Montefalco Sagrantino

Earth, long and balanced, prune, sour cherry

A darkly alluring bouquet of ripe woodland berries, crushed rocks and forest floor is lifted by a hint of mentholated herbs as the 2012 Sagrantino di Montefalco smolders up the glass. Rich balsamic spices and mocha giving way to black cherries and a hint of sour citrus. This is persistent and structured, though not painfully so, leaving a staining of blue and red fruits to linger long. The 2012 will make for a good option to drink over the medium term while waiting for the more structured vintages to mature. (Eric Guido, Vinous, August 2021)

Deep Ruby with aromas of red fruits and spice notes. On the palate flavors of blackberry and ripe cherry fruit with notes of vanilla and cacao. Medium finish, firm rustic tannins ending with fruit and spice character.

Massive tannins

I feel like I’ve had other vintages of this wine that I enjoyed more. I remember them having more power and rusticity. It had the tannin but lacked the chutzpah

Found this in cellar. Earthy aromas with fruit on edges. Dark berry flavors with cedar tones. Very tannic past it’s prime. Drink up if you have one.

I live in such a small house some of my pictures are becoming redundant! :)
A mineralesque smell to the wine,
Full on Aged balsamic soaked fig, oregano, tabac, green peppercorn. A full bodied and very tannic wine - fresh leather acidity.

From wine access:
This is one of the most powerfully concentrated wines on the planet. From a native variety in one of Italy’s most undervalued regions, it’s a richly structured bottle that every lover of bold reds should know.

This 2012 wine is extremely dark in the glass - inky - and bears a nose of beautiful blackberry and black plum. There is a savory ride-along for good measure. The sip reveals a wine with a tingling acidity and very firm tannins - eight years old and it still has plenty of fight left in it. Bring on the rib eye, bring on the porterhouse… this wine will tame all of them.

While the nose is reminiscent of Sangiovese with red cherry, blackberry, licorice, black tea leaf, leather, and touch of smoke, it was unmistakably Sagrantino on the palate. The stern and massive tannins, together with the streaking acidity that somehow give the body a lighter feel, extrude sheer power.
Not for everyone, but I do like it a lot.

Was expecting more from this, as I read that sagrantino was "as full bodied and flavorful as Cabernet". The only thing that is comparable to cab here, is the tannic structure. Otherwise, it is far less complex. If you are looking for an obscure, full bodied Italian grape, go with aglianico or negroamaro.