It was a dry year, 2012, with very healthy grapes and low yields. Elements, these, which contributed to the creation of red wines of great complexity and aromatic persistence: these are precisely the characteristics that distinguish the new vintage of Spinning Beauty, the progenitor of Arnaldo Caprai's AC Signature line (also consisting of Merlot Berlcompare and Pinot Noir Malcompare) as well as the highest expression of Sagrantinoof which the winery led by Marco Caprai is the most important interpreter.
Spinning Beauty comes from the oldest Monte della Torre clonal selection vineyard and one hundred per cent Sagrantino grapes, clone Cobra. The 2012 vintage gives us a wine of great depth, intense, penetratinga wine full of personality and charm inspired by the world's great classics of long ageing. Left to mature in barriques for 10 years and at least 8 months of bottle ageing, the result is a unique, extraordinary wine with an impenetrable ruby red colour and an extremely broad aromatic strength, studded with hints of chocolate, black and red berry jam and sweet spices, woody balsamic facets, hints of incense and a dense toasted component. Gritty, characterful, warm and fresh at the same time, persistent, Spinning Beauty is an intuition that has guided the work and passion of a man to the continuous search for beauty, an invisible but stainless thread (and this is why we find this symbol on the label, which also pays homage to the Caprai family's textile origins) that binds this winery to the identity of the territory and all its traditions, in an unceasing movement towards the future. The first vintage produced was released in 2015 and relates to the 2006 harvest. The latest vintage on the market, released these days, is 2012.
To match to important appointments, not only culinary. At the table it goes perfectly with game and red meat, but you can also enjoy it on its own, its meatiness satisfying even on its own.
Retail price: from 270 euro
No. of bottles produced vintage 2012: 1,196
The 2012 vintage in detail
2012 was a year marked by a strong water deficit already starting in March, which was then compensated for by rainfall in the spring months that brought the water quantity back to the monthly average but did not make up for the previous shortages. Several heat waves followed in the following months; in mid-August, the drought problem reappeared with force, later mitigated by a light disturbance that brought the plants back into balance, preventing an excess of sugar accumulation. The harvest began in the second week of October, with excellent health and quality levels. The red wines of this vintage, even for the limited production, show excellent complexity, aromatic and polyphenolic structure, thanks to the perfect health of the grapes, which made it possible to extend ripening on the vine beyond physiological times. The wines were very complex at the end of fermentation, with medium-high alcohol contents and very intense aromatic complexity.
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.
