“Il Cuore Verde D’Italia”: Umbria is often referred to as Italy’s “Green Heart”. Being the fourth smallest Italian region, landlocked between Tuscany to the Northwest, Le Marche to the East and Lazio and Abruzzo to the South, Umbria is often overlooked. The expansive Umbrian Valley is split by the mighty Tiber that rushes towards Rome. The Appennini Mountains cut the landscape leading to Italy’s largest central lake, Lago di Trasimano. A multitude of ancient villages dot the hilltops: Perugia, Assisi, Bettona, Torgiano and the looming Montefalco. The towns are surrounded by Central Italy’s sleeper region for wine and olive oil, not to mention tartufi! From the mineral driven Orvieto Classico Bianchi to the earthy and rustic powerhouses of the cult favorite: Sagrantino, a specialty found only here. Read on… Though their voices are less often heard than their Northern neighbors, have no doubt that Kings reign in these hills: Bea, Lungarotti, Mottura.
2007 Sergio Mottura Orvieto, Umbria
Appropriate for tonight’s tasting, this estate straddles the border between Umbria and Lazio. You would never know that you are only 100km from bustling Rome and 160km from touristy Florence as you look out over the stunning bucolic landscape. The Mottura family has owned these 130 hectares between the hills and clay canyons of the Civitella D’Agliano and the plain of the Tiber river since 1933. In the 1960’s the family, began their ceaseless commitment to improving the land and their wines, combining the best of tradition and respect for the land (they farm organically) with the best of modernization in the winery. As their website says “welcome La Tana dell’Istrice” – the porcupine’s lair. The symbol of the porcupine is of great importance to the family as this animal’s return to the vineyards was a sign of the healthy natural environment they have created. Their Orvieto is a classic blend of 50% procanico, 25 % vedello and 25% grecchetto. Orvieto is one of the oldest of Italian wines and like many old school Italian wines, its eventual popularity led to its exploitation. Mottura’s hand-crafted example shows you what a true Orvieto should be. It is fresh and fruity with just a hint of bitterness on the finish. Look for hints of wild mint and herbs which are found growing amongst the vineyards.
2004 Terre dei Trinci, Sangiovese dell’Umbria
The grapes that flourish here are classically central Italian, above all sangiovese, but there are regional specialties such as white grechetto and sagrantino. The sub-zones of Umbria are many, from the calm banks of Lago di Trasimeno in the north to the mountainous slopes of Monte Subasio in the south. Terre dei Trinci was established in 1950 when now president of the Confraternita` del Sagrantino, Ludovico Mattoni, became the first to bottle the “new” version of sagrantino: “secco” or dry. With this, the little town of Foligno became the cantina’s home and one of the most important producers of Umbrian wine. In 1992 this daily sangiovese style wine first debuted. It is made from 100% sangiovese and is vinified in stainless steel vats before a brief bottle aging period. Not unlike its northern (Tuscan) cousins, but with a bit more of that dusty minerality that the banks of the Tiber river provide. This is a great everyday wine!
2007 Sergio Mottura Civitella Rosso, Umbria
Hmmm… What to serve with my boar stew with gin berries this evening? Sergio Mottura to the rescue as that is his favorite dish to pair with this unique red wine. The Civitella Rosso is a distinctively woodsy red that calls for something with similarly earthy tones, like boar, duck or pheasant. (Cue music… “These are a few of my favorite things”) The Mottura family is originally from the Piedmont, just outside of Turin and Sergio moved to join his uncle in the vineyard when he was 20 years old. It is clear that he picked up some winemaking tricks from his legendary red wine producing home! Sergio’s Civitella Rosso Vineyard is beautifully marbled with granite in which his merlot (85% of the blend) and Montepulciano (15% of the blend) thrive. The wine is fermented and rested entirely in stainless steel, so the savory spicy notes you find are coming entirely from the grapes, not from any oak influence. This is a family truly committed to their land, growing olives and grains in addition to grapes and running a charming agriturismo so that visitors can enjoy the fruits of their labor right where they are produced. Road trip, anyone?
2001 Terre dei Trinci Montefalco Rosso Riserva
The Trinci family was once powerful Roman nobility that governed the township of Foligno in the 14th and 15th centuries, which now gives name to this well respected winery. Umbria is divided by the famous Tiber River that rushes towards Rome. The left and right banks of the river basin are quite distinct in the bedrock composition which can be seen quite cleverly by looking across the Umbrian Valley from the capital town of Perugia at the hillside town of Assisi; it shines a brilliant pink color! This is because the travertine stone on the right bank is rich in calcium and lime that changes pink when exposed to air. This is quite important to the wines of the area. The “little brother” Montefalco Rosso DOC is usually a blend, only requiring 10% sagrantino, but that relatively small percentage is enough to truly focus the wine around this gamy grape. There are plenty of “non-Umbro” varietals growing in the central valley, from barbera to garganega and merlot. Terre dei Trinci is decidedly more of a modern style producer, incorporating small barrel aging as well as these “international” grapes. All is done with rigorous attention to detail and quality. The Riservas are only made in exceptional vintages from the oldest vines making this wine a potent alternative to any Chianti Classico.
2003 Adanti Sagrantino di Montefalco, Umbria
The cantina of Adanti is located in the rolling hills near the hamlet of Bevagna, directly in the heart of the production zone of Sagrantino. Over the last thirty years, the Adanti brothers (Domenico and Pietro) have made their mark on Umbrian wine production. In 1960 the brothers began to restore the ancient convent of the Celestini monks that had been left since Roman times. Today they cultivate 50ha of land 32 of which are under vine while 5ha with olive groves. Now, if there is a powerhouse grape varietal of Umbria, Sagrantino is it. This native grape is found exclusively in the hills around Montefalco and the eponymous wine is one of the most potent in all of Italy. Research shows that the sagrantino grape contains up to 5 times the amount of extractable polyphenols of cabernet sauvignon and tannins that can put the mighty nebbiolo to shame! The origins of sagrantino are still quite undecided; many believing it may have been brought to Umbria by the Spanish during their time under Saracen occupation. Others think that the first of the Franciscan monks from central France may have first planted it here. However it got here it is truly Umbrian and for centuries it was not even made into a dry (secco) wine but rather a “passito” style sweet wine possibly used only for sacramental rituals, hence the name, sagrantino. Adanti is a traditionalist incorporating little intervention in the field and use of traditional Italian style wood (large botti). This sagrantino is from a warm, forward vintage, which turns it into somewhat of an opulent, brooding anomaly.
