A journey into the world of Sagrantino – Montefalco
g r a n t i n o – M o n t e f a l c o
Montefalco Sagrantino D.O.C.G. and all its secrets.
We begin our journey full of typical flavours and tastes of beautiful Umbria coming across one of its most splendid wine jewels – the famous Montefalco Sagrantino red wine.
Its name recalls its two main characteristics. Firstly, Sagrantino derives from “sacer”, a root that refers to religious terms such as sacristy since in ancient times it was considered a wine to be consumed during religious holidays, thus an important wine. Secondly, Montefalco, which is both the area of origin and the essence of this typical Umbrian product.
In fact, Montefalco Montefalco D.O.C.G. has two varieties: “passito” and “dry“. Passito is the first variety from which this Umbrian wine originated. In ancient times, its sweet taste made it the perfect wine to be enjoyed during Sundays and feast days.
From the historical version of Montefalco Sagrantino Passito, born to be offered to guests during the holidays, this Umbrian red has evolved, passing to the dry variety, which is more suitable for pairing meals as well as for the Italian and world wine market.
But how to recognize a true Montefalco Sagrantino D.O.C.G.?
Montefalco Sagrantino D.O.C.G., according to the Protocol, can be grown only and exclusively within a well-defined territory, in the Municipality of Montefalco and very few other neighbouring areas in the province of Perugia, for a total of only 5 municipalities.
This is the first peculiarity of this product, a rare pearl that must follow strict rules in order to be recognized as D.O.C.G.
Viniculture
In addition to the close belonging to the territory, it is the grapes that, first and foremost, play a fundamental role since they must derive exclusively from vineyards of 100% Sagrantino vines.
The purity of the grape is particularly important for the success of a good Montefalco Sagrantino as well as the soil on which these grapes grow; a hilly area is one of the basic requirements for a quality that deserves the Controlled and Guaranteed Denomination of Origin.
Vinification
However, having the right soil to grow Sagrantino vines is only part of the wine producer’s daily work because once the harvest is complete, the vinification stage begins, that is when the grapes are specifically treated to become the Montefalco Sagrantino we will drink during our dinners.
Firstly, the vinification of the Sagrantino must take place within the territory of the production area, according to the Protocol, to guarantee the origin of both the raw material and the treatment.
Secondly, dry Sagrantino, as a long-aging red wine, requires a 33-month aging period, including at least 12 months in oak barrels. Not to mention the last step: at least a 4-month refining in the bottle before being ready to be placed on the market with the name of Montefalco Sagrantino D.O.C.G.
But what is the final result?
The Montefalco Sagrantino you will taste, coming solely from wineries located in Montefalco, has a ruby red colour tending to garnet due to long aging; a dry but intense and full-bodied flavour, which goes well with meat dishes, such as game and first courses with meat sauce, or mature cheeses.
Open your Montefalco Sagrantino at least two hours before enjoying it with your guests in order to fully savour all the notes of its aroma and taste.
It is impressive how a wine with such ancient roots has evolved becoming more elegant and easy-drinking, despite its high quantity of tannins and intense taste, thanks to producers of the Montefalco area, who, over time and with new generations, have Sagrantino reinterpreted, making it an increasingly harmonious red wine, which however does not lose its rough and full-bodied side.
According to the oldest tradition.
2) Aggiungere un cucchiaino di lievito per dolci, quindi amalgamare.
3) Foderare una teglia con carta da forno
4) Fare con l’impasto dei rotolini e poi unire i due estremi di ciascun rotolino per formare una ciambellina.
5) Ripassare la ciambellina nello zucchero, avanti e dietro, poi disporre sulla teglia.
6) Infornare le ciambelline a 190° per 7 minuti
Ed ecco pronte le nostre ciambelline al Sagrantino Passito Montioni!
L’abbinamento che vi consigliamo? Ovviamente un calice di Sagrantino Passito Montioni o, in alternativa, il nostro vino più amato ovvero il Sagrantino di Montefalco DOCG Montioni!
Alla prossima ricetta del blog dell’Azienda Agricola Montioni, Tra Cucina e Cantina!
On occasion, the winemaker may decide to leave them in if the grapes themselves contain less tannin than desired. This is more acceptable if the stems have ‘ripened’ and started to turn brown. If increased skin extraction is desired, a winemaker might choose to crush the grapes after destemming.
Wine is one of the most civilized things in the world and one of the most natural things of the world that has been brought to the greatest perfection, and it offers a greater range for enjoyment and appreciation than, possibly, any other purely sensory thing.
Removal of stems first means no stem tannin can be extracted. In these cases the grapes pass between two rollers which squeeze the grapes enough to separate the skin and pulp, but not so much as to cause excessive shearing or tearing of the skin tissues. In some cases, notably with “delicate” red varietals such as Pinot noir or Syrah, all or part of the grapes might be left uncrushed (called “whole berry”) to encourage the retention of fruity aromas through partial carbonic maceration.
The Grapes
The quality of the grapes determines the quality of the wine more than any other factor. Grape quality is affected by variety as well as weather during the growing season, soil minerals and acidity, time of harvest, and pruning method. The combination of these effects is often referred to as the grape’s terroir.
Grapes are usually harvested from the vineyard from early September until early November in the northern hemisphere, and mid February until early March in the southern hemisphere.
In some cool areas in the southern hemisphere, for example Tasmania, harvesting extends into May. The most common species of wine grape is Vitis Vinifera, which includes nearly all varieties of European origin. The most common species of wine grape is Vitis Vinifera, which includes nearly all varieties of European origin.
Manual harvesting is the hand-picking of grape clusters from the grapevines. In the United States, some grapes are picked into one- or two-ton bins for transport back to the winery. Manual harvesting has the advantage of using knowledgeable labor to not only pick the ripe clusters but also to leave behind the clusters that are not ripe or contain bunch rot or other defects. This can be an effective first line of defense to prevent inferior quality fruit from contaminating a lot or tank of wine.
Destemming is the process of separating stems from the grapes. Depending on the winemaking procedure, this process may be undertaken before crushing with the purpose of lowering the development of tannins and vegetal flavors in the resulting wine. Single berry harvesting, as is done with some German Trockenbeerenauslese, avoids this step altogether with the grapes being individually selected.
Crushing is the process when gently squeezing the berries and breaking the skins to start to liberate the contents of the berries. Destemming is the process of removing the grapes from the rachis (the stem which holds the grapes).
In traditional and smaller-scale wine making, the harvested grapes are sometimes crushed by trampling them barefoot or by the use of inexpensive small scale crushers. These can also destem at the same time. However, in larger wineries, a mechanical crusher/destemmer is used. The decision about destemming is different for red and white wine making. Generally when making white wine the fruit is only crushed, the stems are then placed in the press with the berries. The presence of stems in the mix facilitates pressing by allowing juice to flow past flattened skins.
Katerina Monroe
@katerinam • More Posts by Katerina
Congratulations on the award, it's well deserved! You guys definitely know what you're doing. Looking forward to my next visit to the winery!
