Friday, July 15, 2011

2006 Caprai Montefalco Rosso Riserva, Italy DOC

This wine is a beautiful Italian blend with 70% Sangiovese, 15% Sagrantino, and 15% Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Producer Arnaldo Caprai is a leader in the cultivation of Sagrantino grapes, which have been grown in the Montefalco region for 400 years.

It’s hard to say if the Sagrantino plays a leading role in this smooth wine or if the elegant nature of this wine is due exclusively to the Sangiovese, which is a lush, delicious grape we can’t get enough of.

I purchased two bottles of the Caprai Montefalco Rosso Riserva online and popped open one during a recent wine tasting at the house. We ended up out on the patio around a fire. The Montefalco was the next to last wine, right before a pricey Meritage from Ontario. My careful planning was derailed when the Montefalco stole the show.

The wine has inviting wild berry flavor notes with soft tannins and a hint of spice and vanilla. This is a wine that calls for swirling and sniffing. The tasting team can sometimes wax poetic with creative descriptors, but on this night the reaction that seemed to sum up the wine best was “Yes. Yes. Yes.”

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