Bocale Montefalco Sagrantino Passito (Umbria), 2019

 

I have never had a Sagrantno wine, and I was looking forward to this NTP tasting for a good introduction. Apparently, the dry Sagrantino is to come next month at Tasting #2, but this Passito offers a very enjoyable glimpse of what this noble grape has to offer.  Passito is, of course, a sweet wine made from dried grapes, similar to Amarone.

Very dark, velvety. Very ripe fruit, doesn't smell or taste too alcoholic...even at 15.0% ABV. Rich, ripe fruits--plums, blackberries, dark cherries, pomegranates--wow! Also some floral notes. No hard edges, delicious fruit but not overly sweet for a dessert wine. Spicy finish, long and complex. I gave this 17.0 points. At $45 a half bottle, though, I think I would put my money on a good Sauternes or Vintage Port.