Can Paolo Bea Solve The Montefalco Paradox

I'm thinking about Italian wine, from north to south, about all of the great reds that come to mind.

Only ten years ago, Barolo, Brunello and a smattering of Super Tuscans, were the handful of wines that could lay claim to international renown. Back then, the wines of Etna were in their infant stages, and Taurasi had proven itself only to the insiders, collectors and Italophiles that took the time to understand and embrace it. Chianti Classico was still associated with pizza parlors, and Barbaresco was nothing more than the little sister to Barolo. However, all of that has changed in recent years. No longer do we need to make excuses for Aglianico in the south, explain the value of Sicily, or make the case for Barbaresco’s unique attributes. As for Chianti, its popularity has exploded, and it’s now giving Brunello a run for its money.

However, there is one wine that you’ve probably heard rumblings of, that hasn’t risen to the occasion, and that’s Sagrantino.

So the question is, why?

This big, gusty, structured red seemed to have everything going for it: hailing from a classic, hilltop medieval village, able to age and mature for decades, and championed by a winery that had won multiple awards for their wines, which put Montefalco on the map.

So why are we not celebrating the elevation of the Sagrantino di Montefalco DOCG into the same company of Barolo, Brunello, Turasi and the like?

In my opinion, it’s not the small size of the vineyards planted, the gripping tannins that Sagrantino is known for, or a lack of marketing. No; in my opinion, it’s the winemaking.

In an attempt to make Sagrantino more palatable for the average consumer, or international consumer, the majority of winemakers continue to age their wines in new oak. Even the world-renowned Arnaldo Caprai winery, and their award-winning 25 Anni, represents what is possible when Sagrantino has been tamed, or sheathed, in a cloak of French Barrique. I consider this to be a horrible shame when you consider that of all of the producers in Montefalco, Caprai should have the raw materials to make some of the greatest expressions of varietal wine in the region. Here we have one of the first wineries to take Sagrantino seriously, going as far back as 1971, eight years prior to the creation of the Montefalco DOC. Caprai brought vineyard analysis and clonal research to a region that was filled with farmers who made local wines for local palates. Their success has a lot to do with why so many other producers continue to make Sagrantino in this “international” style.

However, there is still hope for Sagrantino--I haven’t given up on its ability to produce one of the greatest wines in Italy, and the reason why is Paolo Bea.

Before I get too deeply into how Paolo Bea has proven Sagrantino’s worth to me, let’s first delve a bit into what makes the raw materials in Montefalco so precious in the first place.

Located in the landlocked region of Umbria, Montefalco (or “falcon mountain”) suffers from being surrounded by some pretty serious “wine-related” neighbors. With Tuscany to the northwest, Marche to the northeast, Lazio to the southwest, and Abruzzo extremely close in the southeast, Umbria and Sagrantino compete with the popular Sangiovese, Aglianico and Montepulciano grapes. That said, two things that Umbria has been able to claim fame to are production of top-shelf olive oils and black truffles from Norcia.

However, they also have a perfect terroir for the production of world-class red wine.

The DOC and DOCGs of Montefalco and Sagrantino sit in a basin, surrounded by the Apennines mountains, growing in soils rich in clay with a mix of sand and limestone. However, as you push into higher elevations, rising up to 1500 feet, you’ll also find clay-calcrete, an almost cement-like blend of clay, gravel, sand, and silt, making it difficult for vines to survive, but as they say, the strong always do. The region is warm yet moderated by winds coming down from the Apennines, along with Meditarainan influences carried across the Tiber river.

Sagrantino, renowned for both its deep red color, but also powerful tannins, can be difficult to tame. In fact, going back centuries, Sagrantino’s first leading role was in the production of sweet wines, where their power and broad tannins would be balanced by rich textures and riper fruit developed through Passito (air-drying the grapes). There is also Sangiovese, as Umbria sits in the heart of the Sangiovese belt, producing, what is, in my opinion, a spicier version than their neighbors, with grippier tannins to help set them apart. These two grapes make up the lion’s share of red grapes produced in Montefalco.

The DOC Rosso di Montefalco is composed primarily of Sangiovese from 60-80% with a minimum of 10% Sagrantino and other red varieties. While the DOCG, Sagrantino di Montefalco must be 100% Sagrantino, a grape whose intensity of color is only matched by its intensity of tannic bite--which brings us back to Paolo Bea, one of the few producers I know of that age their wine entirely in large, neutral wood, and yet manage to create wines that require aging, but are also impossible to ignore in their youth. In my opinion, this should be the benchmark of the region.

The Paolo Bea Paradigm

What keeps Paolo Bea flying under the radar is a combination of low quantity, no desire to market themselves, and an unwillingness to submit wines for review to the press, which sounds quite a bit like another producer who I have often compared them to: Giuseppe Quintarelli.

Giampiero Bea

The history of the Bea family is closely tied to Montefalco, going back as far as the 16th century. This is a family of farmers who have cultivated olives, grains, vegetables and grapes since the beginning, maintaining a wholly natural ecosystem, which is focused on the fruits that nature provides them. There is no winemaking wizardry and no chemicals in the vineyard or winery. Instead, it’s a complete respect for what each vintage brings to the table, and the Bea family’s desire to bottle that expression, capturing the essence of terroir, without taking anything away. This approach has obviously worked, as vintage after vintage, whether it was warm, dry, wet, abundant, short or simply perfect, presents something pleasurable to the senses. What’s more, supply could never fill the demand that has been created for the wines, and the family has no interest in expanding. Instead, the current generation, represented by Giampiero and Giuseppe, continues to work their 5 hectares of vineyards by hand, choosing to only use only ⅓ of their 15-hectare property for the production of grapes, even though they could easily continue planting to expand. Their vineyards occupy the higher elevations of Montefalco terroir, reaching up to 1500 feet above sea level, and taking advantage of a diverse mix of soils. It’s here that they have begun to vineyard-designate their lineup of Sagrantino, to further accentuate the esteemed terroir of the region.

In the winery, gentle macerations and slow fermentations can last from three weeks to as many as seven, before the wine is placed into steel tanks for a year to rest, and then large neutral wood for up to two years. At this point, the wines are bottled without filtration and extremely low, if any, added sulfur, and left to rest for another year. This process is a long, painstaking effort that is extremely costly to the producer as well, and it results in the 2012 vintage being their current release, seven years after harvest.

Paolo Bea with his grandson

However, the proof is in every bottle of Paolo Bea. Don’t get me wrong; this is natural winemaking in the extreme, and as a result you’ll sometimes find some volatility or a large amount of sediment. However, for every slightly off bottle of Paolo Bea, there are ten more that are otherworldly, kaleidoscopic, ethereal examples of what Sagrantino and Sangiovese are capable of from Umbria. The fact is, once you taste a Paolo Bea Sagrantino, you’ll be asking yourself why more producers aren’t trying to replicate their processes. However, just like the wines of Giuseppe Quintarelli, it’s almost impossible to recreate such a perfect union between terroir, wine, and family.

Yet, I wonder why other producers don’t seem open to trying.

Here is the rub: in a time when the majority of consumers are looking for more varietal purity, less “wine making”, and the ability to observe a “sense of place” from each bottle of wine, how can Sagrantino ever become the next great Italian red, as most wineries continue to produce it in a contradictory fashion?

As for Paolo Bea, I’ve been a fan for many years now, going back to the 2003 vintage, and I thought it was about time that I checked in on some of the current releases and maturing vintages, to not only give myself a good idea of where the wines are going, but to also share the results with our readers. I focused on the reds, but it’s also important to mention that Bea excels with white wines as well (a story for another time). It also pays to mention that Bea excels in both warm and cool vintages, lending very different expressions of place, but as I already said--it’s about what Mother Nature gives, not what they make of it.

Enjoy!

On to the Tasting Notes.

The San Valentino vineyard hosts 50-year-old vines, planted in soils dominated by clay. It sits at 1300 feet altitude and creates Bea’s open-knit expression that is amazing upon release but also matures for up to a decade in the cellar. The composition is 70% Sangiovese, 15% Sagrantino, and 15% Montepulciano.

2012 Paolo Bea Umbria San Valentino - What an incredible bouquet on the 2012 San Valentino. It comes in at 1.5% less ABV than the previous vintage and shows depths of dark, earthy, almost animal-like complexities. Here I found balsamic spice over dried strawberries, with moist dark soil tones, crushed lava stone, dusty dried florals, and hints of brown sugar. On the palate, silky textures flooded the senses with flavors of sour cherry, tangerine, savory spice, and masses of exotic inner florals, as zesty acids made the mouth water, while concentrated tart red fruits and hints of tannin tugged at the side of my cheeks. The finish was long, zesty, spicy, and tart, yet still so energetic, as the wine’s vibrant acids refused to give in to the intensity within. The result was a spellbinding and tactile experience that is impossible not to like, and it’s easily one of my favorite vintages to date for San Valentino. (93 points)

The Cerrete vineyard sits at the highest point in Montefalco, between 1300 and 1500 feet above sea level. The soil is clay and limestone-infused with small pebbles from an ancient riverbed, and used to create Bea’s most ethereal yet complex Sagrantino. However, the Bea family also produces the Rosso de Veo from the young vines here. Frankly, you’d be amazed that these are “young” vines.

2011 Paolo Bea Rosso de Véo - It's amazing to think that this is Paolo Bea's "young vine" bottling of the Cerrete vineyard, as it shows so much intensity, yet balance as well. Here I found a rich and seductive bouquet of crushed raspberry, dried cherries, smoke, dried red florals, spice box, hints of undergrowth, and animal musk. On the palate, silky textures unfolded to reveal black cherry, made vibrant through zesty acids, with a mix of spicy florals, tongue-curling notes of tangerine, cinnamon, and some of the best managed Sagrantino tannins I have ever experienced. The finish was amazingly long, as raspberry and cherry tones seemed to linger for two to three minutes, along with sweet and savory spices, minerals, inner florals, and a hint of tannin. This is a gorgeous wine that may have been helped by the warmer vintage, yet it achieved something very special nonetheless. I can't wait to taste the 2011 Cerrete. (93 points)

The Pipparello vineyard is a hilltop site in Montefalco at 1300 feet above sea level. The soil is clay and gravel. Here, the Bea family farms varying percentages (depending on vintage) around 60% Sangiovese, 25% Montepulciano, and 15% Sagrantino to produce their Montefalco Rosso.

2011 Paolo Bea Montefalco Rosso Riserva Pipparello - The nose was dark and brooding, as masses of balsamic-infused black cherries, sweet herbs, brown (almost, curry-like) spices, fresh tobacco, and sweet minerals lifted from the glass. On the palate, I found silky textures, which caressed the senses, just as a wave of tart cherry mixed with zesty acids, minerals and tannin set in, creating a cheek-puckering experience. The finish was incredibly long and structured, with continued intensity from the palate, as grippy tannin held firm against notes of tart cherry fruit, black tea, spice, and minerals. Pipparello is a massive and towering wine in this vintage, with a tight finish, yet a lovely note of sweet red berries lingered for minutes on the back palate.

It's a serious "experience wine" that just needs a few more years to come together. I, for one, can't wait to see how it matures. (94 points)

2008 Paolo Bea Montefalco Rosso Riserva Pipparello - The nose was dark and brooding with masses of dried black cherry and cedar up front; yet beneath it, notes of exotic spice, tobacco, dried flowers, crushed raspberry, and undergrowth gained volume and depth with time in the glass, until they permeated the senses entirely. On the palate, I found soft, silky textures, which seemed to hover on the senses, offset by a tart acid core, yet also complemented by enveloping bittersweet cherry, quinine, spice, and inner earth tones. The finish was incredibly long with saturating dried cherry fruit, sweet inner florals, hints of gruff tannin--yet juicy and fresh, with a note of hard red candies and licorice which seemed to literally last for minutes on the mid-palate. (93 points)

2005 Paolo Bea Montefalco Rosso Riserva Pipparello - The 2005 Paolo Bea Pipparello Riserva showed a bouquet of ripe crushed cherry and raspberry, infused with dried orange, exotic spice, and dusty sweet florals, before evolving to show undergrowth, savory herbs and hints of animal musk. On the palate, I found soft textures offset by brisk acids, as fleshy, zesty red fruits caressed the senses, giving way to a mix of savory spice and cheek-puckering minerality. The finish was long, with a tart twang of red berry fruit and acids, as hints of lingering tannin faded against a backdrop of inner florals. (94 points)

2003 Paolo Bea Montefalco Rosso Riserva Pipparello - The nose was dark and savory, showing ripe plum, crushed black cherry, sage, cherry tobacco, balsamic spice, cumin, and hints of licorice. On the palate, silky, yet remarkably fresh textures, gave way to zesty spiced cherry with energizing acidity, sweet and savory spices, herbs, and florals which reminded me of childhood Christmas with hints of lingering tannin. The finish was long and fresh, as zesty acids created a mouthwatering experience, coupled with resonating cherry and spices. It's amazing to think that this is the product of a warm vintage. (92 points)

The Pagliaro vineyard is situated at 1300 feet in altitude, and it is dedicated in large part to Sagrantino. This is the location that produces Bea’s flagship Sagrantino.

2012 Paolo Bea Sagrantino di Montefalco Secco Pagliaro - The ‘12 Pagliaro showed depths of red berry fruit with balsamic spice, crushed plum, sweet herbs, black licorice, dark earth, and a hint of volatility on the nose. On the palate, silky textures gave way to concentrated tart black and red fruits, as dark mineral tones, savory spice, and notes of black tea soaked the senses, while mounting tannin quickly dried them out. The finish was long, structured, and almost chewy, showing gripping tannin with lingering dried black cherry, saline minerals, and savory herbs in an imposing expression of Sagrantino. I can only imagine a decade or more until the 2012 reaches maturity, yet I believe it’s worth the wait, as the wine is poised like a bomb waiting to explode. (95 points)

2011 Paolo Bea Sagrantino di Montefalco Secco Pagliaro - The nose was dark and intense, leaning toward earth tones yet with a massive wave of crushed black cherry to balance it. With time in the glass, cherry seemed to change to ripe strawberry, as sweet spices, smoky minerals, tobacco, and woodland earth tones joined the mix. On the palate, soft, caressing textures washed effortlessly across the senses, with a graceful lift I’ve seldom experienced, showing a combination of both ripe and tart red fruits, herbal tea notes, sweet inner florals, and exotic spice, all kept lively through brisk acidity. The finish was dry and long, exposing the large-scale Sagrantino tannins I had expected, yet there was a soft edge to them here, making the experience both structured yet enjoyable at this stage. Dried black cherries lingered, as well as minerals, a hint of orange citrus, and lovely inner florals, as a sweet note of red candies seemed to resonate for well over a minute. (94 points)

2005 Paolo Bea Sagrantino di Montefalco Secco Pagliaro - The nose displayed fresh mineral intensity and moist, dark earth tones up front, evolving to show savory brown spices over ripe black cherry, backed by wild herbs and a hint of animal musk. On the palate, velvety textures flooded the senses with waves of dark red fruits, yet firmed up as brisk acids settled in, unveiling savory herbal tones and a tart twang of peppery spice; yet through it all, grippy tannin slowly gained strength. The finish was long and structured, yet its resonating acids allowed the '05 Pagliaro to sign off on a "early maturity" note, as lingering cherry and spice slowly faded amidst dried inner florals. (94 points)

Credits and Resources

Article, Tasting notes and bottle photos by Eric Guido

Special thank you to Rosenthal Wine Merchants, and Blake Johnson for use of family and vineyard photos.

Click to visit the official Paolo Bea website.

My Daughter's Wine Art Contribution

My daughters, 2nd grade, school project on recycling will end up hanging in my wine cellar. Check it out. twitter.com/EricGuido/stat…
— Eric Guido (@EricGuido) March 9, 2013

I'm really impressed, and yes, she did all the work. Plus, there are some great winemaker's represented here and I love seeing them like this. She promised I could display it in my cellar when she get's it back from school.

An Umbrian spin on Sangiovese

Tonight I took a break from tasting new wines. It had been a long day and I needed to stack the deck. I needed a wine that would not let me down, a wine that I had been saving for a day like today. Tonight, I opened a bottle of Paolo Bea.

The last time I talk about Paolo Bea was in my piece “Paolo Bea: A legacy in the making”. My opinions have not changed. These are amazing wines that, I believe, will one day stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the biggest names in Italy. Tonight's bottle was the 2003 Paolo Bea Montefalco Rosso Riserva Vigna Pipparello, from the region of Umbria. It's a blend made primarily from Sangiovese (60%) with Montepulciano d'Abruzzo (25%) and Sagrantino (15%).  If you love Brunello or top-shelf Chianti Classico, then this is a bottle that you must seek out.

The 2003 Paolo Bea Montefalco Rosso Riserva Vigna Pipparello came across as slightly more mature than expected, yet stunning none-the-less and with many years of fine drinking ahead of it. Coming from a perfectly stored bottle and tasted over the course of a number of hours. It was wonderfully soft and sweet on the palate with a haunting bouquet that pulled me in. Paolo Bea continues to impress me and it’s a wonder that this winery isn’t on the A-lists of more Italian wine lovers.

Keep an eye out for a recipe for
Pizzoccheri Valtellinesi on Whats Cookin'

It was enjoyed with a plate of Pizzoccheri Valtellinesi, which is a recipe I’ve been trying to master for a few weeks now. It’s seriously stick-to-your-ribs, home-style, Northern Italian cooking with fresh buckwheat pasta, cabbage, potatoes and onions, in a Fontina and sage butter sauce. Sounds easy right? Well, I’ve been having trouble getting right until—today. It was awesome and the Paolo Bea made it really shine.

2003 Paolo Bea Montefalco Rosso Riserva Vigna Pipparello - The nose showed intense black cherry, cinnamon stick, and chalky minerals with notes of mushroom and forest floor. On the palate, sweet ripe cherry enveloped the senses, like a sweet and savory sauce with beefy notes and clove spice, adding complexities. With each sip, I was tempted to take another. It was soft as silk yet weightless on the palate with high-toned red fruit, hints of mint and herbal tea on the finish. (94 points) Find it on Wine-Searcher!

As much as I love Wine-searcher, sometimes an individual retailer deserves the spotlight: Vinopolis Wine Shop in Portland Oregon has a great selection of Paolo Bea wines. They also carry an excellent selection of wines from around the world, along with some of the most highly sought after Italian wines you could hope to find. If you're interested in exploring the the wines of Paolo Bea, this is a great place to start.

Paolo Bea: A legacy in the making.

I will be the first to admit that when I taste wines that cost more than the average consumer is willing to spend, I often leave the experience feeling that the wine was simply not worth it. In fact, I feel that the collecting of premium bottles is something of a crapshoot. It’s a lot like stocks; you do all the research on the winery, look at their past track record, take into account what they're doing with their product today, TASTE, and THEN decide to buy. What that wine will taste like, 10 years down the road, is the crapshoot of collecting wine. We are all making the best educated guess that we can. With experience, I believe, this becomes easier and I am happy to admit that there are many others out there with much more experience who I listen to intently when they speak on wine.
Today, however, I want to share a producer’s wines with you that are easily worth the price you pay. First, a disclaimer; the most affordable of these bottles averages at $27, but I will go on record that if there is one thing that you take from this article (whether affordable means $50 or $15 to you), it’s that you should go out and find this bottle. It is simply stunning.

The winery is Paolo Bea from Umbria, Italy. Umbria is a land-lock region in the heart of Italy with history dating back before Roman times. The three most interesting grape varieties of the region are Sangiovese, Sangrantino and Grechetto. Sangiovese, which most people associate with Tuscany, is highly regarded in Umbria, and is the primary grape used to make Montefalco rosso. Sagrantino, a truly indigenous grape of Umbria, is a thick-skinned and intensely flavored variety, which is now turning out deep, rich, complex wines that posses the ability to age. Grechetto is a white variety with unique flavors and weight on the palate, which adds complexity and a special sense of place to many of the blends it is added to.

I was first introduced to Paolo Bea through the wine, Sagrantino di Montefalco. My first Sangrantino experience was love at first sight, but not a Bea wine. After tasting this Sagrantino, I immediately called my trusted cellar consultant at Italian Wine Merchants and was told that it gets even better. Enter: Paolo Bea.

Paolo Bea is a family run, fully sustainable farm, which produces wine, olive oil, fruits, and vegetables. Using bio-dynamic principals and the wine-making style taught to them through generations, Paolo Bea turns out some of the most wonderfully unique wines I have ever tasted. The wines are truly Italian in their sly, mesmerizing and almost sexy style. They tempt you to keep sipping as layers unfold and hint at what’s next to come. Sometimes bone-dry with remarkably fresh, mouth-watering acidity, and other times sweet, serious, deep, dark and delicious. Each bottle is an experience that is imprinted in your memory.

On to the wines:

Paolo Bea Bianco Santa Chiara Umbria IGT 2006

The Santa Chiara is a blend of Grechetto, Malvasia, Sauvignon Blanc, Garganega and Chardonnay. After crushing, the grapes spend over 20 days in contact with the skins which gives the wine a rich, deep golden color. This is a full-bodied white that somehow reminds me of mead in weight and color. However, the nose and palate is all about finesse and complexity. Its price tag can be a bit hard to swallow, but if it’s exploration you’re looking, then you must try this wine.

My notes: A gorgeous golden, amber color. Aromas of fresh strawberries and a hint of lemon rind rises from the glass. Then, fresh cut grass and honeysuckle comes to the fore as the wine warms above cellar temp. It’s a medium-to-full bodied white with flavors of peach, melon and hazelnut. This unique bottle could be mistaken for a red if tasted blind. The wine closes with a beautiful fresh finish. (88 pts.)

Paolo Bea Montefalco Rosso SanValentino 2006

This is it, the must try, found for under $30/bottle that continues to haunt my dreams. 2006 was a very different year for this bottle, which is usually released as Vigna San Valentino and for twice the price. In Italy, a wine applying for a DOC or DOCG classification must be submitted to a governing entity and, in this case, that governing entity decided that the color of this wine, as well as the oxidized notes they found in it, disqualified it from the DOC. So, instead, Paolo Bea decided to release it as an Umbria Rosso and drastically reduce the price. Understand that there is nothing wrong with this wine. If anything, it is a perfect example of the depths that can be reached by biodynamic wine-making in Umbria. It is a gorgeous wine that displays a yin yang effect with its bone-dry performance on the front palate, followed by a rush of mouth-watering acidity on the mid-palate and into the finish. The fruit is rich and vibrant with layers of complexity. This is a $65 bottle of wine; which is being sold for under $30. No joke.

My notes: The nose is very floral at first with candied red fruit, ash and undergrowth. On the palate, the first thing I noticed was how initially dry it was, but then my senses were bombarded with sweet cranberry and pepper, along with grape jelly on the velvety mid-palate, which washed away to a tannic yet not too dry finish. This is a gorgeous bottle of wine and, at the price, well worth buying a few to enjoy over time. It plays a balancing act between ripeness and acidity with a kiss of dry extract. I will not forget this bottle for a long time to come. (93 pts.)

Click here to find this wine on Wine-Searcher.

Paolo Bea Sagrantino di Montefalco Secco 2003

This is the second time this wine has been covered in these pages. So I won’t go too deeply into it other than to say that this is the most enjoyable bottle of Sagrantino that I have yet tasted. Understand that there are many other producers of Sagrantino worth searching for, Arnaldo Caprai comes to mind. However, Bea manages to achieve something with his Sagrantino that’s hard to put into words. This wine is literally mysterious as it pulls you in and is constantly changing. The balance is remarkable. I’ve heard comparisons between Paolo Bea and Quinatarelli (master of the Veneto); this is the wine that can convince you.

My notes: The 2003 Paolo Bea, Sagrantino di Montefalco showed a gorgeous deep red crimson color in the glass. As I poured, an aroma of candied cherry filled the air. With a little time in the glass, the rich fruit transformed into a Burgundian expression red fruit with earth and clay. Dusty dried flowers filled out the bouquet along with, as a few tasters noted, hints of sausage, which gave the nose a savory edge. The palate followed suit with flavors of raspberry, coffee, chocolate liquor and old cedar. The finish was long with staying dark chocolate and red fruit. (94 pts.)

Click here to find this wine on Wine-Searcher!

1999 Paolo Bea Sagrantino di Montefalco Passito

Sagrantino’s roots in Umbria are as a sweet passito wine, which is made by partially drying the grapes before crushing (think reccieto del valpolicella). I will admit that I believe I would have scored this wine higher if I had treated it better prior to serving. When drinking this wine, I would suggest you stand the bottle up at least 24 hours prior to serving and pull the cork at least four hours prior.

My notes: Floral and a bit porty on the nose with hints of cedar and raspberry jam. Medium ruby color and deceptively light, causing you to expect something lean and dry but then, on your first sip, you're hit with intense, sweet fig, candied ginger and chocolate. The sweetness is not overwhelming and perfectly balanced with fruit and acidity, leaving you with a fresh, medium finish. Amazing to think what this will taste like in a decade or two. Decant to remove the large amount of sediment in this bottle (89 pts.)

Click here to find this wine on Wine-Searcher!

These four wines make up only half of this winery’s portfolio, and I’m still working my way through the others, yet to be disappointed. Next up for me is the Arboreus, a wine that is made from vines that are over 100 years old and from a rare varietal named Trebbiano Spoletino.

The word excitement doesn’t do justice to the way I feel before opening a new wine from Paolo Bea, and I hope that this article convinced you too that they are worth a try. I’ll be sure to post more tasting notes soon.

Bea and Quintarelli: An Evening to remember

Another remarkable evening at i Trulli took place as we descended on what has become my go-to Italian restaurant in New York City to celebrate with friends and, with a number of stunning top shelf Italian wines. I Trulli’s staff and service was top notch yet again and the food was out of this world. This also gave me a chance to try a few more items off their menu that peaked my interests during my last visit.

Perfection in simplicity is the name of the game here where the best ingredients are assembled by a deft hand in the kitchen and presented beautifully on each plate. It’s such a simple recipe for success that speaks volumes to the forward thinking of i Trulli’s owners and management. I'm already looking forward to my next visit.

However, I must stay on track, as I truly intended this addition to The V.I.P. Table to be about the momentous wines that were opened and enjoyed on this evening. These consisted of two artisanal producers who are considered masters at their craft and producers of reference point wines in their regions.

First, Paolo Bea, a producer of Sagrantino di Montefalco, from the region of Umbria in Italy. Paolo Bea is a strict biodynamic producer, who is proud to use the same traditional methods as taught to him by his father. To Bea, these wines are simple expressions of the land that are fortified through decades of experience in wine making and the inspiration he gains from his family. However, I can guarantee that these wines are anything but simple. Paolo Bea Sagrantino is rich and lush, yet finessed and with the ability to mature for decades. Also not to be missed are the stunning and wonderfully unique white wines and Sangiovese from his estate.

Then there is Quintarelli, “The Master of the Veneto”. Although Giuseppe Quintarelli is no longer heavily involved in the wine making of his estate (due to his age), the decades of vintages he leaves behind will surely live forever. Quintarelli is synonymous with Amarone della Valpolicella, a wine of meditation and reflection. Amarone is known for its intensity and layers of deep rich flavors, but Quintarelli takes it to an entirely different level. The aromatics are often so deep and layered that a glass could be enjoyed without ever sipping it. Once you take that first sip, you are transported to a heaven of flavors and sensations across the palate. It is nearly indescribable but, be warned, it comes at a high price. Once Quintarelli was truly discovered and reached cult status, the prices soared. However, in this taster’s opinion, I feel the experience is worth the price of admission, and the Amarone I tasted on this night, at $550 a bottle, provided an experience that I will never forget.

On to the notes:

The 2003 Paolo Bea, Sagrantino di Montefalco showed a gorgeous deep red crimson color in the glass. As I poured, an aroma of candied cherry filled the air. With a little time in the glass, the rich fruit transformed into a Burgundian expression of red fruit with earth and clay. Dusty dried flowers filled out the bouquet and, as a few tasters noted, hints of sausage, which gave the nose a savory edge. The palate followed suit with flavors of raspberry, coffee, chocolate liquor and old cedar. The finish was long with staying dark chocolate and red fruit. (95 out of 100 points)

What could follow such a wonderful experience with the Sagrantino? The 1995 Giuseppe Quintarelli Amarone della Valpolicella Riserva was a dark mahogany color with rich and wild aromas rising from the glass. I found it difficult to take that first sip because the aromatics were so seductive that I simply didn’t want to take my nose from the glass. Black cherry sauce with saw dust were the first aromas to come to mind, followed by butterscotch and hazelnuts, which then turned to spiced ginger cookies and plum reduction. So many layers could be pulled away to continue finding descriptors in this wine, and I was only sad that we didn’t have the time to spend hours with it. On the palate I found a menagerie of red fruits as cherry, then raspberry and cranberry filled the palate. Vanilla and milk chocolate, butter cream and roasted nuts with spicy cedar were also present. However, with all this concentration, the wine remains finessed and fresh on the palate. Its 16.5% alcohol is nearly invisible due to the impeccable balance of this wine. The finish lingered for 30-plus seconds with cherry dark chocolate. (99 out of 100 points)

Lastly, the 1990 Giuseppe Quintarelli, Bianco Amabile del Cere Veneto was the finale of the evening and it was amazing. This was another example of Quintarelli’s ability to make such a rich and intense wine that can be perfectly balanced and fresh on the finish. The color was amber with a hint of orange with aromas of apricot, candied orange rinds, burnt sugar, roasted almond liquor and butter. The palate was intense and expansive with sweet roasted nuts, orange sprits and buttery caramel that goes on and on into the finish. I have officially declared this to be the best sweet wine I have yet tasted. (98 out of 100 points)

Click here to find the 2003 Paolo Bea Sagrantino di Montefalco on Wine-Searcher.
Click here to find the 1995 Giuseppe Quintarelli Amarone Riserva on Wine-Searcher.
Click here to find the 1990 Giuseppe Quintarelli, Bianco Amabile del Cere on Wine-Searcher.

For another take on this amazing evening, I urge you to check out Vigna Uva Vino. It's a great wine blog by, fellow writer and good friend, Dave Trieger.