Wine is not made by the winemakers, but by nature. This is the philosophy one savours when drinking the Sagrantino di Montefalco Pagliaro DOCG of the Paolo Bea winery. A precious wine, noble and rustic at the same time, that has conquered wine lovers all over the world. Abandon your conceptions of conventional wines: you are about to enter the world of ancestral, natural wines.
From Nature To The Bottle: The Natural Wines of Paolo Bea Winery
Paolo Bea’s is a family-run winery in Montefalco, in the Umbria region. The first thing one notices when driving to the winery’s 11-hectars estates is the overwhelming beauty of the landscape. Rolling hills covered with olive groves and vineyards, enchanting medieval villages and, further in the distance, wooded areas on the highest peaks. It feels like stepping through the gates of paradise.
The Bea family carries a wealth of knowledge gained over five centuries living among these hills. It is knowledge of the cycles of nature, terroir and the life of the vines, from when the first shoots sprout to when the wine slowly matures in the large Slavonian oak barrels.
What “Natural Wines” Means for The Paolo Bea Winery
The winery founded by Paolo Bea has very deep roots, so much so that the first bottling dates back to 1980. The creed in the vineyard and in the cellar has remained unchanged ever since: to respect nature without prevaricating it, to give life to healthy products, to wait for the natural cycles to take place, to safeguard the flavours of the earth.
It is no coincidence that Paolo’s son Giampiero is president and founder of ViniVeri consortium, a flagship association in the natural wine movement.
The idea that to obtain better wines you must understand and care for the land is somehow revolutionary nowadays. In concrete terms, making natural wines means avoiding:
- Synthetic chemicals and invasive soil tillage
- Yeast or other oenological additives
- Forced stabilization in the cellar
- Oenologist, because “wine is made by nature”
- Filtration of the wine
Paolo Bea’s conviction is that technology and science can help man, but must never replace the processes of nature, so as not to alter the environmental balance. Due to weather conditions, the winery’s production quantity can vary every year, so much so that it is often not possible to fulfil all requests.
From the fusion of passion, research and tradition, the Paolo Bea winery obtains wines that fully reveal the unique flavors of the land from which they come, in constant balance between the work of man and the surrounding environment.
Meet Sagrantino di Montefalco Pagliaro DOCG
Paolo Bea’s Sagrantino di Montefalco Pagliaro is an absolute benchmark in its type. A multifaceted and exciting expression capable of combining richness and strength of character. The Pagliaro wine comes from 100% Sagrantino grapes from vines about 20 years old located at an altitude of 400 metres. The back label reports the total transparency of every step of the production, from harvesting to bottling.
As stated before, in the vineyard no chemical or synthetic products are used, so that the grapes are perfectly healthy and vital. In the cellar, the same credo is followed, with reduced additions of sulphur dioxide and fermentation using indigenous yeasts.
Macerations are prolonged, and in this case last up to 40 days. Maturation takes place for 12 months in stainless steel and a further 28 months in large wood before bottling. No filtration or clarification are used, to fully preserve the character of the liquid.
The Pagliaro Sagrantino appears in the glass with an intense ruby red color edged with garnet reflections, depending on the degree of maturity. The nose is an effluvium of contrasting notes: hints of plums and cherries, then balsamic and earthy lashings. The rusticity of the wine is undeniable, but it is also one of its strengths. On the palate, it fills the mouth with a rich but relaxed matter, supported by mature and perfectly integrated tannins. An unsettling taste, which leaves a long and important legacy both on the palate and in memory. Certainly not to be forgotten. Unique.
Sagrantino di Montefalco Pagliaro pairs well with tasty red meat and game. However, it is also excellent as a tea-time treat, with shortcrust pastry tarts and plum or quince jam.
Curious To Taste Sagrantino di Montefalco Pagliaro? Organise A Private Wine Tasting!
To really appreciate this gorgeous wine, you should taste it ASAP! Contact me for more infos on how to start your wine cellar at home, or to organize a private wine tasting focused on unique Italian bottles.
