Cantina Roccafiore is an architectural jewel of a winery in the village of Todi, to the west of Montefalco proper (and very close to the epicenter of Italy's recent earthquake). Home also to a resort and wellness center, it’s immediately clear that this is a property of very serious ambition, and the wines have a polish to them that speaks to their impeccably manicured surroundings. And while Sagrantino plantings have surged dramatically in the Montefalco zone over the last decade-plus, the dominant red grape here, and in Umbria generally, is Sangiovese (which, of course, does not belong to Tuscany alone). 

While Sangiovese regularly achieves greatness in Umbria on its own, its role in the wines of the Montefalco appellation is not unlike its role in many famous super-Tuscans – as the structural foundation of the wine. When blended with ‘international’ grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot, the delicate Sangiovese recedes to more of a support role, even when it comprises the majority of a blend; it is simply too delicate to assert its will over more heavily concentrated grapes, and the result is typically a wine with a ‘Cabernet’ personality and a Sangiovese soul. With Sagrantino, a grape which has been shown to contain more anthocyanins and flavor compounds than practically any other grape on earth, Sangiovese again cedes center stage to the darker color, blacker fruit, and heady, wintry spice notes of Sagrantino. 

In Montefalco Rosso, even at 70% of the blend as it is here, Sangiovese’s electricity and nerve is rounded and deepened by Sagrantino and, in this case, a small amount of some Cabernet and Merlot as well. Putting Sangiovese in this role is like having Keith Richards play bass; it becomes more foundation than showpiece. The inky color of this wine is the first tipoff, as is the plummier, plumper fruit profile. The nose is a riot of black cherry, huckleberry, black raspberry liqueur and baking spices, while the palate is soft, full-bodied, textured, almost viscous. Aged for a year in a mixture of large Slavonian oak barrels and small French oak barriques, this wine is squeaky-clean and luxurious, a main course crowd-pleaser for whatever meat you want to throw at it. Our suggestion is something wintry and earthy, like this Cotechino recipe from Mario Batali, which incorporates another Umbrian specialty, lentils.

This is a youthful, powerful red that would benefit from a good, rough decanting, after which it expands into something quite supple and lip-smacking, to be served in large Bordeaux stems at 60 to 65 degrees. And if your default mode is ‘big’ reds on the regular, this one is priced for everyday use! Don’t miss it!