Paolo Bea, Sagrantino Montefalco Passito Brut Zero

Paolo Bea, Sagrantino Montefalco Passito Brut ZeroRum soaked cherries, cinnamon sticks, shavings of dark chocolate and confectionary spice define the 2011 Montefalco Sagrantino Passito. Soothingly round and pleasantly sweet, it easily flows across the palate, displaying a mix of tart raspberry and licorice, all enlivened by zesty acidity. The 2011 finishes with a tart concentration while cleaning up beautifully, leaving sweet herbal tones and hints of blood orange. This finished at a respectable 95

plum and even more floral wisps

A deft application of wood sets off riper aromas of poached plum and black cherry liqueur that display a plenitude of floral and discreet spice elements

but carries its richness with a sense of measured restraint

The floral and spice notes carry emphatically through the impressively long

intense and nicely detailed middleweight flavors that exude a bracing salinity on the highly refreshing finale

warm iron-infused earth notes and a hint of minerality that can also be found on the round

modern style of Chateauneuf du Pape that inspire discussion between modernists and traditionalists

The 2014 has closed down considerably after bottling

Instantly impressive in the glass and checking all the boxes for a fantastic

A sleeper of the vintage

and it was released some time ago (I'm also tasting the 2016

An exceptionally fresh and even spicier nose combines red and black pinot fruit with really lovely floral notes that include rose