The weather is certainly cooling down here in Toronto. It’s the end of September and believe me when I say, you can feel the chill in the air. I had to don a thick sweater all day and send my kids to school in sweatpants, that’s how cold it is! Fall is really and truly upon us.

And I can’t help but reminisce about what felt like the shortest summer ever. Due in no small part to the hellish year we’ve all endured I’m sure, I just didn’t want summer to end. But end it did. C’est la vie, no?

As we head into the colder months ahead, I’m definitely craving richer wines and warmer pastures. Sorry, it’s just the way I am! I’ve no problem with drinking white and rose wines all year round but it’s just not what I tend to prefer. All that to say that you can probably expect a great deal of red wines to grace my weekly Wine Wednesday picks for the next little while :)

And for this week, I couldn’t keep myself from reaching for Italy again. I mean, that’s where I should have been vacationing at some point in the last two years had it not been for COVID. So, my mind can’t help but keep pulling me that way! Ha!

There’s also the fact that Italian wine is like a world in and of itself. With something around 400 distinct appellations and countless indigenous grape varieties that can literally be found nowhere else, this country is a wine lovers dream (or at least this wine lover’s dream). And the thrill really is in discovering something new. Which is exactly what this week’s wine was for me, which is why I was drawn to it. It has been a real pleasure to research this one, and contemplate its uniqueness.

And with that, let’s get into this week’s pick!

2016 Lungarotti Montefalco Rosso

As I said in the intro, this week’s wine pick comes from Italy, and more specifically, from central Italy, from a region called Umbria. It is a rich, notably dry and spicy wine that has a uniqueness factor that one can’t quite put one’s finger on, but can definitely be tasted from the very first sip! Read on to learn all that you need to know about this wine.

What does this wine cost?

$27/bottle. This is starting to get up there in terms of price, especially for a DOC wine (as opposed to a DOCG wine) from Italy.

What in the (wine) world is……Montefalco?

Haven’t seen this term before? Don’t worry - wine labelling is super confusing and you wouldn’t be the only one who wouldn’t be sure what to make of this label. Montefalco is the name of both a fascinating town with medieval ties and a DOC in Umbria. Now that I’ve learned more about it, this place is definitely on my hit list for the next trip to Italy! Read on for more info.

Where does this wine come from?

As already noted, this wine comes from the hilltop town of Montefalco in the political region of Umbria.

Umbria is renowned for many things, including the fact that it is the only landlocked region in all of Italy. It is also well known for its hills, mountains, charming historical towns and of course, its wine. Umbria definitely makes some very fascinating, albeit hard to pin down, high quality wines.

Why is this wine unique?

I think this wine is unique because it contains a small amount of Sagrantino. Sagrantino is a native grape that is sometimes referred to as the “King of Wine”. With a robust, dry and tannic character, it is not a grape that is grown nor vinified abundantly.

In its most revered form, Sagrantino is made into a DOCG wine from Umbria called Sagrantino di Montefalco. These wines are said to be stunning, but generally cannot be drunk young. In this case, Sangratino has been added to a far more accessible wine to make it more interesting.

You’ll note that I said above that there is a small amount of Sagrantino in this wine. So, what makes up the rest of the wine, you might be asking.

The majority of the blend actually consists of Sangiovese, which is another point of distinction and uniqueness for this wine in my view. Most of the Sangiovese that we find in the Northern Hemisphere comes from Tuscany - to find an example from Umbria is a treat.

Further to the point around rarity - there were only 20,000 bottles (or roughly 1600 cases) of this wine produced.

Who makes this wine?

This wine is made by a famous family owned company called the Lungarotti Group. With numerous holdings and a long history in Umbria, Langarotti is certainly a well entrenched member of the Umbrian winemaking scene. Click here to learn more about Lungarotti.

A few Wine Geek “essential facts” about the wine (feel free to skip this if you don’t care about detailed wine-making information!):

Variety - Mainly Sangiovese, with Sagrantino and Merlot

Vinification - stainless steel fermentation with 28 days of skin contact, followed by 12 months of aging in large format casks and barriques, and then one year of aging in bottle.

ABV - 14%

Residual Sugar - 2 g/L

Certified Organic Wine

My tasting notes:

A deep ruby with violet hints, this wine smells incredible on the nose, with aromas of sweet spices, candied red apples, caramel, purple plums and violets. On the palate, this wine is decidedly dry and tannic but has nice acidity to balance things out. Expect red berry, purple plum, blackberry jam and cinnamon notes, encased in a mildly smoky finish. This wine is bold and full bodied, with a long and thick finish. In my view, this wine needs to be aerated if drunk immediately and also should be enjoyed with food.

Aging potential:

3-5 years.

Recommendations to Wineitupanotch:

Pair this wine with pasta, eggplant parm, beef sausages, or aged cheese. I think this wine would also do well with a montreal smoked meat sandwich, if you can get your hands on one!

Wineitupanotch Wine Score: 89 points

A very interesting wine that is perfect for the average wine geek or Italian wine student. I’d say that this is one for a more advanced wine palate - the tannins and finish may not be for everyone, especially if not paired with the right food and/or mood ;-).

If you’re located in Ontario, you can find this wine at the LCBO under Product #577668.

FINAL VERDICT:

If you want to try something new and/or off the beaten track, give this wine a go. If you are a wine geek, or have wine geeks in your life, you (or they) will be suitably impressed, of this, I am sure!

If you’ve tried this wine already, or decide to pick it up and try it after reading this post, I’d love to hear from you and hear what you think of it! Please do drop me a line.

Until next time, wishing you love, light and of course - good wine! :)

Cheers!

XOXO

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