The Umbrian Winemaker Trying to Make Sagrantino Grape World Class

Derived from the Latin word for shadow, umbra, Umbria is greatly obscured by its more famous neighbor, Tuscany. On top of that, familiarity with its signature grape, Sagrantino, pales in comparison to Tuscan Sangiovese. Winemaker Marco Caprai is on a mission to change that, having dedicated his entire career to reviving and bringing global recognition to Sagrantino. One of the most exciting developments at Arnaldo Caprai, the winery founded by Marco’s father, is the “Integral Vinification in Barrel” technique, which the winery introduced in partnership with French enologist Michael Rolland. Complimenting Marco’s passion for tradition and innovation, this method helps showcase the excellence of Umbrian terroir and delivers an elegant interpretation of Sagrantino.

While Marco Caprai is not the only one producing high-end wine in the Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG—Paolo Bea, Lungarotti, Fongoli, Tabarrini and Milziade Antono come to mind—he is certainly the leading proponent of the grape and the region. “The Sagrantino grape, geographically and genetically unique, has an authentic, rich and overwhelming character,” Caprai says. “I strive to produce Sagrantino wines that are not only of exceptional quality but also reflective of their unique heritage and terroir.”

He describes his understanding of the quality that Sagrantino could achieve as unfolding over time. “The potential for producing Sagrantino as a world-class wine became evident through several key realizations,” he says. “Over the years we have deepened our knowledge, and we have always discovered new resources and potential through research and experimentation. By combining traditional practices with modern techniques, it became clear that the wine’s potential could be fully realized.” His traditional vineyard practices include targeted pruning and “green harvesting,” maintaining biodiversity among the vines, and high-density planting.

Consulting winemaker Michel Rolland compares Sagrantino to Tannat, which grows in southwest France and is considered the signature grape of Uruguay. “Thirty years ago we had the same problem because sometimes Tannat was good, sometimes too powerful, and so we made Tannat softer,” Rolland says. “Sagrantino is a fantastic variety that is sometimes quite firm and has very rough tannins. Our goal was to make it softer and to make a better wine with this variety.”

“Integral Vinification in Barrel” involves hand-selecting the finest grapes, placing whole, un-crushed berries in the barrel, closing it and turning it on its side, and then constantly rotating it for 20 to 25 days while the grapes undergo cold maceration and alcoholic fermentation. Only 15 or 20 percent of the grapes are fermented in this style. “We are doing the rest normally in tank but with slow pumping over and slow punching down just to avoid crushing,” Rolland says. “When you crush a variety with heavy tannins you get more tannins, and Sagrantino has tannins naturally; we don’t have to look for them.”

The result is truly stunning. Arnaldo Caprai 2020 25 Anni Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG is deep violet in the glass and has aromas of blackberry preserves, Turkish delight, clove, and a hint of eucalyptus. Flavors of cassis, cocoa powder, mint tea, and baking spices are wrapped in a sheath of polished tannins that gently coat the tongue and gums before dropping off into a gentle, fruit-filled finish. This special anniversary edition was also bottled in magnum, double magnum, and Jeroboam sizes, so there’s plenty to go around.

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