Machine-harvested, destemmed and berry-sorted, one fermenter pressed at 1 degrees baume to barrel for mlf, the other left in the vat for 4 months post-ferment with richer tannin, the former with florals on the bouquet. It is surprising that the tannins needed assistance, but the result speaks for itself with very spicy/bramble flavours and good structure.

A standout at a recent tasting of Australian wines made from the famously tannic Umbrian grape sagrantino, this dark, ripe red, full of plush fruit swaddled in bittersweet chocolate tannins shows serious promise in the cellar. The 2014 vintage, also tasted at the same event, is just starting to loosen up, and also has a long life ahead of it. In it's homeland Montefalco, sagrantino produces densely structured red wines that need at least a decade in bottle to reach their drinking potential.