If you’re familiar with Sagrantino, a powerfully big and dark, almost inky red wine brimming with black fruit and intense tannins that leaves your mouth dry and your tongue feeling like sandpaper probably comes to mind. But this sweeping generalization doesn’t do the wine justice. Sagrantino has a range of organoleptic properties and can be crafted into wines with myriad expressions subject to the winemaker’s interpretation. After all, a wine is only as good as its creator.
Sagrantino is chiefly cultivated in the municipalities of Bevagna, Castle Ritaldi, Giano dell’ Umbria, Gualdo Cattaneo, and Montefalco within Perugia province in the central Italian region of Umbria. Umbria is a land of ancient walled cities with old stone buildings, cobblestone streets, quaint shops featuring local artisanal products, and restaurants serving Umbrian cuisine rising above hillside vineyards and olive grove-lined valleys. Its landscape has earned it the nickname “Green heart of Italy.”
Montefalco produces approximately 30% of the DOP (Denominazione di Origine Protetta) wines made in Umbria with Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG representing roughly 8% of that production.
The Consorzio Tutela Vini dei Montefalco, located at the Piazza de Comune in the center of Montefalco, was established in 1981 to guarantee that every wine made within the Montefalco DOC and DOCG are of exceptional quality. The DOC and DOCG distinctions are given only to those wines made within designated areas that adhere to strict production regulations and meet or exceed the quality standards as determined jointly by the Italian Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry Policies and Federdoc. The Montefalco DOC was awarded in 1979, and the Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG (with currently roughly 380 hectares under vine), in 1992. A total of 62 out of 73 area producers belong to the Consorzio. The Consorzio works with these producers to increase regional and global awareness of Montefalco wines. The Consorzio is also responsible for organizing the annual “A Montefalco,” anteprima celebrating the latest vintage of Sagrantino and other wines produced in these areas.
The history of Sagrantino is rooted in the terroir. It is a native grape that has thrived particularly well on the slopes of Montefalco and in surrounding areas since Franciscan monks began cultivating it centuries ago to make Sagrantino Passito, a sweet wine they used in religious ceremonies. Sagrantino Passito DOCG is prized for its rich, and silky-smooth texture, balanced acidity and sweetness, and dark flower petal, ripe blackberry and stone fruit, and honey flavors. Sagrantino Passito represents roughly 3% of the approximately 1.8 million bottles of Sagrantino wine produced annually.
The clay, calcareous, and gravel-dominant soil in both the hillside vineyards (situated between 220 and 472 meters above sea level (asl)), and those in lower-lying areas, a Mediterranean sub-continental climate characterized by hot and dry summers, cold winters, and moderate annual precipitation present the ideal conditions for cultivating the indigenous grape Sagrantino and contribute to its unique organoleptic properties. Natural variations in terrain and elevation also create microclimates that allow producers to make Sagrantino in different styles, ranging from bolder and more structured wines with firm tannins, to those that are fresh, lighter bodied, and fruit dominant.
Sagrantino is a relatively aromatic grape, with balanced acidity, full-bodied tannins, and dark berry, stone fruit, and spice, mocha, tobacco, and scented wood notes that evolve over time. As a result, Sagrantino wines have exceptional age ability.
Montefalco Sagrantino and Montefalco Sagrantino Passito were awarded DOC status in 1979. In 1992 this status was upgraded to DOCG.
Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG
Grape Composition: 100% Sagrantino
Aging: 37+ months (12+ months in oak barrels)
Montefalco Sagrantino Passito DOCG
Grape Composition: 100% Sagrantino (dried for 2+ months and fermented on the skins)
Aging: 37+ months (4+ months in bottle)
This year’s A Montefalco anteprima featured the Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG, 2021, the latest vintage to be released onto the global market.
Several factors influenced the quality and helped to shape the overall style of this year’s Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG. A relatively severe winter, with average precipitation, and a cold start to a wet spring followed by a hot and dry summer, and a cool autumn resulted in a smaller than average harvest.
However, this did not compromise the quality of the grapes. The result was a 2021 vintage with structure and weight, firm tannins, a balance of fresh acidity and bold ripe fruit, and good potential for extended aging.
Sagrantino has its purest expression as the single varietal wines Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG and Montefalco Sagrantino Passito DOCG. However, Sagrantino is also blended with Sangiovese and other regional varietals like Montepulciano, and international grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, to make Montefalco Rosso DOC. The ideal Montefalco Rosso DOC is an elegant, balanced, and complex red wine that reflects the best characteristics of each grape in the blend. It can be enjoyed young, yet also ages gracefully. Montefalco Rosso DOC is unique because it unites Sangiovese (an important grape in Umbria that happens to be Italy’s most commonly planted red varietal) with Sagrantino, (a grape grown exclusively in and around Montefalco), to create a Sangiovese-based wine with a distinctly Umbrian character.
The production of Montefalco Rosso DOC must meet the following requirements:
Montefalco Rosso DOC Grape composition: Sangiovese (60%-80%), Sagrantino (10%-25%), other local and international varietals (up to 30%)
Aging: 18+ months
Montefalco Rosso DOC Riserva
Aging: 30+ months (12+ months in oak barrels)
During A Montefalco 2025, I had the privilege of visiting some of the area’s top producers of Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG and Montefalco Rosso DOC:
Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG 2021
Winery: Antonelli San Marco
Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG 2021
Color: Ruby
Flavor profile: Full-bodied and structured, with a balance of acidity and robust tannins, and citrus, dark berry, black stone fruit, and herb notes.
Winery: Azienda Agricola Montioni Frantoio e Cantina
Montefalco Sagrantino Ma Gia DOCG 2021
Color: Violet-red
Flavor profile: Rich and structured, with ripe plum and black cherry, licorice root, dried herb, scented wood, mocha, and vanilla bean notes.
Winery: Azienda Agraria Scacciadiavoli di Pambuffetti
Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG 2021
Color: Ruby-garnet
Flavor profile: Elegant and complex, with a balance of fresh acidity and robust tannins, and blood orange, cranberry, red currant, and balsamic notes.
Sagrantino Passito 2021
Winery: Antonelli San Marco
Montefalco Sagrantino Passito DOCG 2021
Color: Ruby-red garnet
Flavor Profile: Candied lemon and orange peel, maraschino cherry, raspberry compote, and aromatic spice notes.
Winery: Cesarini-Sartori Semele
Montefalco Sagrantino Passito Semele DOCG
Color: Ruby-red
Flavor profile: Baked orchard fruit, mixed berry compote, prune, dried fig and date, and sweet spice notes.
Winery: Azienda Agraria Scacciadiavoli di Pambuffetti
Montefalco Sagrantino Passito DOCG
Color: Deep ruby-red violet
Flavor Profile: Silky and smooth, with a balance of soft acidity and well-evolved, integrated tannins, and mixed ripe berry and currant, black cherry, hazelnut, and concentrated sweet spice notes.
Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG
Winery: Cantina Fongoli
Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG Fracanton 2015
Color: Ruby-red
Flavor Profile: Full-bodied, with bright acidity and minerality, soft and balanced tannins, and dark flower petal, fresh raspberry, red currant, cherry, and licorice root notes.
Winery: Tenuta di Saragano
Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG 2017
Color: Ruby-red
Flavor profile: Full-bodied and complex, with balanced minerality and tannins, and blackberry, dark cherry, tobacco, leather, pepper, and licorice root notes.
Winery: Antonelli San Marco
Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG Chiusa Di Pannone 2019
Color: Deep ruby-red
Flavor Profile: Structured and intense, with well-integrated tannins, and citrus, dark berry and stone fruit, eucalyptus, and thyme notes.
Montefalco Rosso DOC
Winery: Colle Ciocco
Montefalco Rosso DOC 2021
Composition: 70% Sangiovese, 15% Sagrantino, 15% Merlot
Color: Ruby-red
Flavor Profile: Rich, bright, and balanced, with a firm structure, and dark stone fruit and black spice notes.
Winery: Tenuta di Saragano
Montefalco Rosso DOC 2019
Composition: 60% Sangiovese, 15% Sagrantino, 15% Merlot, 10% Montepulciano
d’Abruzzo
Color: Ruby
Flavor profile: Fresh and vivacious, with bright tannins, mixed dark petal and berry, dried fig, mushroom, tobacco, leather, clove, and licorice root notes.
Winery: La Fonte Agricola Azienda
Montefalco Rosso DOC Collefreddo 2020
Composition: 60% Sangiovese, 20% Sagrantino, 20% Merlot
Color: Garnet-red
Flavor profile: Fresh acidity coupled with vibrant tannins, and raspberry, red currant, cherry, balsamic, and pepper notes.
Montefalco Rosso DOC Riserva
Winery: Cantine Briziarelli
Montefalco Rosso DOC Rosso Mattone 2022
Composition: 80% Sangiovese, 20% Sagrantino
Color: Ruby-red
Flavor profile: Fresh and balanced, with an attractive acidity and minerality, and dark flower petal and stone fruit, thyme, vanilla bean, and licorice root notes.
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