Paolo Bea Montefalco Sagrantino Passito 2010

Profile & Story

Paolo Bea's estate in Montefalco, Umbria dates its winemaking back to 1980, though the family's presence in the area is recorded from the 1500s; the domaine is now run by Paolo's sons Giampiero and Giuseppe. Made only in select years and in tiny volumes of around 1,000 to 2,000 half-bottles, this Sagrantino Passito follows the ancient method: grapes are harvested late and left to raisin for four months, during which a beneficial mold helps concentrate and balance their acid, sugar and tannin, reaching roughly 30% sugar by January. After crushing, fermentation proceeds slowly until the wine holds around 90 grams of residual sugar per liter, followed by at least four years in stainless steel and further aging in bottle.