On the Road with the Grape Guy

On the Road with the Grape Guy is a on-going feature that follows me from event to event ... I post my thoughts, feelings and reviews of what happened and what I tasted ... basically it is here that I review the events I attend and the things that thrilled me.

Anteprima Sagrantino: Sagrantino DOC (on market)

25 Aug 2022

(May 2022) … Some of the wines below are barrel samples, and therefore are given a Good / Better / Best rating for potential in the future. Any wine that is finished and in bottle is given a star rating.

Observations and Comments …

The best versions of these wines have an approachability early, which is rare, but getting less so, and that’s great news for the Sagrantino brand. Instead of having to sit on your bottles for 20+ years and hoping the fruit outlasts the tannins, we get to have our fruit and drink them too. The key seems to be pulling back on extraction and trying to keep those tannins at bay. Many producers are finding a way.

A Quick Note About the 2014 Vintage Wines: 2014 was a horrible vintage (according to many winemakers in the area), but they are starting to come around and be drinkable at a very early age; yes they taste older than they should, but then you get a feel for what older Sagrantino tastes like sooner. If you have any 2014 Sagrantino, pull them out and drink ‘em up.

Adanti 2014 Sagrantino DOCG ... (*** ½+)
Benedetti & Grigi 2016 Sagrantino DOCG ... (*** ½+)
Cocco Ilaria 2016 Sagrantino DOCG ... (*** ½)
Colle Ciocco 2016 Sagrantino DOCG Phonsano ... (*** ½+)
Di Filippo 2017 Sagrantino DOCG ... (*** ½+)
Fattoria Colsanto 2015 Sagrantino DOCG ... (*** ½+)
La Fonte 2016 Sagrantino DOCG Collepoppo ... (*** ½+)
Le Cimate 2015 Sagrantino DOCG ... (*** ½+)
Luca di Tomaso 2016 Sagrantino DOCG (barrel sample) ... Good
Romanelli 2016 Sagrantino DOCG Medeo ... (*** ½+)
Tenuta Bellafonte 2015 Sagrantino DOCG Collenottolo ... (*** ½+)

Tenuta Castelbuono Lunelli 2016 Sagrantino DOCG ... (*** ½)
Tenuta di Saragano 2016 Sagrantino DOCG ... (*** ½+)
Tenute Baldo 2015 Sagrantino DOCG ... (*** ½+)
Terre de la Custodia 2016 Sagrantino DOCG Exubera ... (*** ½+)
Terre de' Trinci 2015 Sagrantino DOCG ... (*** ½)
Terre San Felice 2017 Sagrantino DOCG ... (*** ½+)
Tudernum 2015 Sagrantino DOCG Fidenzio ... (*** ½+)


FOUR STARS and Above (with notes)

Antonelli San Marco 2016 Sagrantino DOCG
Leathery and fruity with some cocoa-strawberry notes and gripping tannins. (****)

Briziarelli 2016 Sagrantino DOCG Vitruvio
There's a real mocha note in here, plus some caffe latte and even smoky characteristics, but it’s all in that Starbucks kinda way – interesting wine, fun to drink and great with a coffee rubbed steak. (****)

Bocale 2017 Sagrantino DOCG
The fruit explodes here: cherry, mocha-blackberry and cassis with a smoky component to make it interesting. (****)

Colpetrone 2014 Sagrantino DOCG
Expressive, but also subdued: mocha with some blackberry and smoke; not over-powering, nor are the tannins over-whelming (****)

La Veneranda 2017 Sagrantino DOCG
Another mocha/coffee version of Sagrantino that's a pleasure to drink (****)

Perticaia 2015 Sagrantino DOCG
Now that's a very flavourful Sagrantino. There's a juicy character upfront, and a smokiness to the finish. The fruit is dark and almost lush before the tannins take over. (****+)

Tabarrini 2017 Sagrantino DOCG
Tannins are there, but not over-powering, it's the fruit that sneaks up on you and takes over. There’s also it's dark and bittersweet chocolate on the finish. (****)

 

Anteprima Sagrantino: 2018 Sangrantino DOC - Preview

11 Aug 2022

(May 2022) … During the Anteprima Sagrantino I tasted 47 wines in quick succession blind and gave them a rating based on how I see their potential moving forward. Sagrantino DOC is a wine that needs years to be drinkable, and it is nice to see that some producers are trying to create a wine that is drinkable sooner. Long live Sagrantino, but not always in the cellar – time to bring some of them out for a taste.

These wines below were tasted blind and given a Good / Better / Best rating for potential in the future:

Terre de' Trinci 2018 Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG  ... Good
Tenute Baldo 2018 Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG ... Better
Terre de la Custodia 2018 Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG - Maior ... Good
Cocco Ilaria 2018 Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG - Phansano ... Good
Agricola Mevante 2018 Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG ... Better
Colle Ciocco 2018 Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG ... Better
Adanti 2018 Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG - Arquata ... Good
Tenuta di Saragano 2018 Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG - Saragano ... Good
Le Thadee 2018 Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG - Carlo Re ... Better
Fattoria Colsanto 2018 Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG ... Best
Moretti Omero 2018 Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG ... Best
Scacciadiavoli 2018 Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG ... Good
Colpetrone 2018 Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG ... Better
Tenuta Alzatura 2018 Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG ... Good
Montioni 2018 Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG - Ma Gia ... Better
Perticaia 2018 Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG ... Good
Benedetti & Grigi 2018 Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG - Dioniso ... Better
Luca di Tomaso 2018 Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG ... Better
Adanti 2018 Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG - Il Domenico ... Good
Tenuta Bellafonte 2018 Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG - Collenottolo ... Better
Pardi 2018 Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG ... Better
Romanelli 2018 Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG - Terra Cupa ... Better
Terre San Felice 2018 Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG ... Good
Di Filippo 2018 Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG - Etnico ... Good
Pardi 2018 Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG - Sacrantino ... Better
Raina 2018 Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG - Le Pretelle ... Good
La Veneranda 2018 Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG ... Good
Terre San Felice 2018 Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG - Vinum Dei ... Best
Tenuta Castelbuono - Lunelli 2018 Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG - Carapace ... Better
Tabarrini 2018 Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG - Colle Grimaldesco ... Good
Tabarrini 2018 Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG - Colle alle Macchie ... Better

 

Get Our Newsletter

* indicates required

Follow Us on Social Media

Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube

RSS feed