Paolo Bea
Cerrete Sagrantino di Montefalco
Oh…wow…it was my brother-in-law’s birthday and he asked the local Rosenthal distributor for a recommendation on what to buy (and drink) to celebrate. This was their recommendation! And while I applaud their impeccable taste, I wish this had been thrown into a decanter the day before! My first experience with Bea’s “Cerrete”. Popped and poured; consumed far too quickly (within 90 minutes). The wine pours a deep garnet. This wine is high intensity with some noticeable VA. It smells like a wine from the Woodland realm, with rich dark fruit, wood, blue and purple flowers, exotic spices, and balsamic notes. On the palate, ripe dark fruit mixed with tart cherries and baking spices. Substantial structure; high tannin and super dry with high acid. The finish was impossibly long. The only unfortunate thing about the experience was it was cut way too short as I feel the best was yet to come if we had decanted. Never the less, it was a remarkable, rustic wine that I hope to have another experience with in the future. Bottle number 1815 of 3993.
Oh…wow…it was my brother-in-law’s birthday and he asked the local Rosenthal distributor for a recommendation on what to buy (and drink) to celebrate. This was their recommendation! And while I applaud their impeccable taste, I wish this had been thrown into a decanter the day before! My first experience with Bea’s “Cerrete”. Popped and poured; consumed far too quickly (within 90 minutes). The wine pours a deep garnet. This wine is high intensity with some noticeable VA. It smells like a wine from the Woodland realm, with rich dark fruit, wood, blue and purple flowers, exotic spices, and balsamic notes. On the palate, ripe dark fruit mixed with tart cherries and baking spices. Substantial structure; high tannin and super dry with high acid. The finish was impossibly long. The only unfortunate thing about the experience was it was cut way too short as I feel the best was yet to come if we had decanted. Never the less, it was a remarkable, rustic wine that I hope to have another experience with in the future. Bottle number 1815 of 3993.
Jul 2nd, 2021Opens up after an initial showing of cinnamon, clove, anise, coriander, lavender, and dark dried fruits, presenting with BIG black cherry, much more fruit than other Bea wines. Hugely tannic on the palate to match, showing massive structure that would ensure this wine could lay down for another ten years, no sweat. Along with the rustic oak and grapeskin, the tannins bring bushels of potpourri and sage. Leaps out of the glass, hugely assertive on the nose. Continued to develop for 4 hours or so, eventually also revealing rooty, vegetal notes reminiscent of beets. A real stunner.
Opens up after an initial showing of cinnamon, clove, anise, coriander, lavender, and dark dried fruits, presenting with BIG black cherry, much more fruit than other Bea wines. Hugely tannic on the palate to match, showing massive structure that would ensure this wine could lay down for another ten years, no sweat. Along with the rustic oak and grapeskin, the tannins bring bushels of potpourri and sage. Leaps out of the glass, hugely assertive on the nose. Continued to develop for 4 hours or so, eventually also revealing rooty, vegetal notes reminiscent of beets. A real stunner.
Mar 6th, 2021