrating the best of an entire region, Umbria.
