Tenuta Rocca di Fabbri, Sagrantino di Montefalco, 2015

Umbria is one of Italy’s lesser-known wine regions often hiding in the shadows of its neighbor, Tuscany. But, it is an absolutely marvelous wine region. For whites, it is known for Grechetto which produces Orvieto DOC wines and for reds, it is home of Sagrantino. Sagrantino is a deep, dark and powerful wine and it just so happens that it is one of, if not the most, polyphenol-rich grape varieties out there.

Tenuta Rocca di Fabbri was founded in 1984 by Pietro Vitali in the eastern zone of Montefalco, Umbria, Italy. From the beginning, the philosophy was of minimal intervention and for complete respect of the land. Today the vineyards and tenuta are part of the Associazione Nazionale Le Donne del Vino which celebrates the direction and contribution of female winemakers.

Rocca di Fabbri’s Sagrantino di Montefalco, 2015 comes from hand-harvested 20 year old vines and undergoes a maceration length of 20 days. The vineyards are tended to using strict organic and biodynamic principles and are plowed between seasons by mules, not machines, which limits disruption to natural microorganism colonies within the soil.

In the cellar, juice is fermented using only native yeasts and the wine is free of any fining and filtration, enabling the retention of structural elements and ensuring the highest concentration of polyphenolic compounds. Before its release to the market, the wine spends 12 months in stainless steel and 18 months in wood, 70% in oak barrels and 30% in barriques. Further, it undergoes 6 months of bottle aging.

This is the heavy hitter wine you have been asking for. If you like the dry and full-bodied texture of wines from, say, California but think they’re too jammy and overpriced, we recommend you get your hands on this extremely well-made wine. You’ll get dark fruits alongside soil, graphite and baking spices for a tremendously complex wine with a lingering finish. Rocca di Fabbri describes this wine as “vigorous, rich and intense”and it is a very spot on description.

Pair this wine with roasts, venison and hard cheeses. As always, we also enjoy it with a classic charcuterie board.

© Healthiest Pour 2021