Smooth and velvety Sagrantino with deep flavours of black cherry, juicy prune, cocoa and violet flowers

This is a big, bold wine with a profound taste of black fruits and spices, leading to a velvety texture in the mouth. Well-crafted Sagrantino wine (such as this) is smooth and mellow, capable of developing in bottle for 20-30 years.

We visited the Pardi winery in October, when the Sagrantino grapes were being harvested. We immediately fell in love with this wine, and it soon became one of our best sellers.

The Pardi are one of the historic families that started the production of Montefalco Sagrantino wine. Their winery was founded a century ago (in 1919) by three brothers – Alfredo, Francesco and Alberto – in the basement of a monastic hospital. Now, brothers Alberto and Gianluca continue the family tradition. The winery moved into a new building on Via G. Pascoli, a stone’s throw from the Montefalco old monastery, near the famous Church of Santa Chiara della Croce.

Winemaking

Grapes for this wine come from the Campolungo vineyard, which is planted on the slope of the hill right behind the winery. It has a south-east orientation, which is very important to help the Sagrantino grapes fully ripen and develop their signature deep flavour. The harvest is always done by hand in the middle of October.

After pressing, the grapes are fermented in stainless steel tanks for eight days, at a controlled temperature of 24-27°C. After that, the wine is carefully transferred into large, 2600-litre Garbellotto Italian oak barrels, where it matures for 18 months. The use of large oak barrels for ageing helps to gently soften the tannins, but not overpower the natural aromas of the grape.

Next, the wine is blended and left for another 9-12 months in stainless steel tank to integrate. Finally, the wine is bottled, and is left to rest for as long as six to eight months in the cellar.

Tasting notes

In the glass, this wine has a deep ruby colour. It offers aromas of violet, blackberry, black cherry and plum, underpinned by hints of cinnamon and cocoa. Tending towards structure and power rather than elegance and delicacy, this is flavoursome and complex – reflecting the ageing in Italian oak barrels. On the palate, the texture is dense and velvety, with savoury notes of cooked prunes and meat.

Drinking window

2022 – 2028

Awards

Decanter World Wine Awards 2022 – Silver Medal (2016 vintage) | Gambero Rosso 2021 – Two Red Glasses, Final tasting (2016 vintage) | Robert Parker – 92 points (2016 vintage) | Wine Enthusiast – 93 points (2014 vintage) | I Vini Di Veronelli 2020 – 3 stars (2015 vintage)