The People - Arnaldo Caprai

Selected Press Review
AN APPETITE FOR UMBRIA
The People , the Places , The food
CHRISTINE SMALLWOOD
FOLIGNO
Foligno , Umbria’s third largest town ( after Perugia and Terni ) , lies between branches of the Via Flaminia and the Topino river
and has been a town of trade and industry since Roman times . More unexpectedly perhaps, it is one of the few historic towns
of trade and industry since Roman times. More unexpectedly perhaps , it is one of the few historic towns not sited on a hilltop.
In 1470 , only six years after the first books were printed in Italy , German printers arrived in Foligno with their presses and
printed the first Italian book , Dante’s Divina Commedia . More recently , Foligno was badly bombed in the Second World
War , although it remains a busy commercial centre.
IL BACCO FELICE Salvatore Denaro
Il Bacco Felice
Via Garibaldi 73/N
Foligno
T:+39 0742 341 019
+39 33566 22659
Opening Hours: 12.00 - 16.00
and 18.00 - 24.00
Closet: Mon
Holiday : Easter and Christmas
Covers: 28
No smoking, or use of mobile phones.
“ The wine that I like has soul : it doesn’t just respect its label but its grape .” The translation of enoteca , “wine bar “, clearly
doesn’t begin to do justice to Salvatore Denaro’s extraordinary establishment and its passionate , expansive owner , a wine lover
for 43 of his 46 years.
When you ask Salvatore to suggest a wine from his cellar , he knows them all well enough to find a superb one , to suit not
just your food but your mood . In fact if you just went for the wine , il Bacco Felice would never be a wasted visit .But add
traditionally cooked food , sourced with a zeal for purity , taste and variety – often grown by Salvatore himself - and you have a
culinary treasure that rises way above the bland implications of the term “wine bar”.
But there’s no pretension in Il Bacco Felice . To prove it , there’s no menu .
However , when he isn’t tasting the food and wine , bursting into song at regular intervals , and encouraging an atmosphere so
relaxed that guests get up and carve themselves some ham when he is otherwise engaged , or walk around tables looking for
leftover wine that is the same as theirs , Salvatore and his staff will be delighted to describe , animatedly , what’s on offer today .
He selection of dishes changes every few days , but that’s hardly surprising . Salvatore relies on fresh , seasonal produce that spends
as little time as possible in the fridge and no time at all in the freezer.
Il Bacco Felice means The Happy Bacchus , an image of wine and laughter Salvatore loves – and encourages . But don’t let the
almost daily party atmosphere mislead you. The food , like wine , is sought out with enormous care. It is cultivated , chosen and
cooked with an attention to detail that attracts diners and drinkers not just from the region but from as far afield as Germany,
Holland, Belgium , the Us- even Australia and Japan .
The establishment is small with an unprepossessing exterior , but has a steadfast following of regulars and both venue and owner
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have huge reputations.
In fact given its popularity , it is a marvel of compactness , to put it mildly . Getting into the main the main dining area involves
finding your way through an anteroom , rows of bottles , bowls of drying chillies and past the kitchen where the host can often
be seen slurping a glass of wine while turning the meat on the grill or chopping up vegetables . The kitchen itself is tiny ( if a
couple of guests wander in it’s full ) and yet , somehow , quite extraordinary food comes out of it.
Once they do find a table , how the guests all fit into Salvatore’s wine bar is something of a mystery , let alone how they find the
room to add their comments to the many scribbled on the walls. Salvatore positively approves of this epidemic of graffiti , which
is hardly surprising : it’s his enthusiasm for seeking out authenticity and flavour that inspires the uniformly approving messages
. As he says : “ What’s important in a recipe is the standard of the basic ingredients . Tomatoes , aubergines and garlic are all life
choices”. He adds “ Today I was sent salt from Sicily and garlic - a particular garlic from Nubia , a small village next to Trapani.
It smells amazing .”
Similarly the cheese served could be any of a number cultivated in a time - honoured fashion for hundreds of years : a Pecorino ,
says , from Sicily , Tuscany or Sardinia.
He never buys from supermarket , but from trusted small producers .
However , quality control is ever easier if you can grow your own produce. And he does that too. It’s all cultivated predominantly
for the enoteca and arrives with Salvatore at the restaurant as the day begins. Luckily he has a big garden . “ I grow pumpkins ,
courgettes , artichokes , cardoons , wild chicory and a number a number of traditional wild Umbrian Umbrian herbs , “ he says ,
adding that he loves cooking with his own home- grown chillies. This is no casual boast : he grows ( at the last count ) 55 different
types of chilli , not to mention 54 types of tomato and black and white mulberries that he uses to make jams for tarts . He also
raises chickens - chickens that he agrees are smaller , lighter and take a lot longer to mature than their industrially produced
counterparts but which are consequently delicious . If they’re on the menu , try them , he says , cooked with chillies and truffles
. if not , make sure you’re there when they are . It’s worth the wait.
And them there are the pigs. Visitors to Salvatore’s home near Bevagna who find their way past the Charles Heidseck champagne
buckets , piles of boxes , feed bags , Tommy the cat , Rosa the dog and, bizarrely , a US mail box , cannot fail to notice the pigs.
They’re fed a mixture of grains and chickpeas , showered twice a day with a hosepipe and given their very own cherry tree from
which they love to pick morsels , standing up on their hind legs.
And of course , they taste wonderful - or they did until he grew so fond of them that he no longer had the heart to slaughter
them . He now keeps them as pets. Nevertheless , using his own or equally fine porcine examples , he has gained a reputation for
production of quite superior pork dishes - one of which may have inspired the customer who called him “ the king of pork or
the king of cork”.
Salami especially is a subject dear to his heart . “ it’s very hard to make good salami, “ he explains. “ The colour is often good ,
but that doesn’t guarantee flavour . In fact I don’t believe you can find good salami in shops any more . The salami I make with a
friend uses the whole pig and it’s made without preservatives . It has the taste and that is what matters”.
His Knowledge of local foods is astonishing - all the more so when you realise that Umbria is not his place of birth - or ever
upbringing . In fact , he firs stopped there on is way from home in Sicily to study economics.
He may not come from Umbria but he does know a cooking culture when he sees one: “The cooking that you find in Umbria is
long - established but also creative , innovative cooking that represents colour, sensations - all the necessary techniques of cooking
- yet still maintains its soul , “ he says .” Cooking is still centred around the olive here ; and the olive and its oil are very important
to me .
Also , the wild seasonal vegetables are astoundingly good”.
Had the Slow Food movement not existed , you feel the Salvatore Denaro’s evangelical championing of small specialist producers
might , on its own have spread the word . As it is , he is a member of , and actively proselytises for , a movement that has helped
to ensure the survival of producers of once endangered joys such as Trasimeno beans , Tuscan salami or capocollo made in Puglia
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with almond shells . And the message is getting across . Small producers are finding a market through Salvatore and like – minded
restaurant and bar owners . And he sees hope for the quality that is his obsession . .” Agriculture has become industrial . Our entire
food system has changed to one in which there are no longer any smell , colours or flavours , “He says “ In big towns there a re
still small specialist shops but everything else keeps getting bigger and less interesting : “ standard” in fact . But I think we have
begun to realise that the true riches are in the earth “.
And with produce this good you don’t need to over - elaborate . Highlights from the kitchen , and his marvellous cooks Giulita
and Tiziana , include a dish of pork cooked with olive oil and white wine, served with boiled , sliced and oiled potatoes and green
beans. Or a handful of Salvatore’s home - grown vegetables and herbs , boiled and sautéed in a pan with chillies in oil and added to
grilled or over - cooked lamb. Or quite sensational stuffed courgettes . Or a simple but mouth - watering chicken and potato tart.
Salvatore is a passionate about his wine bar . His commitment is such that for the first seven of its 12 years he ran it by
himself - working until two in the morning and sleeping above it . Even now he often puts in more hours than many of us
would spend awake. Why does he work so hard ? “ This is the life I’ve chosen . I sometimes dream of taking a year off but
the wine bar comes first because this is what I love: food and wine - and educating people , conveying an understanding
of what excellence means”. This he takes quite literary , regularly chatting to guests about the food and wine they’ve
ordered , even tasting it with them or bringing over a bottle he’s opened for someone else but he feels they have to try .
But , for Salvatore , memory is even more important than education - a memory of smells and taste. And that brings us back to
his love of wine. “ When I taste a wine I want to be able to describe it, to give people information that they can understand and
use . So in red wine we find red fruits : fruits of the forest , strawberries , raspberries , blueberries , blackberries . But in white
wine we find white perfumes , so we’ll find pulp of peaches , almonds , apple , bananas , mango , papaya , depending on the
concentration of the wine. If you recognise that description in a wine you have tried , you have an association ; you remember it.
After , if you don’t remember , how can you describe it?”.
So how would he describe Il Bacco Felice ? “ A place where the wine has the right to be next to the food – food and cooking
that are traditional . Food and cooking of quality ?”
Food and cooking that, like his wine , have soul.
VILLA RONCALLI Marialuisa Roncalli
Villa Roncalli
Viale Roma 25
Foligno
T: +39 0742 391 091
Opening hours: 20.00 - 22.30
and 13.00 - 15.00 ( Sun only )
Closed : Mon
Holidays : from 7/8 jan for
About ten days and from
8- end Aug. Hotel always open
Covers : 50. Ten rooms
Slow Food. In every sense of the term. The first time I ate at Villa Roncalli , I didn’t receive my first course until well over an hour
after ordering - but it wasn’t because of inefficiency . As it was the first time I’d eaten there the chef was anxious for me to get a
feel for her type of cooking , so she insisted I try a few taster plates – with accompanying glasses of wine , of course . “ Sometimes
on the menu there’s something that grabs you and other times it doesn’t inspire to that level, “ she explains “ I want people to
know what sort of dishes to expect. “
You should definitely eat here - if you have time . Time to sit back , relax and enjoy every mouthful . The food is superb. However,
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it’s served at a careful , deliberate pace that matches the tranquil , sedate , somewhat other – worldly setting – because every one
is an honoured guest of Villa Roncalli ‘s fine chef.
The ultra- attentive host in question is Marialuisa Scolastra whose family have run Villa Roncalli for 20 years . Her late mother
was chef before her , and her father still diligently tends the garden and makes all the pork products . She may have the calm
demeanour of a Vermeer portrait but it belies an intense , passionate woman and a perfectionist.
For this is not a job that Marialuisa has taken on half- heartedly . She lives and breathes every aspect of a Villa Roncalli .
Sometimes she can barely sleep for going over the day’s cooking in her head , reliving what she created that day and with what
ingredients.
She agrees she has to relax because “ if I don’t spend time away from the kitchen I can’t be creative when I’m there “. But it’s a
somewhat unconventional from of escape. “ Ho una grande passione per I libri antichi , per le vecchie ricette , “ she says . “ I read
an awful lot and I love old recipe books . When I retire each days for a couple of hours , I think about the produce I ‘ ve bought
that morning and how I can transform it. I think about my mother and all the things we did together and inspiration comes to
me.”
If it wasn’t for the heart and passion that goes Into her cooking , her approach could almost be described as cerebral gastronomy
. She certainly feels strongly about the importance of technique and training in the kitchen . “ knowledge is fundamentally
important ; I like to know everything “, she says.
She is , she adds , lucky that there’s such excellent producers to although she worries that it’s becoming harder for small producers
to stay solvent . Nevertheless , in a world where so many people opt for farmed fish , she has wild fish delivered to Villa Roncalli
every day – fresh tasty , healthy food that she enjoys cooking simply with beans and vegetables.
She also loves making pasta , but naturally she has to do it the hard way . “Io faccio una pasta ancora con il mattarello e con molte
uova”, she admits “I still make it with a rolling pin and lots of legs “.It takes a lot of effort and it’s tiring but I just love the smell
of the dough , of the eggs and flour.”
Those aren’t the only wonderful smells . Should you stay overnight at the villa , baking aromas of bread , croissants and perhaps
cakes will fire up your appetite for breakfast , no matter how much you may have eaten the night before .
The jam is a real fruit punch to the taste buds too : Marialuisa spreads out a rich fruit compote on a large baking dishes , and
sprinklers over broken cinnamon sticks and sugar. Then she pours on some freshly squeezed lemon and orange juice with a
generous splash of rum and Sambuca. This is all put into a very low oven for as long as six hours to intensify the taste . The
alcohol burns off- but it still leaves bit of a kick to accompany that morning cappuccino .
You can tell that taste , smell , colour and technique are the building blocks of Marialuisa’s cooking - but there is something else.
She feels that women have a very different approach from that of men . “We’re better with subtle , delicate flavours , “ she says,
adding , not entirely as a joke : “we don’t feel the need to throw chilli into everything.”
In the garden too she feels that when women nurture seedling they’re less likely to be picked before they’re ready . And she
should know ; she dedicates a considerable amount of time and energy to her garden and picks produce most days for immediate
inclusion in her dishes.
Not surprisingly most of her employees are women , foremost among them Agnes , who is Swiss , and who takes care of the admin
and generally keeps the place on track in a multilingual , efficient and charming way . But that doesn’t mean that Marialuisa sticks
to the kitchen and garden . Somehow she finds time to attend to every detail , not just in the dining room but also in the ten
bedrooms that are the hotel side of Villa Roncalli . She arranges the beautiful and sizable vases of flowers , ensures that the candles
are the right colour and is also very particular about which plates are used for each dish. She even takes responsibility for the wine
list because , as she says , “ I love wine . Amo molto il vino , tantissimo .”
In the winter ,most diners are from the surrounding area - Foligno , Spello , Perugia - and at other times from elsewhere in Italy
. Only a few foreigners find their way here .
In any case , Marialuisa doesn’t try to have a full dining room every night . She likes to pop into the kitchen to thank her.
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It’s not surprising .Marialuisa brings huge quantities of care and talent to everything that she touches and unfailingly serves up
first - class food full of flavour and artistry. It’s something she was born into , after all. ” I remember rolling out pasta with my
mother when I was very young. It’s not possible to suddenly become a chef at the age of 40 having been, say, a teacher up until
then. It’s cultural .”
So, yes, it’s slow food all right, but it’s more than worth the wait. Marialuisa takes her food seriously and the result is a remarkably
good restaurant. She admits that, if it weren’t economic madness , she would happily forego a charge just to be sure her customers
left with a good memory of her . “ The cooking is a bit like my mirror image ,” she explains “It’s what I feel, and, I think that
people who eat here feel a bit of me . Il momento della tavola è uno dei momenti più belli. Times spent at the table are the most
beautiful moments. My mother and father taught me that.”
MONTEFALCO
Know as the ringhiera , or balcony , of Umbria due to its high position and 360- degree views of the region , today Montefalco
is synonymous with wine: Rosso di Montefalco and Sagrantino, to be precise. The lovely Piazza del Comune is unfortunately
often used as a car park, but the town, which also boasts a number of interesting textile shops, is nevertheless well worth a visit.
L’ALCHIMISTA Cristina Magnini and Patrizia Moretti
L’Alchimista
Piazza del Comune 14
06036 Montefalco
T: +39 0742 378 558
www.montefalcowines.com
Opening hours: 08.30 – midnight
Closed : Thurs evening in winter
Holidays : 15 days in Feb
Covers : 30 inside , 50 on terrace
The story of L’Alchimista, like that of all alchemist, is about transformation. At the age of 22, having qualified as a sommelier,
Crisitina Magnini opened a small wine and food shop and convinced her mother Patrizia Moretti to join her.
But then, says Cristina “ an angel intervened “ and they found a perfect position for a wine bar on the Piazza in Montefalco
where a former art gallery became L’Alchimista . It was named after Patrizia who became , as she puts it, “ the one in the kitchen
who invents and transforms.”
The menu gives customers an opportunity to taste the produce on sale in the shop. “ the transformation of what we sell over the
counter is another reason for the name L’Alchimista, “ says Patrizia. In practice, this means uncomplicated and reasonably priced
food, although it’s a long way from mere samples of ham and cheese. There’s a tempting selection of salads, bruschette, Italian
twists on brunch standards, such as scrambled eggs with truffles, and seasonal specials almost daily .
As word got around and the enterprise took of , Cristina convinced her father Claudio to leave his work in electromechanical
assembly to help serve costumers . By this time having asked two family members to risk their livelihoods she was getting a little
nervous . However , less than two years since the frantic start-up , the venture is a resounding success – and it’s still family – run
. Even Cristina’s little sister Barbara helps out when she’s not studying .
It wasn’t supposed to happen like this. As a qualified sommelier Cristina‘ s original ambition was not to work with the family but
only to work with wine.
“It’s so fascinating to read about and study , you want to keep going , “ she says.
That she is now doing so is, she freely admits, in large part down to her family’s hard work. Not that it’s always easy. As Cristina
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delicately puts it , “ You can be more direct than with other people , so….an extra word can come out .”
But , she adds “ we work very well together as we’re all working for the same thing”.
The mouth-watering array of goods an display is proof that they do work well together , not to mention the many elegant or
personal touches : excellent and plentiful nibbles are served with aperitifs and there’s a good choice of wine by the glass , as well as
beer , coffee , chocolate and selection of Patrizia ‘s freshly baked cakes . There are even a few well – chosen quotes from Virginia
Woolf and Manuel Vasquez Montalban on the inside cover of menu.
This family mood is all part of the charming , gentle , laid – back feel of L’Alchimista , or as a local American resident and regular
puts it , why would Cristina and her parents want to hire help from outside the family? It wouldn’t be the same.
Certainly you’d have trouble finding someone who enjoys meeting people as much as Crisitina does. Being in Montefalco native
, she loves to know why so many people have come to her home town , and she will find out , not just in Italian but also in good
French , better English and, one day she hopes , German .
So , two years on , how does Cristina feel about the success of her converted art gallery ? “ It started as a bit of a joke ,” She says
, “ We though we could do something here, but I never though it would become this big .” And today ? “ Today my world is
beautiful because there’s always something new.” Further proof , perhaps of the transforming power of L’Alchimista.
SPELLO
Spello is a charming hill town , rising up to overlook the Valle Umbra .
Very easy to navigate , as it’s long and this , the main road links the two main gates , Porta Consolare and Porta dell’Arce . Off
this main artery are many narrow and cobbled side streets. There are excellent views from the Belvedere and some delightful
and fascinating shops.
LA BASTIGLIA Marco Gubbiotti
La Bastiglia
Via dei Molini
Spello
T:+39 0742 651 277
www.labastiglia.com
Opening hours: 13.00 – 14.30 and 20.00 – 22.00
Closet: all day Wed , and Thurs
lunchtime
Holidays : jan 7-.20
(but dates can vary )
Covers : 50 à la carte ;
120 for organised events
At the top of the main thoroughfare runs through the delightful hill town of Spello , the terrace of the restaurant at la Bastiglia
has a sweeping view over the lush Umbrian countryside . But that’s not why everybody in the know raves about the restaurant.
That’s down to Marco Gubbiotti , his team and the food they produce .Since receiving a Michelin star at the end of 2004
however , Marco’s irresistible food is the worst - kept secret , even among those without their finger on the gastronomic pulse
of the region .
La Bastiglia offers an upmarket and sophisticated menu in a serene environment . Overseeing it all is chef Marco Gubbiotti . He
is an intense and dedicated man , but no tyrant ; he doesn’t need to be . There is a potency to the calmness in his kitchen that
signifies a well- managed team in which every member knows exactly what they should be doing and when.
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Marco spends a lot of time researching and reflecting upon the dishes he plants to introduce to each season’s new menu, reaching
for his notebook during spare moments work – or even in the middle of the night – to ensure nothing is overlooked, although “
sometimes I rebel and introduce some new dishes midseason , “ he adds with a grin .
Marco spent five years training at cottage , but sees education as an ongoing process. Although he comes from Spoleto , he has
travelled a great deal , working for four years at Villa Roncalli in Foligno and completing training session in Paris and Siena “ and
still I keep researching . Io sono alla continua ricerca della cucina di territorio . I’m constantly researching . I have lots old recipe
books of central Italian cookery”.
Although the starting point for his recipes is the region’s cooking – local products and recipes from generation ago , he use this
as the foundation to build his own recipes , combining his imagination with the modern preference for lighter , more easily
digestible food , ably aided by his hard – working and efficient sous – chef Andrea Santilli.
This fascination with , and respect for , the past combined with his willingness to embrace new techniques leads to some
intriguing experiments . “ Can I find the scent and flavour of a particular dish , say home- cooked roast chicken with garlic and
roast potatoes ? “ he asks. “ Can I find that and put it inside stuffed pasta? It’s the search for these things that interests me “.
Another modern innovation is \a vegetarian on stuffed peppers, as its popularity with both Italians and non – Italians attest .
How about strangozzi in asparagus and pea sauce with a pesto of wild herbs and matured ricotta ? Or a celeriac pancake with a
verdant selection of fresh herbs and Taggiasche Olives? Marco loves cooking vegetables and thoroughly investigates cultivation
techniques , especially those of farmers who grows crops in the most natural way possible . Incidentally , the popularity of the
vegetarian menu is such that it is by no means assumed that diners are actually vegetarians . If you don’t eat meat , let your waiter
know that your preference extends to the pre – dining nibbles.
Not only is Marco’s cooking flawless but he has an extraordinary gift for the visual . Everything , from the beautiful glass bread
“basket” , which features a mix of home – made grissini and seeded brown and white breads , to plates which feature mosaics of
colour and are elegantly composed , underlines the kitchen ‘s attention to the harmony of every dish and the overall rhythm of
the complete meal.
This attention to qualify permeates the entire restaurant . Since Marco’s arrival at La Bastiglia in 1998 there’s been a steady stream
of improvement – and , not only on the food front . The seating has been upgraded , the tablecloths are linen , the cutlery silver
and the glasses crystal . Food , surroundings – in fact everything from the warm , friendly atmosphere that greets you when you
enter to the perfectly composed plate of treats that accompanies coffee – reflects Marco’s belief that all aspects of the dining
experience are important.
And the popularity of the restaurant proves his point . Obviously many of the diners are guests in the hotel , but it’s also a huge
draw for local , and not so local residents. There are frequently large tables of Italian family or work gatherings , gesticulating
animatedly and tucking in with gusto .
They’ll no doubt be glad to hear that Marco ‘travelling days are over – for while at least . “ I’m very happy here . It’s peaceful , it’s
very green and I love going out in the morning to pick my herbs.”
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Gambero Rosso (US Edition)
Umbria
Umbria has long been renowned for white wine , thanks mainly to the historical prominence of Orvieto . But evidence is now
irrefutable that the scenic hills of the “green heart of Italy “ have an aptitude for a multitude of varieties , white and red , native
and foreign . The region’s two DOCG wines- Montefalco Sagrantino and Torgiano Rosso Riserva – are red.
Orvieto was once the most celebrated of Italian whites as a semisweet or abboccato wine , praised by the popes , princes and
painters who sojourned in the hill town north of Rome with its splendid cathedral and sweeping views over the Umbrian landscape
. But as tastes changed Orvieto was modified from a soft , golden wine into a pale , pure , crisp creature of modern enology.
Modern Orvieto is a commercial success as one of Italy’s best- selling DOC whites with a solid following abroad . Recently , some
producers have achieved more character in the wine through lower grape yields and more meticulous selection and by letting the
grape skins remain in contact with the juice for a while before fermentation . Just lately Orvieto’s abboccato and amabile versions
have made a comeback as a dessert wines.
Although Procarico ( a local species of Trebbiano) and Malvasia prevail in Orvieto , growers in the zone have been working
successfully with such outsides varieties as Chardonnay , Sauvignon and the Pinots , as well as the admirable local Grechetto .Red
wine from the area is now covered by the DOCs of Rosso Orvietano and Lago di Corbara.
Sagrantino , an ancient variety grown only around the hill town of Montefalco , is an intriguing native that makes both dry and
sweet wines of unmistakable grandeur . It , too , has Montefalco for lighter red and white wines.
Among the many outside varieties planted in Umbria , Merlot and Barbera have been prominent for more than a century . More
recently , Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay have promise , in varietal wines and in blends ,.Even Pinot Nero has given
indications has given indications of more than the usual class here.
Umbria has numerous curiosities among its vines and wines , though few of the local rarities ever leave the region . Vin Santo ,
pressed from semidried Grechetto or Malvasia grapes , is usually sweet and most prized by Umbrian’s as a wine for any occasion.
DOCG (2)
Montefalco Sagrantino or Sagrantino di Montefalco: Secco R-Dr Ag-3; Passito RSw Ag- 3.
Torgiano Rosso Riserva: R – Dr Ag – 3
DOC (11)
Assisi: Bianco W- Dr ; Rosato P- Dr ; Rosso R- Dr , also Novello
Colli Altotiberini: Bianco W – Dr ; Rosato P- Dr , Rosso R-Dr
Colli del Trasimeno or Trasimeno: Bianco W- Dr/Fz , also Bianco Scelto ; Rosato P- Dr ; Rosso R- Dr , also Novello and
Rosso Scelto Ag – 1 , Rs Ag – 2 ; Spumante Classico W- Sp ; vin Santo W-Sw Ag –1-5; Cabernet – Sauvignon R-Dr , Rs Ag
– 2 Gamay R Dr , Rs Ag-2 ; Grechetto W-Dr ; Merlot R- Dr , Rs Ag-2
Colli Amerini: Grechetto W-Dr ; Grechetto di Todi W-Dr ; Sangiovese R Dr- Ag-1 , Rs Ag-2 ; Trebbiano W-Dr
Colli Perugini: Bianco W-Dr , Rosato P-DR . Rosso R-Dr , Also Novello ; Spumante W-Sp; Vin Santo W-Sw ; Chardonnay
W-Dr Cabernet Sauvignon R-Dr ; Grechetto W-Dr Merlot R-Dr ; Pinot Grigio W-Dr ; Sangiovese R-Dr ; Trebbiano W-Dr
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Lago di Corsara: Rosso R- Dr Ag-1 Cabernet Sauvignon R- Dr AG- 1 ; Merlot R-Dr Ag – 1 Pinot Nero R-DR Ag – 1
Montefalco: Bianco W- Dr - ; Rosso R-Dr Ag – 1.5 . Rs Ag 2.5
Orvieto ( shared with Latium ) and Orvieto Classico : W-DR , also Sup W-Dr/Sw , , Orvieto Classico W-Dr , also Sup W-Dr/
Sw ( Classico applies to wines from the original zone of Umbria )
Rosso Orvietano or Orvietano Rosso: R-Dr ; Aleatico R-Sw , Cabernet R- Dr ; Cabernet Franc R-Dr ; Cabernet Sauvignon
R-Dr , Merlot R-Dr , Pinot Nero R-Dr ; Sangiovese R-Dr
Torgiano: Bianco W-Dr ; Rosato P-Dr ; rosso R-Dr – Ag –1 Spumante W-Sp Ag-2 ,Chardonnay W-Dr ; Cabernet Sauvignon
R-Dr R-Dr – Ag –1 , Pinot Grigio W-Dr ; Pinot Nero R-Dr Ag – 1 .; Riesling Italico W-Dr.
IGT (6)
Allerona - Bettona - Cannara - Narni - Spello - Umbria
Da WINE DIARY
SAGRANTINO STORY
by Paolo Zaccaria
It was 1997 when our Guide to Italian Wines awarded the Three Glasses to
Sagrantino di Montefalco 25 Anni produced by Marco Caprai, with one of the
highest scores of the year. At the time many wondered where did this wine came from
and how could it possibly be produced such a high quality wine in a region that had
been out of the top Italian winemaking panorama, until then.
In the following years Sagrantino 25 Anni became one of the most appreciated and
sought after Italian wines, showing an extraordinary consistency in the high level of
quality. And Montefalco, together with Sagrantino, the local grape that can only be
found in this region, became one of the “new frontier” of wine.
We are going to tell you the success story of this Cinderella of the Italian wines and
outline the current situation and the prospects of this region and its exceptional wines.
MARCO’ S REVOLUTION
“Isn’t it amazing? It is the last estate we bought. It is in a wonderful position and I’m sure that once it starts producing our top
wines will come from this land!”. Marco Caprai is larger than life! As soon as we met, before visiting the cellar or the rest of the
estate he showed us the new estate, that he so painstakingly acquired. His thoughts are all focused on new projects, experiments,
and future achievements. Yet, he he’s glad to talk about all the results already achieved. In 1971 his father Arnaldo, an important
textile producer, bought the Val di Maggio estate. At the time Sagrantino and the Montefalco region belonged to a glorious,
but almost forgotten past and the local wineries went for the production of a traditional sweet wine aimed mainly at the local
market. “sagrantino was almost disappeared, probably planted in no more than five hectares and my father decided to plant
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five more hectares”. The winery followed the tradition with limited ambitions until Marco’s arrival in 1998. “The winery still
had 21 hectares, while today we have 90 hectares of vineyards for 600.000 bottles of total production, 100.000 of which are
Sagrantino. We plan to produce 150.000 bottles of sagrantino in the next 2 to 3 years. However the main development of the
winery was not only marked by in the number of bottles produce, rather by the dramatic improvement of the quality. As soon
as Marco Caprai started managing the winery he began a project of Research and Experimentation with one specific aim in
mind: to produce a great wine that reflected the terroir of Montefalco using Sagrantino, a grape that can only be found in this
region. However the first problem to face was that this variety had never been studied before with a scientific approach. At first
Caprai tried to work together with the Consortium for the Montefalco Wine Heritage, but there was not enough collaboration,
he decided to go along on its own.
Thus he started a collaboration with winemaker Attilio Pagli and professor Valenti from the University of Milan. “We started
producing a map of all the clones of Sagrantino present in Montefalco, sampling more than 1.000 berries, chosen both on the
basis of organoleptic and scientific analysis. In 1993 we created a sort of ‘bank of all the genetic types’ of Sagrantino comprised of
all the clones we found, also those that looked less interesting to us. This allowed us to preserve the genetic identity of the variety
and its terroir. Secondly we started a clonal selection. This year we patented three clones of Sagrantino and Vitis Rauscedo (one
of the most important nurseries in Italy and in the world) is selling ‘our’ cuttings. We didn’t want to identify ‘one’ ideal clone of
Sagrantino, indeed our vineyards are polyclonal: each clone has a specific characteristic, thus our wines result to be more complex:
not only big and intense but also elegant wines that show a fine and developed taste”.
The People
Thus a real R&D department was created in the winery. Three agronomist work there and every year, during harvest, a student
from the School of Agriculture of the University of Milan comes to work for three months. One result of this collaboration
was the production of as much as 10 dissertations on Sagrantino and the Montefalco terroir, that carried out studies on the
phenolics’ characteristics of Sagrantino as well as different agronomic techniques. “There are three vineyards where we study 60
different genetic types of Sagrantino; four different training systems, such as Guyot, Cordon de Royat, Lyra and bush vine, are
experimented in a vineyard with a density of 13.000 plants/ha. Moreover we are experimenting on several international varieties
such as Tannat and Tempranillo, with some astonishing results. In a few years there was a shift from a traditional rural system
to a real industry. Key operations are not carried out by farmers who act only on the basis of their a practical experience. This
type of experience is important but not sufficient. We act now also on the basis of scientific studies and information. This is true
not only for the management of the vineyards but also for the work in the cellar. For instance, until recently macerations were
very short because it was believed that this was the only way to reduce the tannic violence of Sagrantino grapes. The truth is that
this method helped making tannins more bitter. We decided to carry out longer macerations that last for about 20-25 days. Of
course this doesn’t mean that we want to go always against tradition. For instance, one of the most important achievements here
in Montefalco was about densities. Old vineyards had densities of 3.000 plants/ha at the most, thus seriously affecting quality. All
our new vineyards instead have a density of 8.000 plants per hectare, because what really matters is not per-hectare yield, rather
the yield of each plant. Sagrantino is characterised by a strong vine vigour and Montefalco’s soil is particularly rich, still many
think our densities are too high. However there are documents of the nineteenth and early XX century that mention densities of
10.000 plants per hectare. The same is true for the use of small barrels. Many believe that given the high level of tannins present
in sagrantino, the ‘traditional’ large casks are best for the aging of this wine. Yet in the area of Montefalco as early as the XVI
century wine was aged in small barrels called ‘carrate’ after the term ‘carro’ (carriage) where they were carried. We use medium
toasted French barriques and vinify each vineyard separately. We use 85% new barriques for 25 Anni and 60% for Collepiano.
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Wines
The results of such an extraordinary passion for its land and quality wines, together with big investments, are exceptional. A
vertical tasting of all the vintages of 25 Anni confirmed a qualitative consistency that most of the best Italian and international
wines may well envy. Vintages such 1993 and 1995 are simply superb. Similarly, though at slightly lower level, Sagrantino
Collepiano and Montefalco Rosso have achieved the pinnacle of the quality that these two appellations can reach. “We’ve be reinvesting our experience, skills, experimentations and profits locally. We want to produce high quality standards and encourage
local producers, says Caprai. We are glad to see that important producers from all over Italy now believe in this region and decided
to invest in it.”. However, the people in this company work enthusiastically looking at the future. Some barrel tastings of different
vineyards of Sagrantino vintage 2000 and 2001 show even more promising than ever. And some ‘experimental’ barriques are
simply marvellous (specially an extraordinary Tannat) show that there is still a great potential to develop. “I’m convinced that
Sagrantino is the ideal variety to grow in Montefalco, however this terroir can express its best character also with other grapes, as
Montefalco Rosso success proves. The traditional range of varieties present in Montefalco is extremely wide, including not only
Sagrantino and Sangiovese, but also Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Barbera and Nebbiolo. We have already produced a 100%
Pinot Noir, Nero Outsider a wine which we sold exclusively on the Net. Maybe the time will come when we’ll release a great red
wine form international varieties”. The world of wine is warned!
LA CUCINA ITALIANA (US EDITION)
SAGRANTINO DI MONTEFALCO
The Best Italian Wine You’ve probably (never) tasted
WHEN ITALIAN WINE takes centre stage its regions of origin become actors of many skills but different popularity. Tuscany is
clearly a diva; Piedmont, a classy gentleman; Veneto, a comedian with a good dramatic repertoire as well. And Umbria? Umbria is
an afterthought, a pleasant hilly region rich in natural and artistic beauty, too close for comfort to Tuscany to be considered relevant
in the Italian wine panorama. Landlocked with no natural confines, completely covered with undulating hills and mountains,
Umbria seems more of a transitional area between east and west, a bump on the road from north to south. In theatre parlance,
Umbria is an extra. And yet, in the very heart of Umbria, within the province of its capital Perugia, lies a viticultural area that,
albeit tiny, is second to none in quality. On the cool slopes of the Colic Martani, a range of hills with an average altitude of 1200
feet, in and around the towns of Montefalco, Bevagna, Gualdo Cattaneo, Castel Ritaldi, and Giano dell’Umbria, the legendary
sagrantino grape makes some of the best wines in the country. First described and recognized by name by the Ampelographic
Commission of the district of Foligno in 1879, sagrantino has grown for centuries in Montefalco. The first mention of vineyards
here dates back to 1088, while even in the first century AD Pliny the Elder discovered a grape called “Itriola” that was only to
be found in Montefalco and that many today think was sagrantino. In Montefalco’s Church of St. Bartholomew, bas-reliefs with
vines and bunches of grapes decorate the outside walls, supporting the theory that Sagrantino wine was widely used to celebrate
Mass. The name itself, sagrantino, may in fact derive from its use as a sacramental wine during the Renaissance.
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Unfortunately, sagrantino was to be forgotten as poverty, isolation,
and the phylloxera scourge in the 19th century took their toll on the
minuscule Montefalco wine industry. A second renaissance began on
October 30, 1979, when Sagrantino wine was recognized as a DOC
by the Italian government, only to reach its peak on November, 5,
1992 when it was upgraded to DOCG status.
To be exact, there are two sagrantino wines, both made with the
sagrantino vine but in opposite styles. “Dry” Sagrantino is the newer
version, a deep ruby garnet colored-wine with a sumptuous aroma
of berries and spice, and ripe flavors of black- berries and licorice.
A newly found darling of critics, dry Sagrantino was “invented” in
the early 1970s by pioneers like Fratelli Adanti and Arnaldo Caprai.
It has to have a minimum alcohol content of 13% by volume, and
must be aged for 30 months, 18 of which in barrel. Styles differ
according to the maturation process, as the most recent incarnations
of Sagrantino spend their aging time in new, small French oak barrels
rather than in large Slovenian oak ‘botti’.
On the other hand, there is a classic style of Sagrantino that everyone
agrees upon in terms of style, but has become increasingly rare
and expensive. Enter Sagrantino “Passito”, a sweet, powerful wine
that has been known to exist for at least two centuries. Sagrantino
Passito is made with sagrantino grapes left to dry out on straw or
plastic mats positioned in well-ventilated rooms, usually atop the
farmhouse. The thick, hard skin of the sagrantino grapes well resists the onset of rot, so that the two month-long drying process
occurs more smoothly here than, for example, in Valpolicella for the Amarones. After that, the grapes show a great concentration
of sugar, ultimately resulting in a potential alcohol level of up to 21% by volume, but fermentation is usually stopped at 44.5%,
clearly before all the sugar is transformed into alcohol. The final product is therefore a sweet but potent wine with blackberry and
dried orange fruit flavors, a thick texture supported by plenty of spice and a light tannic finish. All together, there are no more
than 25,000 cases of Sagrantino wine offered for sale each year, just a drop in the ocean of Ita1ian wine (700 million cases, at
last count), but enough to gain unconditional critical acclaim and widespread admiration from collectors all over the world. In
order to satisfy the growing demand of Montefalco wine, the DOC Montefalco was established in 1993. Wines labelled as such
are either white or red, and always blends (Grechetto and Trebbiano for Montefalco white; mostly Sangiovese – the most planted
red grape in Umbria – with just a drop of sagrantino and maybe some Barbera, Canaiolo, or Ciliegiolo for Montefalco red). Less
extended aging is required, and no wood use is specified. A Montefalco Rosso Riserva is aged 30 months (like pure Sagrantino)
but it doesn’t quite replicate the density, spiciness, and tannic structure of the ”real thing”. Still, some reds are pleasant wines,
and almost all the best producers make one. Let’s say that Montefalco Rosso is to Sagrantino what Rosso di Montalcino is to
Brunello.
The area where sagrantino grows benefits from a distinctive mesoclimate with rainy springs, hot and dry summers and cold
(occasionally snowy) winters. During the harvest season strong drying winds blowing from the north keep the grapes healthy
and allow for late picking. The vine favors the cool, deep, clayey- calcareous soils of the Montefalco hills. A south-facing slope at
about 1000 feet of altitude provides it with ideal growing conditions. In general terms, sagrantino is a sturdy variety with good
resistance to rot and cold weather. The problem, of course, is controlling quantity in order to protect quality. To this purpose the
best producers of Sagrantino severely prune the vine, remove buds during the early part of the growing season, and then remove
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flowers, thin clusters, and green harvest all through summer. At the end, a quality producer like Arnaldo Caprai ends up with
vines that have no more than ten bunches of grapes. This is the short although successful story of Sagrantino di Montefalco and
the men and women behind it. In the ever changing, always improving world of new Italian wines, among them a polished syrah
from Sicily and hearty blends from Maremma, this little treasure of Italian viticulture is here to stay.
DECANTER
TAKING ON TUSCANY
Less well known than its northern neighbour Tuscany, Umbria is now making a name for itself with top-class Orvieto
and Sagrantino
by Nicholas Belfrage
There are two ways of viewing Umbria, wine-wise. One can see it as an insignificant appendage of the increasingly mighty
Tuscany. Or one might regard it as the quintessence of Italian wine, the hub, the heart, the dynamic centre of the 2lst
century. While there is evidence to support both propositions, the former owes more to the past, and the latter is representative
of the present and future. To some extent Umbria continues to live in the past. The sole land-locked region south of the Po,
rural Umbria is dotted with hilltop villages and towns, most boasting an artistic or architectural Renaissance or pre-Renaissance
treasure or two, where farmers scrape a subsistence living from their mixed crops. Tourists rarely trouble to stop here – Assisi
and Orvieto excepted. Those outsiders who have ‘discovered’ Umbria, its hilly to semi-mountainous countryside and relatively
inexpensive houses, not to mention its delicious cucina casalinga, say this connection to tradition is what attracts them, and they
jealously guard the secret against would-be invaders.
The negative side of this picture is that the local vino has in too many cases remained a product of the past – thin, perhaps
oxidised, even dipping towards acetification, and lacking the rich fruit and freshness that Tuscans have shown can be achieved
with Sangiovese. Tuscany has long overshadowed its small cousin to the south, absorbing the best of its production and putting
it out under its own labels, paying the Umbrian growers peanuts.
But the Umbrians, now, are fighting back. Actually, the fight- back started a few decades ago, led by Lungarotti of Torgiano
and followed by Antinori in its Umbrian embodiment. Lungarotti was the first to put quality Umbrian wine on the map with
‘Rubesco Riserva’, a Sangiovese of extended battle age, which was regarded in the 1970s as one of Italy’s finest wines and remains
for some one of the most notable expressions of its variety. For others, notably the younger generation, its style is archaic. Nor
has Lungarotti as a whole retained the pre-eminence among Umbrian producers that it once enjoyed, its lesser wines being too
often of mediocre quality and character.
In the mid-1980s the house of Antinori decided to create a white wine to partner its Tuscan red, Tignanello. The site it chose
was Castello della Sala near Orvieto, a property purchased by Piero Antinori’s father in the 1940s. It wanted the wine to have
international appeal, so based it on Chardonnay, but also to include an Umbrian element, so it chose the local Grechetto, grown
almost exclusively in Umbrian vineyards. Cervaro della Sala, the resultant wine, stands today as one of central and southern
Italy’s few world-class white wines, available at a lofty but deserved price on the menus of the world’s finest restaurants. It is
superior to any white wine produced in Tuscany or Latium, which in itself, is a source of satisfaction to Umbrians who have
suffered humiliation by their neighbours for so long. The satisfaction is extenuated somewhat by the fact that the native Umbrian
element, Grechetto, has been cut from 20% to 13%, presumably in an attempt to make the wine ‘international’. This should
not, however, be taken as a slight to Grechetto, which is one of the more interesting white varieties of central Italy. Until recently
Grechetto was used almost exclusively in blends, notably h Umbria’s highest-profile DOC, Orvieto. This wine, produced in an
area with tufaceous soil reminiscent of Vouvray, brings together nor fewer than five grapes with, as demand for quality grows,
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an ever-decreasing percentage of central Italy’s ubiquitous but boring Trebbiano (here called Procanico) and an increasing dollop
of Grechetto. In the past decade a growing number of mainly Orvieto producers (Barberani, Bigi, Caprai, Colli Amerini, Duca
della Corgna, Le Poggette, Palazzone, Rocca di Fabbri) have been experimenting with varietal Grechetto, as Grechetto Umbria
IGT or Grechetto Colli Martani DOC. Orvieto itself – the blend – has for a long time stood as one of Italy’s best-known white
wines, but it was only in the 1980s that quality began to justify the renown. Very good examples include Barberani’s Castagnolo,
Decugnano di Barbi’s Il, La Carraia’s Poggio Calvelli, Le Velette’s Velico and Palazzone’s Terre Vineate. Perhaps the wine form
that comes nearest to excellence from Orvieto is the noble-rot style. Antinori makes a version which stands outside the DOC
called Muffato della Sala. Decugnano dei Barbi’s Pourriture Noble is also very convincing, as is Barberani’s Calcaia and Palazzone’s
Muffa Nobile.
On the red side, Umbrian wines are today making significant strides, thanks to the winemaking skills of peripatetic consultant
Riccardo Cotarella, said to be Parker’s favourite Italian winemaker. Cotarella, brother of Antinori’s technical director Renzo
Cotarella, originates from Umbria and has made the resurgence of the wines of his native territory something of a holy crusade.
His latest successes have been with French grapes, notably Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, but he has also brought Umbrian
Sangiovese to greater prominence, using it in his blends. Perhaps Cotarella’s most famous Umbrian creations are the Campoleone
of La Fiorita Lamborghini and the Villa Fidelia of Sportoletti. Other highly rated wines include Armaleo of Palazzone and
Palaia of Monrubio, and he has scored heavily with Montiano, a Merlot made in the Cotarella family winery of Falesco at
Montefiascone. Currently the hottest of the band of Italian wine consultants, Cotarella also works in numerous wineries across
central and southern Italy, as far as Sicily, helping to raise the vinous profile of Umbria significantly.
But the crowning glory of Umbrian viniculture is the deeply coloured, complex, exciting Sagrantino grape from Montefalco,
in the heart of the region. Until recently Sagrantino was used almost exclusively to make passito, powerful, tannic and sweet,
in the manner of Recioto di Valpolicella but ruder and rougher. No clonal research had ever been carried out on it, and it had
been left to develop hundreds of sub-varieties. Such research got going fully in the 1990s, by universities in conjunction with
producers, and today we are witnessing the early results of their work. A top Sagrantino (non-passito), such as Caprai’s 25 Anni,
is a wine that can combine great power with amazing elegance. It is essential to manage the potentially fierce tannins correctly
and to bring the rich, succulent fruit to the fore. The proof is that, for the first time, a son of Umbria is being drafted into Tuscan
vineyards, a possible future partner for Sangiovese, as distinct from the Merlots and Cabernets which have little affinity with the
king of central Italy. Production of Sagrantino is still extremely limited, and production of the top stuff even more so, but enough
exists to demonstrate that Umbria possesses a world beater. Apart from 25 Anni, other excellent or potentially excellent wines
under the Sagrantino di Montefalco DOCG come from Adanti (Arquata), Antonelli, Caprai (the non cru), Colpetrone, Milziade
Antano and Rocca di Fabbri. And don’t forget the passito style. A richer, more concentrated, more exciting wine scarcely exists
from middle Italy. In this, and in its normally vinified form, Sagrantino has already raised the banner high above the parapet
for Umbria, and I have no doubt that it will continue to do so in the future.
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LA REPUBBLICA
WINE AUCTION FOR THE PRESTIGIOUS MUSICAL EVENT “MAGGIO MUSICALE FIORENTINO”:
SHARON STONE GETS SAGRANTINO 25 ANNI PRESENTED BY ROBERTO CAVALLI
Sharon Stone is the one that obtained the special 3 litres bottle of Sagrantino 25 Anni 1998
presented by Roberto Cavalli. This unique bottle, boasting the typically daring Cavalli style, was
bought at 2,400 by Gelasio Gaetani Lovatelli d’Aragona for his friend Sharon Stone...
Gelasio Gaetani Lovatelli d’Aragona is a well-known wine expert and consultant for the cellars
of many VIPs, including George Clooney, Don Johnson, Valentino, Agnelli. “As soon as I learnt
that this unique bottle would have been at the auction I immediately contacted Sharon was
enthusiastic about the idea of getting such a unique bottle and by the fact that it was a fund raised
would have helped such a good cause. All the donations will contribute for the concert of Wiener
Philarmoniker, conducted by Zubin Mehta, that will be held on the 24th of June 2003 for the
next edition of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino.
VIAGGI DI REPUBBLICA
THE CANTICLE OF BENOZZO
The Frescos of the great artist tell the story of San Francis of Assisi, but also describe the character of the heart of Umbria.
A unique exhibition portraying art between the 14th and the 16th century is an opportunity to look at this land through
the eyes of the Arts.
Let’s start for a voyage a la recherche of a spiritual journey that will follow the holy marks left by nature and human genius. And
what region is more fitting for such a journey than Umbria, the land of San Francis of Assisi?
This journey will take us to rural but elegant places, breathtaking landscapes, superb works of art and stern medieval structures
which turn into delicate coffers of everyday life.
During this voyage a glass of wine will be your madeleine, because the recherche here is not a painstaking introspection, but a
joyful depiction of the relation between man and his territory.
Here we are in Montefalco, also known as, the railing of Umbria, as from here your sight can wander through the hilly horizon.
Aesthetic beauty is the leitmotiv in a symphony of timeless art and millenary history marked by wining and dining pleasures.
The occasion to start our journey is offered by Montefalco and a unique artistic event that will take us through the beauties of the
Umbrian Renaissance ‘described’ by Benozzo di Lese, who Vasari named Gozzoli. Montefalco, is one of the towns together with
Orvieto and San Gimignano, where this master Florentine painter and student of Beato Angelico worked mostly. It is precisely
the town of Montefalco that has organized a memorable exhibition devoted to Benozzo Gozzoli and to all his works that for the
first time were gathered here from museums and churches all over the world. There are few cases where such an extensive array of
paintings from the 14th to 16th century was displayed in the places where these were originally created.
The highlight of the exhibition are the frescos that tell the story of San Francis of Assisi and at the same time describe the
surrounding territory.
First and foremost, the red wine that Benozzo painted on a Franciscan table clearly refers to Sagrantino: the wine that has come
to symbolise Montefalco itself. This was probably produced by Franciscans to be used during important religious services. The
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town itself still preserves very old vineyards that were declared part of the National Heritage. From the tower of the town square
we can have a general overview of Umbria, a real natural masterpiece, a fresco with God as the artist.
To the north-west Perugia the capital city, while further east there is Foligno which maintains alive not only its medieval
buildings but also its original the customs and festivals. On the foothills of Mount Subasio, which offers splendid walks through
woods and olive groves, lays Assisi, the cradle of the Franciscan movement which permeates the whole region. The aristocratic
Spello instead safeguards another masterpiece, the Pinturicchio Chapel in the church of Santa Maria Maggiore. Heading back to
Montefalco, the small village of Bevagna , is still surrounded by the old medieval walls and has maintained the old atmosphere
sought by the noble ancient Romans who spent here their holidays. To the south Trevi is the heart of the olive oil civilization,
where Pinturicchio and Giovanni di Corraduccio left their artistic mark. From here you will be able to enjoy a breathtaking view
on the Clitunno valley with its romantic springs and the roman temple which inspired the verses of Virgil’s epic poems. Heading
for Spoleto, (which deserves a visit of its own) there is Castel Ritaldi where Tiberio d’Assisi works of art are preserved in the
lovely San Nicholas abbey. Two more towns, which belong to the road of Sagrantino display further richness in culture and the
Arts: Giano dell’Umbria, with the wonderful church of San Michele and Gualdo Cattaneo, and its amazing cylindrical tower.
Through this journey we will encounter works of art that tell the story of a millenary rural civilization, that can still be found in
the vineyards, the olive groves and the flavours of Umbria. The genius loci of all this can be found in the frescos that Benozzo
Gozzoli made to tell the story of San Francis of Assisi in Montefalco. Indeed, not only did Benozzo tell the spiritual journey and
the biography of this Saint, but also described the spirit and richness of its land. Today, just like 800 years ago Sir Brother Sun
makes it radiant with life and the Sister Moon gives to it the shadow of the spirit.
The gospel of San Francis is the gospel of Nature and Umbria is its natural scenery.
“BRUNELLO TO ZIBIBBO”
Sagrantino
by Nicolas Belfrage
To give second position of importance in an area as large and prestigious as west central Italy to a variety of such restricted
production as Sagrantino may seem insulting to others grown in far greater volume such as Canaiolo, Cesanese and Ciliegiolo
(recalling that the French varieties are treated elsewhere). The Sagrantino variety, in fact, is – or was until very recently – almost
uniquely to be found in the environs of the villages of Montefalco and Bevagna and one or two others in the Umbrian
province of Perugia, its total planted area being around 240 hectares...The number of hectares planted purely to Sagrantino at
the time of writing is not much more than 120, though that figure may be expected to multiply several times in coming years.
Sagrantino is said by some to have existed here at least since Roman times (is it the Itriola mentioned by Pliny the Elder?) by
others to have been brought to the area in the Middle Ages by Franciscan monks, perhaps from the Middle East in the time of the
crusades, perhaps from Spain. Either way, it has probably been around a long time, though there is little or no mention of it
in ampelographical literature until the twentieth century. At no time in the past did it ever spread to neighbouring parts or even
catch on big with local producers who have avoided it, in the same way as Piemontese growers have avoided Nebbiolo, because
of its difficult character and low productivity, to some extent attenuated today by careful rootstock selection. It is thick-skinned,
small-bunched and small berried, but big in every other way: colour, tannins, acids, extract, sugars – the latter especially
when, like the Corvina of Valpolicella which it does not otherwise resemble, it is dried for purposes of making semi-sweet red.
It does not resemble anything else, either: DNA tests have blown all theories of relationship with Sangiovese or Montepulciano
apart. So, really until the late twentieth century, Sagrantino kept a very low profile, being grown in very small patches in town
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and country gardens of the Montefalco area, giving rise to a large number of clones with slightly different characteristics, as has
been discovered in studies carried out by Caprai and others in the past few years. Insofar as it was made into wine the process
was a sort of artisanal appassimento (grapes drying process), giving rise to a wine of between 30 and 100 grammes per litre
residual sugar, a wine whose sweetness was cut on the finish by fierce tannins and an attendant bitterness, generally reserved for
special occasions, such as the end of Lent; but not, as some myths have it, for use as communion wine – too strong. Only three
DOC(G) wines contain Sagrantino, all of which carry the name Montefalco. The nomenclature can be confusing, so it is well
to get the significance of the names straight. Montefalco Sagrantino (or Sagrantino di Montefalco) is a DOCG, 100% varietal,
made like any dry red table wine. It is a deep-coloured, tannic, potent wine of at least 13% often more, suitable for game and
other strong-flavoured dishes, dry – indeed sometimes called ‘Secco’, a word not often employed on red wine labels – but with
a richness of extract and alcohol that gives it a quasi-sweet finish. Montefalco Sagrantino Passito (DOCG) is, as we have seen,
made from dried grapes in the recioto style. Montefalco Rosso DOCG, on the other hand, is a blend of Sangiovese, Sagrantino at
a maximum of 15% and other grapes, which these days often means Merlot, though Canaiolo is more traditional. It is mediumbodied, with a minimum of 12% alcohol, and suitable for a much wider range of dishes than the pure Sagrantino. The marriage
of Sangiovese and Sagrantino is a particularly felicitous one, the former giving elegance and the latter a certain punch, which
Sangiovese tends to lack. Why Sagrantino has not been tried as a blender by producers in Tuscany instead of the French grapes
is something of a mystery. Rumour has it that a few brave souls elsewhere in central Italy are indeed trying out Sagrantino as a
blending variety.
THE PRODUCERS
Despite its territorial limitations, Sagrantino has seen in recent times a considerable upsurge of interest on the part of the
international community. Producers are few, outstanding producers are even fewer, but from those few are coming some
Sagrantino wines of fabulous concentration, power and vigour, with the characteristically forceful tannin always present,
even in the most ‘modernist’ examples. The producer who best represents this modernist approach is undoubtedly Arnaldo
Caprai, of Montefalco itself. The estate, whose [owner] made his pile in textiles in the nearby town of Foligno, has been under
present ownership since 1971, but it wasn’t until Arnaldo’s son Marco got interested in the late 1980’s, bringing in Attilio Pagli
as consultant (1991), that it began to develop as the [leading company] of these parts, though some competitors might deny that
position, perhaps out of envy. Arnaldo recounts the story about how he arrived at the winery one day in 1992, to find the four
top branches of the six-branched ‘Palmetta’ formation, to which the plants in the main vineyard were shaped, cut away, only the
bottom two remaining: at a stroke, two thirds of production gone! If the father lost his rag with the son that day he has since
had cause to rejoice at the national and international plaudits Caprai have won for their wines. Pagli and Marco Caprai since
that time have, in conjunction with various institutes, carried out some extraordinary experiments in the vineyard – on
clones, foreign varieties, root-stocks, planting density and training formation. They have also, at the end of the 1990’s, entirely
refurbished the winery – fermenting tanks with built-in systems for gently breaking the cap, a micro-oxygenation system for
stabilisation of colours and other phenolic substances, central computer system, 1.200 new barriques of different provenances –
for purposes of meeting higher quality specifications as well as a rapidly increasing capacity in coming years, as the more recently
planted of the 90 hectares of vineyard presently planted, plus new vineyards, come into production. The efforts, as indicated,
have brought forth enviable rewards, their Sagrantino di Montefalco 25 Anni, introduced in the mid-1990’s to celebrate
their quarter of a century plus in the business, winning the coveted Three Glasses with annual regularity. This is a wine of
enormous concentration and power, displaying a broad spectrum of fresh and dried fruit, tar, coffee and dark chocolate aromas.
The normale (normal) of the same denomination, if one can refer to wine of such tremendous character as ‘normal’, is
scarcely left in the shade by the cru; while the Passito version, sold in 50 cl. bottles, is a blockbuster of a wine combining all
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the power and sumptuousness of the grape with a concentration and a refinement which make it a worthy vino da meditazione
(meditation wine). Nor have they neglected Sangiovese in their search for perfection: Sagrantino aside, their Montefalco Rosso
Riserva, principally Sangiovese plus Sagrantino and Merlot, being undoubtedly one of the finest red wines of Umbria,
while the normale is always a reliable drink. An interesting recent addition to the portfolio is the previously mentioned Poggio
Belvedere, 80% Sangiovese, the rest being made up of a mix of all the foreign grapes in the experimental vineyard. For good
measure, Caprai also makes a very respectable white from Umbria’s own Grechetto grape – Colli Martani Grecante.
Caprai were also the first to sell a wine entirely ‘on line’, this being their 1998 Pinot Noir ‘Nero Outsider’, offered exclusively in
a limited edition of 1,000 magnums in March 2000. This experiment is to be followed by others similar in years to come with
other non-Italian varieties.
SAGRANTINO: LOVE HATE RELATIONSHIP
DECANTER
by Nicolas Belfrage
The town of Montefalco lies in the middle of Umbria, Italy’s only landlocked region south of the Po, in the middle of the country.
The attractive hilltop commune, much visited by tourists who are inevitably drawn by all approach roads to the beautiful Piazza
del Commune in the centre of town, is situated midway between the Tyrrhenian and Adriatic seas.
The architecture is predominately of the late Middle Ages, and its very name derives from the medieval emperor Frederick II
who visited here with his falcons in the middle of the 13th century. There is, however, nothing middling about the wines of
Montefalco. Like them or loathe them, these wines - in particular those made with the local grape Sagrantino - are extremist.
The tannins of this strange variety are fierce, the aromatic profile is selvatico (redolent of wild fruits) and the alcohol level can be
pretty aggressive.
The origins of Sagrantino are shrouded in mystery. DNA tests have demonstrated that the variety is not related to any other vine
of central Italy. No one really knows how long it has been here nor how it arrived, though most tend to accept that it was brought
over by Franciscan monks, perhaps from the Holy Lands after some crusade, maybe from Spain….
…But one must not get the impression that Montefalco wine is all about Sagrantino. Two other grapes play an important role,
and a number of others are joining them. Sangiovese is the grape at the base of Montefalco Rosso and Riserva, …..
Grechetto, a type of Greco peculiar to Umbria, must be present at between 50% and 80% in Montefalco Bianco and there is also
a varietal Grechetto provided for by the DOC Colli Martani.
The dominant azienda on the Montefalco wine scene is undoubtedly Arnaldo Caprai, run by Arnaldo’s son Marco - like Sagrantino,
Marco tends to provoke extreme reactions. No one can deny, however, that it is he, together with his viticultural and oenological
consultant Attilio Pagli, who has contributed the most towards our understanding of the Sagrantino grape.
Collecting 100 different clones from doorways and kitchen gardens in the early 1990s, they planted them and subsequently
selected 60 for specialised planting and study. The scientific work is being carried out by Professor Valenti of the University of
Milan, while microvinifications are looked after by the Institute of Oenology at San Michele all’Adige in Trentino under Professor
Nicolini….
…Caprai’s lead wine is Sagrantino di Montefalco 25 Anni (it would be riserva but such a category doesn’t exist yet), a wine
whose blockbuster characteristics have been beautifully brought together in a harmonious whole. This wine, which regularly
receives Three Glasses in Gambero Rosso’s annual Italian wine guide, has been described as the best wine in Italy and while some,
including guru Luigi Veronelli, firmly reject this judgment it nonetheless gives an indication of the quality level we are on. The
Sagrantino Collepiano packs quite a punch too, as does the Passito, while among Caprai’s other wines the one that stands out is
Montefalco Rosso Riserva.
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