Sagrantino
Encyclopedia
Italian wine
Italian wine is wine produced in Italy, a country which is home to some of the oldest wine-producing regions in the world. Italy is the world's largest wine producer, responsible for approximately one-fifth of world wine production in 2005. Italian wine is exported largely around the world and has...
that is indigenous to the region of Umbria
Umbria
Umbria is a region of modern central Italy. It is one of the smallest Italian regions and the only peninsular region that is landlocked.Its capital is Perugia.Assisi and Norcia are historical towns associated with St. Francis of Assisi, and St...
in Central Italy. It is grown primarily in the village of Montefalco
Montefalco
Montefalco is a town and comune in the central part of the Italian province of Perugia, on an outcrop of the Colli Martani above the flood plain of the Clitunno river, 7 km SE of Bevagna, 11 km SW of Foligno, and 9 km NW of Trevi.-History:The town has been actively settled since...
and its surrounding areas, with only 250 acres (1 km²) dedicated to the grape in the hands of about 25 producers. With such small production, the wine is not widely known outside of Italy, even though it was granted DOCG status in 1991. The grape is one of the most tannic varieties in the world, and creates wines that are inky purple with an almost-black center. The bouquet is one of dark, brooding red fruits with hints of plum, cinnamon, and earth. The Sagrantino di Montefalco DOCG requires 100 percent Sagrantino used, with a required at least 29 months aging before release. A passito is still made, a thick, syrupy wine with raisin and blueberry qualities. The alcohol content is around 16 percent.
Origins
The origins of the grape are widely disputed, but what is known is that it was used primarily for dessert wineDessert wine
Dessert wines are sweet wines typically served with dessert.There is no simple definition of a dessert wine. In the UK, a dessert wine is considered to be any sweet wine drunk with a meal, as opposed to the white fortified wines drunk before the meal, and the red fortified wines drunk after it...
s for many years, the grape being dried in the passito style, much like a Recioto di Valpolicella. At some point, the wines were made in a dry style, and that is how they are primarily produced today.
Australia has now seen forms of this varietal from wineries such as Coriole, Chalmers and Amadio Wines, all with varying styles of Sagrantino.