2013 Tabarrini - Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG Campo alla Cerqua (750ml)

Giampaolo Tabarrini took over his family's farm outside Montefalco in the late 1990s at just 22 years old, becoming the fourth generation of Tabarrinis to work this corner of Umbria. Where his relatives had long sold wine in bulk as a secondary crop to farming, Giampaolo began estate bottling immediately and became the first producer in the region to release single-vineyard crus of Sagrantino, a move that helped establish him as one of Montefalco's most influential winemakers. He has also championed rare local varieties, reviving the ancient white grape Trebbiano Spoletino and rescuing an obscure red called Grero from a single vine found in a garden. Today Giampaolo, increasingly joined by his son, Filippo, farms roughly sixteen hectares scattered across Montefalco in a mosaic of distinct, individually vinified plots.

Campo alla Cerqua takes its name from the oak trees, cerqua in the local dialect, that dot this southeast-facing vineyard, planted in 1997 at around 420 meters. Its soil is looser and stonier than the estate's other Sagrantino sites, rich in river pebbles over silty clay. After fermentation the wine ages for several years in large oak casks, a gentler approach reserved for this particular site, and isn't released until at least four years after harvest.

Now well into its drinking window, this Sagrantino shows an intense ruby color and a complex nose of blackberry and delicate spice, framed by fine, integrated tannins and a distinctive mineral edge. It pairs beautifully with roasts, braised meats, game, or long-aged cheeses.