The Umbrian wine region of Montefalco has been one of Italy’s most dynamic over the past 20 years. Obviously, wine production here dates back much farther than that, but in terms of consumer recognition, its history is more recent. The revival, in the late 1990s, of the area’s indigenous Sagrantino grape—a dense and tannic powerhouse of a red—was a sensation, attracting a huge wave of investment and consumer interest.
But let’s not forget about Sangiovese, still Umbria’s (and Italy’s) most-planted red grape, and a noble one at that. This wine from Cantina Fongoli is a classic and quite elegant Montefalco Rosso DOC wine, a Sangiovese-driven red in which Sagrantino has a small (but significant) supporting role. It’s balanced, polished, tastes like a place, and comes from a heritage producer. I might also note that it’s a steal. Like, highway robbery-level steal.
What I mean when I say it ‘tastes like a place’ is that it has dimensions to its flavors and aromatics that go beyond ripe, rich fruit. There’s savor here, and acidity, and a mineral component that reminds you that vines are rooted in dirt. At this price point we’re besieged with what I’d call ‘commodity’ wines: stylized, usually dark and cola-sweet, wines that are more about “brand” than place. When I put my nose in a glass of Fongoli’s Montefalco Rosso I’m getting a little story about the green hills of central Umbria and about the woodsy, slightly rustic nature of Sangiovese as grown there. I’m getting what wine geeks call transparency: a wine that hasn’t been pushed to become something else by way of over-ripeness, lots of oak, or any of the more nefarious means of fluffing up a wine.
What’s just as appealing is the fact that Fongoli is one of Montefalco’s longest-established wineries, now in its fourth generation of family ownership. This is what I mean by ‘heritage.’ The fact that a wine like this can come from this little medieval town in Umbria, cross the ocean, and still end up in your hands for $20 is amazing to me. Fongoli is a classic farmhouse operation, with 40 hectares of vineyards, olive groves, and oak trees, with the cantina located underneath the family home. Their reds are aged not in new French oak barriques but traditional, large-capacity Slavonian oak botti.
This traditionalist bent is noteworthy because of how much Montefalco has grown in recent years, thanks to the Sagrantino craze. Between 2000 and 2008 the production of DOCG Montefalco Sagrantino quadrupled, with vineyard plantings of the grape ballooning from 120 to 660 hectares. More than 30 new wineries have been built in Montefalco in just the last seven years, many of them embracing the slick, ultra-modern style. While a rising tide lifts all boats, an estate like Fongoli—which, by the way, has been making varietal Sagrantino since the late ‘60s—risks becoming an outlier in sticking with its more Old School approach.
Thankfully, it looks like wine fashion may be back on their side, which I can definitely get behind after tasting Fongoli’s 2013 Montefalco Rosso. For me, Montefalco Rosso is all about how the finicky, high-strung Sangiovese plays with the other kids: does it assert itself, or does it shrink in the presence of a big bully like Sagrantino? Either way, frankly, the wines can be delicious, but I prefer it when Sangiovese leads, as it does here. The actual blend in 2013 was 60% Sangiovese, 15% Sagrantino, 15% Merlot and 10% Montepulciano, aged 18 months in used Slavonian oak before bottling. Given those percentages, you might expect it to take on more of a ‘super-Tuscan’ style international bent, but in fact in comes off more like a polished style of Rosso di Montalcino.
In the glass it’s perhaps a deeper ruby red than an all-Sangiovese red would be, with a slight kirsch liqueur-like opulence on the nose that also lends depth. There’s the distinctive black cherry and fennel notes of Sangiovese, along with a kind of woodsy rusticity I associate with the grape; layered subtly underneath are some of the tarry, coffee-ground bass notes of the Sagrantino, with the Merlot and Montepulciano lending silky mouthfeel. There’s no measurable oak influence, and it’s a really versatile, energetic, medium-weight wine with tons of personality—a ‘house wine’ candidate if ever there was one! Serve it at around 60 degrees in Bordeaux stems, and pair it with all manner of grilled meats, from simple burgers to more involved barbecue. As easy as it is to drink (and afford), I guarantee it won’t be consumed absent-mindedly—even around a picnic table, drinking from paper cups, people are going to notice its extra gear, and appreciate its Old School authenticity. Enjoy!
