Lungarotti Montefalco Sagrantino 2018
Winemaker Notes
Critical Acclaim
All VintagesScents of violets lend freshness to this wine’s rich, spiceladen flavors of plum and licorice. The tannins are smooth and polished, framing the bold flavors as the wine takes on notes of smoke and sandalwood. A match for pork belly.
The certified organic Lungarotti 2018 Montefalco Sagrantino (with 16,000 bottles produced) opens to rich darkness and lively fruit notes of dried cherry and blackcurrant. The tannins are carefully managed to give structure and support to the ample fruit weight, but they don't impart bitterness. This vintage offers an accessible personality, although the high 15.5% alcohol content is something to watch out for. Best After 2022
Lungarotti’s history is a love-story for the land spanning many generations. In the 18th century the Lungarotti family was already producing wine and olive oil in the Mid-Tiber River valley. After World War II this activity grew and was consolidated, culminating in the creation of Rubesco and Torre di Giano whose first vintage on the market dates back to 1962. These wines represent two of the first DOC appellations in Italy (Rosso and Bianco di Torgiano, since 1968). The 1964 vintage marks the first production of Rubesco Riserva Vigna Monticchio (Torgiano Rosso Riserva DOCG), a wine which has put Umbria on the world wine map.
Since 1999, when Giorgio Lungarotti passed away, the estate has been guided by his daughter Chiara, the CEO, and her sister Teresa, assisted by their mother Maria Grazia and grandchildren Francesco and Gemma.
Today Lungarotti boasts 250 hectares of vineyards whose cornerstone is sustainability, between the Torgiano estate (230 ha, VIVA certification since 2018) and the one in Montefalco (20 ha, organic since 2010). Native varietals such as Sangiovese, Colorino, Sagrantino, Grechetto, Trebbiano Spoletino and Vermentino are planted alongside international varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio.
Lungarotti is not just wine but also culture, with the Wine Museum of Torgiano, defined by the New York Times as “best in Italy” and the Olive and Oil Museum, managed by the non-profit Lungarotti Foundation directed by art historian Maria Grazia Lungarotti.
Finally, on the scenic road leading up from Torgiano to the Brufa hill – right in between Perugia and Assisi - Lungarotti has created Poggio alle Vigne, an elegant agriturismo among the Rubesco vineyards, ideal for enjoying relaxing holidays surrounded by the scents and sounds of nature.
Winery tours, wine tastings and typical products of the territory at the two wineries, picnics and trekking in the vineyards, guided museum tours: a multitude of experiences to savour in the green heart of Umbria. All this is the Lungarotti Experience.
Centered upon the lush Apennine Range in the center if the Italian peninsula, Umbria is one of the few completely landlocked regions in Italy. It’s star red grape variety, Sagrantino, finds its mecca around the striking, hilltop village of Montefalco. The resulting wine, Sagrantino di Montefalco, is an age-worthy, brawny, brambly red, bursting with jammy, blackberry fruit and earthy, pine forest aromas. By law this classified wine has to be aged over three years before it can be released from the winery and Sagrantino often needs a good 5-10 more years in bottle before it reaches its peak. Incidentally these wines often fall under the radar in the scene of high-end, age-begging, Italian reds, giving them an almost cult-classic appeal. They are undoubtedly worth the wait!
Rosso di Montefalco, on the other had, is composed mainly of Sangiovese and is a more fruit-driven, quaffable wine to enjoy while waiting for the Sagrantinos to mellow out.
Among its green mountains, perched upon a high cliff in the province of Terni, sits the town of Orvieto. Orvieto, the wine, is a blend of at least 60% Trebbiano in combination with Grechetto, with the possible addition of other local white varieties. Orvieto is the center of Umbria’s white wine production—and anchor of the region’s entire wine scene—producing over two thirds of Umbria’s wine. A great Orvieto will have clean aromas and flavors of green apple, melon and citrus, and have a crisp, mineral-dominant finish.
Known for dark and dense red wines, Sagrantino is a grape unique to Umbria. The best examples come from the clay, sand and limestone soils around the village of Montefalco. Since Sagrantino grapes have a high level of tannins, law requires Sagrantino di Montefalco age at least 30 months before release to market. Sagrantino often benefits from further aging—though look to those labeled Rosso di Montefalco for early drinking Sagrantino-Sangiovese blends. Somm Secret—Sagrantino contains some of the highest polyphenol (antioxidant) levels compared to other red wine grapes.