“Valdimaggio” Sagrantino di Montefalco DOCG 2020

Arnaldo Caprai | Val di Maggio | Umbria
Arnaldo Caprai s.a. s.r.l. | Loc. Torre di Montefalco | IT 06036 Montefalco

10102920 · 0,75 l · 52,00 €/l · Price (DE) incl. VAT, excl. Shippingavailable immediately

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.

The 2020 vintage was awarded five stars by the Consorzio: a year of growth with a dramatic rhythm – mild winter, early spring, cold snap with frost and hail, abundant May rains, hot summer, then a cool September that gave the Sagrantino the time it needed. The tannins matured completely. In the cellar: 24 months in French Allier barriques, then bottled. Dark ruby red in colour. The nose reveals wild blackberry, cherry jam, spices, graphite – and that fine earthy depth that separates Umbria from all others. The tannin is firm, full-bodied but supple – the sign of a great vintage that is already seductive, but still has a long way to go. A wine for the patient. SUPERIORE.DE

"Rich, shimmering ruby colour with a narrow rim. Dark, sweet plum jam fruit on the nose, with balsamic notes and milk chocolate. Plucky tannins on the palate, juicy fruit underneath, long finish and plenty of potential." Falstaff

"A wine with a lively and complex bouquet of wild blackberries, flowers, earth and meaty flavours. Tart palate with full body, pronounced tannins, refreshing acidity and a good, balanced finish." James Suckling

"The Montefalco Sagrantino Valdimaggio 2020 is dark and rich in the glass. Cherry and plum sauce mingle with cinnamon, cloves and dried roses. From start to finish, pure elegance swirls across the palate with velvety texture and admirable length, showing depths of ripe wild berry fruit balanced by tactile mineral tones and spice. A bitter blackberry concentration provides grip and balance. Fine tannins caress the senses. The 2020 finishes haunting long and youthfully tense. The Valdimaggio from a single vineyard shows a classic finesse that will reward cellar ageing." Vinous