~ Marco Caprai and his wines are often fixtures at Tre Bicchieri ~
Founded in 1971 by Patriarch Arnaldo Caprai, what was once a small 12.5 acre estate is now one of the largest properties in Montefalco. Today, the Arnaldo Caprai winery encompasses over 370 acres of land including forest, olive groves and untamed Umbrian wilderness. Of the remaining 220 acres devoted to premium wine production, much of that is focused on Sangiovese and Sagrantino.
Since 1988, Arnaldo’s son Marco has run the family business and under his direction, the estate has become certified biodynamic and organic, receiving no less than twelve accreditations granted to the winery.
Today we’re looking at the recently released Montefalco Rosso from Arnaldo Caprai. The 2015 Montefalco Rosso is the traditional blend of 70% Sangiovese, 15% Sagrantino and 15% Merlot. After vinification and aging in French Barrique, the wine rests blended in bottle for 6-12 months prior to release.
In the glass, the wine is a dark, shimmering violet color with ruby reflections. It is very pretty to look at. The deep hues of the Sagrantino and Merlot grapes clearly impart their footprint on the color of the wine. On the nose, the wine displays traits of cherry, toasted oak, mocha and pepper. On the palate, this seems oddly dominated by the Merlot. Typically, these wines portray more aspects of the blend, but this focuses on tart cherry, sappy menthol, bell pepper and toasted vanilla. For a 2015, I’m a bit surprised how disjointed and herbaceous this seems to be. Medium bodied at most, again normally the weight of Sagrantino exerts itself with more gusto. Recently, Caprai has created several new wines; 2 new Sagrantino and a single vineyard Montefalco Rosso. I’m wondering if the fruit is being spread too thin. A disappointing showing from what I’ve come to expect. 85 points. Around $20. Find this wine.
~ What I would consider an atypical showing for this label; though there was nothing wrong or off about the wine. Still, at $20, there are better options and given the universal success of the 2015 vintage, I’m disappointed. ~
Avanti !
I liked the article, except that normally Sagrantino takes more years to be ready. So 2015 it’s still young to be enjoyed at its best.
Thanks Pablo. Yes, Sagrantino takes many, many years to be ready. But in my experience, this wine, being 70% Sangiovese does not require as much age. Additionally, previous vintages have shown very differently than this 2015 which displayed a lot of green and herbaceous aromas not typically found in fully ripened Sangiovese. Thanks for commenting and checking out the site!