2000 harvest (a wonder)

Zone of vines: Hills of Montefalco at 400 m.s.l., location Pagliaro '88
Orientation: EAST-SOUTHWEST
Type of soil: Clay
Care of vines: Trained on wire, with 2.800 plants per hectare
Yield per hectare: 40 quintaliters
Date of harvest: 2° week of October
Grapes: 100% SAGRANTINO
Degrees of alcohol:about 15%
Harvest: by hand, then placed on mats for drying and aging
Type of fermentation: grapes and skins separated from the stems after passitura (drying/aging process)
Number of days of fermentaion and maceration: 60
Aging of wine: 60 months in steel,containers changed annually to decant the wine, then aged in the bottle.
Drying Method: on straw mats from Trasimeno, in an open and naturally ventilated environment
Length of drying period: 5 months
Period of Vinification: middle of February 2001
Characteristics: sweet, with fruity aromas, reminiscent of persimmon, blackberries, and dried figs.
Recommended pairings: dry, aged cheeses and dried fruit
Price of 37,5 cl. bottle in Italian enotecas: €. 55,00/75,00
Total number of bottles: from the 2000 harvest, 2.533 bottles were produced (all individually numbered).


Note: Following the traditional methods of 'passitura' the SAGRANTINO grapes are left to dry for four/five months on straw mats from the region surrounding Lake Trasimeno. The straw is indispensible because it facilitates proper ventilation of the grapes during the long period of 'passitura,' creating a healthy environment and preventing the growth of harmful molds. In general, our passito is aged a bit longer, but we decided that the 2000 vintage was ready for sale after just 5 years. Sagrantino passito is a wine that, when tasted, starts off sweet, but finishes smoothly, with a slight dryness associated with more traditional dry reds. We strongly believe that this vintage will maintain its value and character, and can be aged for up to 10/15 years. The 2000 passito appears to be one of the best vintages in memory;keeping in mind that for the past 10 years, passito has only been made in those vintages that have the best meteorological conditions, rich in sunlight but also tempered with sufficient rain.