Paolo & Giampiero Bea, Sagrantino di Montefalco, Passito DOCG, Umbria, Italy, 2011

Overview of the Wine
References in the archives of Montefalco, the beautiful hill town in Umbria, document the presence of the Bea family in this locality as early as 1500. This tiny estate is the classic Italian fattoria, producing wine, raising farm animals for trade and home consumption and working the land to produce olives, fruits and vegetables. To this day, the Bea family raises and produces much of what they consume on a daily basis. Paolo Bea, the senior member of the family, is the guiding force behind the production of this series of intense and idiosyncratic wines. He is assisted by his two sons, Giuseppe, who farms the vineyards, and Giampiero, who assists in the vinification and is responsible for all commercial aspects of the winery.

Over the past 35 years, Giampiero Bea—both through his own deeply personal wines and his far-reaching influence—has become a cornerstone of our family of growers. Building on the work of his father, a through-and-through farmer whose Umbrian dialect is so thick as to be nearly incomprehensible to outsiders, Giampiero realized what made Paolo’s wines so special and built a working philosophy around it. In a series of decades that saw Italian winegrowers embracing modern technology whole-hog, Giampiero—as co-founder of the ViniVeri (“Real Wine”) group—advocated for respectful vineyard work, biodiversity, a de-emphasis on technology in the cellar, non-engagement with professional critics, and an overall trust in old, tried-and-true agrarian wisdom.

Organic and Biodynamic.

Winemakers
Paolo & Giampiero Bea

Grape / Blend
Sagrantino

Origin
Sagrantino di Montefalco IGT, Italy

Tasting Notes
This rare and very special wine, made exclusively from Sagrantino, is harvested late and left to raisin for four months before pressing. As it air dries, a white mold forms that balances and concentrates the acid, sugar and tannins. The grapes, as raisins, contain approximately 30% sugar at this point (January of the following year) and they are then de-stemmed and crushed. Fermentation begins and slowly progresses until the sugar level reaches 16% to 18%; pressing then takes place and the resulting wine carries approximately 90 grams of residual sugar. The wine is then aged in stainless steel for four years or more and then an extra in bottle. It is not produced every year and, when it is, 1,000 to 2,000 half bottles are produced.

95 Points - Vinous
Rum-soaked cherries, cinnamon sticks, shavings of dark chocolate and confectionary spice define the 2011 Montefalco Sagrantino Passito. Soothingly round and pleasantly sweet, it easily flows across the palate, displaying a mix of tart raspberry and licorice, all enlivened by zesty acidity. The 2022 finishes with a tart concentration while cleaning up beautifully, leaving sweet herbal tones and hints of blood orange. This finished at a respectable 95 grams of residual sugar per liter, making for an almost sweet and sour sensation that keeps the taster returning to the glass for more.

92 Points - Wine Advocate
Packaged in a precious 375-milliliter bottle, the 2011 Montefalco Sagrantino Passito opens to heavy and dried aromas of fig, prune, raisin and dusty walnut. Giampiero Bea gave me a chunk of Parmigiano cheese to try with the wine, and that's the pairing you want, believe me. The wine is not too sweet; in fact, its oxidative character takes center stage. Only 3,699 bottles exist.

Product size: 375ml