Description
Paolo Bea Pipparello Montefalco Rosso Riserva 2016
Varietal: 60% Sangiovese, 25% Montepulciano, and 15% Sagrantino
Since the mid-1980s, the bold, unpolished, yet intellectually stimulating and singular wines from this beautiful family farm in Montefalco, Umbria, have delighted and challenged a steadily growing fan base. Now, each new series of releases is eagerly anticipated and tightly allocated. Paolo’s son, Giampiero, the restless mastermind behind all of the family’s vinous endeavors, is a true visionary—a man who has consciously been making wines as naturally and ethically responsible as he can, and long before such things were in fashion.
The cru Pipparello is situated at 400 meters altitude with soils of gravel and clay, and this bottling displays Bea’s masterful touch with Sangiovese, which achieves a wilder expression here than in neighboring Tuscany. Comprising 60% Sangiovese, 25% Montepulciano, and 15% Sagrantino, the 2016, which spent 40 days on its skins, offers a similar aromatic elegance to the “San Valentino” above, with a tomato-leaf-like sense of umami and a deep salinity. Its palate is massively concentrated yet linear and pure, with refined tannins driving the finish to a remarkable length. This is a relatively polite yet ultra-complex version of “Pipparello,” and it should age effortlessly.
