Cellar Raid Highlight: UMBRIA, Il Cuore Verde d'Italia
Cellar Raid: Half Priced Bottles of 750ml Wine Every Tuesday in our Enoteca.
Tucked away in central Italy, Umbria is often called Il cuore verde d'Italia, or the “green heart of Italy”. Unlike its more famous neighbors Toscana and Lazio, Umbria has maintained a quieter, more rustic charm, where medieval hilltop towns like Orvieto, Assisi, and Spoleto tell tales of bygone eras. The Etruscans and Romans both left their mark on the region, but Umbria truly came into its own during the Middle Ages, with its cities developing distinct identities rooted in religious, artistic, and agricultural significance.
Today, Umbria’s landscape of rolling hills, vineyards, olive groves, and cypress trees not only serves as a picturesque screensaver but also provides the foundation for its agricultural identity. The region is dotted with centuries-old estates and family-run farms, where winemaking and olive oil production have been perfected through generations.
Two grape varieties take center stage in Umbria: Trebbiano Spolentino and Sagrantino di Montefalco. While Trebbiano is often dismissed in other parts of Italy as a high-yield, neutral variety, the Spoletino clone found in Umbria is a completely different story. Grown around Spoleto and Montefalco, Trebbiano Spoletino is revered for its aromatic complexity, zesty acidity, and texture. This white wine, when made by quality producers, showcases notes of citrus, stone fruits, and herbal undertones that pair perfectly with the region’s vegetal driven dishes and freshwater fish.
On the red side, Sagrantino di Montelfalco stands as Umbria’s flagship grape, a variety deeply tied to the region’s identity. Cultivated around Montefalco, Sagrantino is known for its powerful structure, intense tannins, and deep, brooding fruit profile. Historically, Sagrantino di Montefalco was known as a passito wine, emphasizing its rich, raisinated sweetness. However, today, winemakers have refined their techniques, producing dry Sagrantino wines that balance power with elegance. These wines are capable of long aging, developing secondary notes of leather, spice, and earthy complexity that reflect the soil and climate of Umbria. The cuisine of Umbria is rustic, hearty, and deeply rooted in the land. Known for its black truffles and cinghiale, Umbrian food is the perfect partner to its robust wines.
Paolo Bea is a respected figure in the world of Italian wine, embodying the spirit of Umbria through his dedication to traditional, natural winemaking practices. His estate, located in Montefalco, has been family-owned since the 1500s, and today, Paolo Bea, along with his sons Giampiero and Giuseppe, cultivates some of the most authentic and expressive wines in the region. Eschewing chemical interventions and embracing a minimalist approach both in the vineyard and the cellar, Bea produces wines that are as much a reflection of the land as they are of his philosophy. His Sagrantinos are powerful and age-worthy, showing complex layers of fruit, earth, and spice, while his white wines offer a compelling combination of texture, freshness, and depth. The Bea estate’s commitment to natural methods and low-intervention winemaking has made it a benchmark for quality and authenticity in Umbria, attracting a dedicated following among wine enthusiasts who seek wines of place, purity, and personality.
This Week’s Featured Selections:
Umbria, Paolo Bea “Lapideus” 2020
The Paolo Bea “Lapideus” 2020 is an absolute comp de maÎtre - an archetypal expression of Trebbiano Spoletino that defies convention and elevates the grape to new heights. This is not your run-of-the-mill, innocuous Trebbiano. Instead, it’s a wine of staggering complexity and nerve, offering a head-spinning interplay of tension and textural intrigue In the glass, it unfolds with a glowing golden hue, almost amber, hinting at its prolonged skin contact. Aromatically, the bouquet is a revelation - waves of dried apricot, bruised yellow apple, honeycomb, and chamomile leap out, interwoven with oxidative notes of toasted hazelnut and saline minerality.
On the palate, the 2020 Lapideus is broad and opulent yet laser-focused, with an underlying backbone of vibrant acidity that keeps its inherent weight in check. Flavors of preserved lemon, baked pear, and quince paste merge with savory elements of dried herbs, crushed rock, and a whisper of medicinal spice, creating a multilayered complexity that evolves and unfolds with every sip. The wine’s structure is formidable, with a gripping tannic texture rarely found in whites, a testament to Bea’s fearless vinification approach and unparalleled craftsmanship. A finish reverberates endlessly - echoing with subtle oxidative nuances, wet stone, and a lingering sense of umami - cements this wine as a meditative, cerebral experience. It is a bottle for true enthusiasts who appreciate the idiosyncratic brilliance and raw power of Paolo Bea’s singular vision.
Montefalco Sagrantino, Paolo Bea “Cerrete” 2015
This is a monumental, almost transcendental expression of Sagrantino di Montefalco that pushes the boundaries of what this storied grape is capable of. Sourced from the highest altitude vineyard in Montefalco, Cerrete is Paolo Bea’s pièce de résistance - a masterclass in harnessing power, concentration, and purity. In the glass, it presents a nearly impenetrable, deep garnet hue, hinting at the sheer density and extraction that await. On the nose, its tour de force of dark, brooding complexity: black plum, compote, dried cherries, and blackberry liqueur meld seamlessly with nuances of pipe tobacco, bitter chocolate, and a savory undertone of iron and wet earth. A wild medley of herbs - think rosemary, bay leaf, and thyme - adds an intoxicating lift to the already heavy nose.
The palate is unapologetically intense, with an expansive, full-bodied texture and a core of deeply concentrated fruit that feels almost endless. Despite its formidable tannins - structured, chewy, and not for the faint of heart - there is a seamless integration that speaks to the wine’s superior pedigree. This is Sagrantino in its most unadulterated , raw form, yet there is an underlying elegance and finesse that balances its sheer power. Flavors of black currant, licorice, and smoke unfold slowly, evolving into layers of dried fig, espresso, and savory spice, all carried by a taut thread of acidity that gives the wine unexpected lift.
