Umbria

Since its creation in 1998, Vitiano Rosso has been one of the most successful Italian red wines on the international market – a classic that masterfully combines tradition and modernity. The grapes grow on the hills around Orvieto, where sedimentary limestone-clay soils with volcanic influences form the basis, at an altitude of around 300 metres. The blend of one third each of Sangiovese, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon is vinified separately: Merlot contributes fullness and velvety texture, Cabernet Sauvignon lends structure and depth, while Sangiovese provides balance with its lively acidity.

Arnaldo Caprai is Umbria – or more precisely: Montefalco. The house that brought Sagrantino out of its slumber and turned it into an international great has been in family hands since 1971. "Anima Umbra" is the light-footed side of this winery – no claim to eternity, but all the more pleasure in the moment. 85% Grechetto, 15% Trebbiano Spoletino. Three months in steel, three months in bottle – clear, direct, without detours. Grechetto provides the backbone: structure, a slight bitterness, mineral freshness. Trebbiano Spoletino rounds off, adds flavour and volume.

When you think of Umbria in red – and immediately think of Sagrantino. But Caprai knows that not every evening calls for a grand entrance. "Anima Umbra" Rosso is the honest antithesis, suitable for everyday use – made from the indigenous Sangiovese and Canaiolo varieties that have characterised Umbria for centuries, long before Sagrantino took over the headlines. Eight months in barriques, then in the bottle. The result: bright ruby red, redcurrant, plum, violet, fine tannin – dry, fresh, with natural fruit and the character of a region that has more to offer than just one star. With pasta with meat sauce, arrosto, salumi. This is Umbria, completely relaxed. SUPERIORE.DE

The world knows Montefalco above all in its dark red colour – sagrantino, tannin, depth. The fact that the Caprai house, which helped write this red legend, also produces white wines of distinction is its best kept secret. The Bianco Montefalco combines two very different partners: Trebbiano Spoletino – the autochthonous Umbrian grape variety, aromatic, fresh and acidic, with a subtle floral flavour – and Chardonnay, which adds fullness and flavour to the blend. No wood, just steel and time: three months of ageing, three months in the bottle. The result is not a white wine that tries to show off, but one that has a very respectable balance.

The name reveals the grape variety, the origin and the claim in one word. Since 1989 – the first vintage – the Grecante Caprais has been the white flagship: 100% Grechetto, from the Colli Martani, the gentle hills south-east of Montefalco, where calcareous soils give the Grechetto its characteristic minerality. Three months in steel, then bottled. No wood, no distractions. The result landed in Wine Spectator's Top100 with the 2016 vintage – an honour that is anything but a matter of course for a single-varietal Umbrian white wine.

On the label, a moth flutters, circling a flame that will ultimately consume it. Beneath it is a Latin palindrome, the author of which is lost in the mists of history, probably dating from the 13th century: "In girum imus nocte et consumimur igni" – we circle in the night and are consumed by fire. A phrase that reads the same forwards as it does backwards, as if it too were trapped within the very circle it describes. Moths inevitably fly towards the light at night, often until they perish in it – an ancient metaphor for human desire itself, which draws us in like a flame until it has completely consumed us. The same struggle, the same attraction, from antiquity to the present day, without end.

Soente – a name that comes from the abbreviation of "sovente" (often), open and bright in sound. This pure Viognier comes from the Tenuta Montiano in the heart of Lazio, where the Cotarella family has been experimenting for years with international grape varieties that have adapted perfectly to the climate and soils of this area. Five hectares at an altitude of three hundred metres, loose, skeleton-rich soils – ideal conditions for a Viognier with freshness and aromatic depth.

Trentanni was first produced for Falesco's 30th anniversary and combines equal parts Merlot and Sangiovese from the high altitudes around Montecchio and Orvieto. The mild climate and chalky soils give the cuvée elegance and structure. Intense ruby red colour in the glass. Ripe plum, dark cherry and blackcurrant on the nose, accompanied by Mediterranean herbs and a hint of vanilla from the six months of ageing in barriques. Balanced and juicy on the palate, with a fine tannin structure, lively acidity and clear fruit. The finish is long, savoury and subtly mineral. A wine with character and harmony that convincingly combines tradition and modern drinking pleasure. SUPERIORE.DE

Flaminia Maremmana. The name evokes paths that are older than Rome itself. Century after century, shepherds and their flocks travelled along an ancient branch of the Via Flaminia – the consular road that had linked Rome with the Adriatic since 220 BC – From the green Umbrian hills down into the Maremma, for the transumanza – that seasonal transhumance which shaped life in this landscape right up until the 20th century. Here, where sheep and shepherds once rested, where history is etched into the earth, the vines for this special Montefalco Rosso now grow. First produced in 2007, it embodies the soul of this historic terroir. The cuvée, comprising seventy% Sangiovese, fifteen% Sagrantino and fifteen% Canaiolo, thrives on south-east-facing limestone-loam soils.

Mare Antico pays homage to the marine fossils and shells found in the soils of Orvieto. It wafts up like a cool breeze from a mountain peak, its intriguing bouquet blending crushed rock with raw almonds, a hint of sage, ginger and flint. Mare Antico flows across the palate with skilful ease, long and citrus-driven. It also possesses a lovely inner sweetness, contrasted by candied lime and salty minerals. It finishes with structure and crispness, featuring a crisp green apple and a lingering acidity that leaves you craving the next sip.

Castello della Sala, located not far from Orvieto at an altitude of 500 metres, produces excellent wines without exception, as the inexpensive "entry-level wine" San Giovanni della Sala proves. The wine is produced in the vineyards of the ancient castle of Castello della Sala from the combination of the indigenous grape varieties Grechetto and Procanico with Pinot Bianco and Viognier and interprets the Orvieto Classico in a new style. Its freshness, richness and balance are remarkable, with notes of yellow flowers, green apple, sage and ginger. On the palate, an incredibly silky texture and juicy acidity guide this juicy white wine into a beautiful, mineral finish. SUPERIORE.DE

Enzo Barbi produces just 3,500 bottles of this delicious Sauvignon Bianco each year. It rises from the glass with a lovely freshness, whilst a delicate wave of lemongrass, chalk dust and sweet custard fills the senses. On the palate, it flows with a silky texture and ripe, citrus-kissed fruit notes, accompanied by a lively acidity. A hint of mint leaves and green peas lingers in the classically dry finish, whilst L'Inquisitore ends on a remarkably lively note with a slight mineral bite. This exceptionally lovely Sauvignon Bianco from Umbria makes a rather light-footed first impression, but leaves a lasting impact. SUPERIORE.DE

The date on the label (1212 AD) indicates when the winery was given its current name. Deep, powerful dark violet. The seamless bouquet is interwoven with nuances of purple and black fruit, with a good measure of spice and toasted notes. On the palate, it is pure elegance, silky and streamlined, with a growing minerality that provides drive, whilst a delicate web of tannins, floral black fruits and exotic spices resonate. Our verdict: A lush, deep and captivating red that already offers great breadth and will continue to improve with further years of bottle ageing. SUPERIORE.DE

In 1940, the Antinori family acquired the Castello della Sala, a medieval fortress in northern Umbria, near Orvieto. Their ambitious plan was to produce white wines of great character and personality from a region that had, until then, been known primarily for its red Sangiovese. Across 140 hectares of vineyards at altitudes of between 200 and 350 metres, on clay-limestone soils with fossil deposits, in a climate cooler than the Umbrian average, Chardonnay finally found its perfect Umbrian home.

Verdeluce – green light – is the name of this wine that the Famiglia Cotarella dedicates to the hills around Orvieto, the area on the border between Lazio and Umbria that has always been synonymous with quality white wines. Riccardo and Renzo Cotarella, two of Italy's most influential Oenologist, founded Falesco in 1979 with the aim of revitalising forgotten grape varieties. Today, cousins Dominga, Marta and Enrica continue the legacy – with a modern style and an international outlook, without losing their roots in the territory.

Arnaldo Caprais Montefalco Rosso Riserva shows how much depth and complexity can be achieved with this combination of local varieties. The wine is intense and particularly concentrated thanks to ripe fruit and careful oak ageing. You can feel the power of the Sagrantino tannins, but this power is well measured and under control. With its dark and crunchy fruit, this is a wine that initially makes you bite your teeth out, but which becomes increasingly elegant as it matures in the bottle. SUPERIORE.DE

Collepiano (gentle hills) is what Marco Caprai calls the vineyards where his vision took shape at the end of the 1980s: to restore the Sagrantino, this ancient Umbrian vine with the highest tannin content in the wine world, to its lost greatness. Not as a sweet passito behind monastery walls, but as a dry red wine of international calibre. What followed was a revolution: collaboration with the University of Milan, clone selection, high-density plantings – and, in 1996, the legendary "25 Anni", the Sagrantino that Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones chose for their wedding. Collepiano comes from pure Sagrantino from the Val di Maggio vineyards. After the harvest, the must underwent temperature-controlled fermentation, followed by gentle extraction over ten to fourteen days. The cuvée matured for twenty-two months in French barriques and a further six months in the bottle – time that gave this tannin-rich wine structure and soul.

A heraldic animal, not a warning: Conte della Vipera pays tribute to Gentile Monaldeschi della Vipera, the branch of the Orvieto noble family which, in the 15th century, was named after the snake in its coat of arms and was repeatedly driven out by the rival della Cervara line. The castle dates back to 1222; Antinori acquired the estate in 1940, and since 1997 the Sauvignon cuvée has borne the name of that combative count. The Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon grapes for this Umbria IGT white wine are grown on vineyards at altitudes of between 250 and 350 metres, on fossil-rich soil with fine clay veins, which lend the wine its mineral character. After hand-harvesting and gentle pressing, the must ferments in cool steel tanks.

In the mysterious Etruscan caves under the hill of Decugnano, a sparkling wine matures at a constant 13° Celsius, which is only produced in extremely limited quantities. Claudio Barbi produced this Metodo Classico in 1978 as the first bottle fermenter in Umbria. At that time, it was still made from Procanico and Verdello grapes. Over the years, it has developed into something even more special by using Chardonnay and Pinot Noir and extending the ageing period on the lees to 4 years. The entire production process is artisanal: riddling and disgorging are still done manually and are carried out with noticeable care and passion.

In 1971, a successful textile merchant from Umbria bought an estate. Arnaldo Caprai wanted to make wine – no more, no less. What he didn't know was that the estate was called Val di Maggio, and the grape variety that grew on its hills would one day carry the name Montefalco into the world. It was Marco Caprai, the son, who recognised this potential. From 1988, he devoted himself to Sagrantino with a rigour that bordered on obsession – research partnership with the University of Milan, clone selection, new plantings, recalibration of the entire viticulture. Sagrantino, for centuries a monk's wine from Sicilian cellars, became an international great under his hands. And Valdimaggio, since 2012, is Caprai's most personal statement: named after the original estate, planted on 6,000 to 7,000 vines per hectare, on calcareous-clayey soils between 220 and 472 metres above sea level – the heart of the DOCG.

Caprais Montefalco Rosso is an attractive red made predominantly from Sangiovese with small amounts of Sagrantino and Merlot. The aroma is unmistakably of black cherries and violets. Juicy and playful on the palate, with balanced acidity that enlivens the crisp red berry fruit, which leaves a slight mineral touch towards the end. Plenty of power and freshness, good structure, elegant on the finish. SUPERIORE.DE

When, in late October, the morning mists rise from the hills near Orvieto and settle like a silken veil over the vineyards of Castello della Sala, one of the most mysterious transformations in the world of wine begins. The grapes – Sauvignon Blanc, Grechetto, Traminer, Sémillon and Riesling – are afflicted by Botrytis cinerea, that noble rot which has been producing the world's finest sweet wines for centuries. The fungus penetrates the skin of the berries with invisible precision, drawing water from the flesh and concentrating sugars and aromas into an essence that no cellar technique could ever achieve. In several painstaking passes, the harvesters pick only those berries that have reached the ideal degree of botrytisation – a process that demands expertise and perfect timing, for the right moment is fleeting. After gentle pressing, the must ferments for 18 days at a controlled cool temperature of 17 degrees, before the still-sweet wine is transferred to French barriques. Here it matures for months, absorbing delicate woody nuances whilst the aromas and structure harmonise, before ageing in stainless steel completes the process.