WINE OF THE MONTH!
February 2, 2012 by PWM
03 ANTONELLI MONTEFALCO ROSSO
THE SACRED RED FROM UMBRIA!
$19.95 BTL./$102.00 6-PACK
If you have never had the opportunity to experience a Sagrantino (and believe me to experience a wine crafted from the sacred Sagrantino grape can be quite a revelation) you don't want to miss out on this! Problem is there just over 250 acres under vine and that ain’t enough to go around.
Sagrantino is a grape varietal that grows only around the hilltop town of Montefalco. In fact, it is grown nowhere else in the world. Its origins are mysterious. Whether the grape is indigenous to the area or not is up for debate. Some theorize that it was brought to Umbria by the Greeks, while others say it was brought by the Franciscan (French) friars. Another theory has St. Francis of Assisi bringing it from the Middle East to be used as a sacramental wine. Among the wine cognoscenti though, it is now Umbrian at its soul.
Fabrio Antonelli makes some of the most intellectually interesting and deliciously tasting wines to be found anywhere. In his 70’s, he is the man in charge at his family’s winery in Umbria. The family can, in fact, trace its Umbrian roots back to the 1500’s. The Antonelli estate is the keeper of the flame of the tradition of Sagrantino. They pride themselves on natural and organic methods to make their wine. In fact this is a working farm with livestock and other products for sale including olives, vegetables and fruits. Five Hectacres are devoted to the growing of grapes and 60% of that is devoted to Sagrantino.
The Antonelli wine is made in the traditional manner. The grapes are harvested by hand. After harvesting, the grapes are allowed to stay in contact with the skins and seeds for up to a month. The wine goes through full malolactic fermentation in stainless steel and is then racked into large oak barrels. The wine is left in barrel for a couple of years before bottling without filtration or fining. The resulting wine is thick, dark and tannic and in need of seven or more years of bottle age to really show what it is about. After that though, it is good for the next twenty (at least). Antonelli’s Montefalco Riserva (85% Sagrantio & 15% Sangiovese) is considered by many to be among the best in the world. A ITALIAN WINE LOVER’S DREAM WINE!