2006 Paolo Bea Montefalco Sagrantino Secco Pagliaro
Community Tasting Note
Seth Rosenberg Likes this wine:
Sunday, February 22, 2015 - PnP. The nose has sweet, almost candied fruit - plummy, macerated strawberries and sweet black cherry, a creamy marzipan note, spices - baking spices and fruitcake, and a pretty herbal component with alpine herbs. At times shows just a hint of raisins, but this is not hot or overripe on the nose, maybe just a touch of heat. The nose is so perfumed that I would probably guess Red Burg, but it's not quite right - it's like a Red Burg from a nearby dimension. The palate is very silky with fine tannins and deep and sweet red and blue fruits. The acid is good and it shows some herbal qualities and some stony minerality on the midpalate. The finish shows the sweet candied fruit, the herbs and creamy marzipan and ends with the fine tannins. Nose - 5.5/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 5-5.5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1-1.5/2 = 16.5-17.5/20.
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6 comments have been posted
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue (4,979 views)
Comment posted by kevinacohn:
2/23/2015 9:41:00 AM - Great note.
Comment posted by Matt Neel:
3/16/2015 10:33:00 PM - Yep, great note, obviously. I'm going to pay close attention to P. Bea...
Comment posted by mdvino63:
3/27/2015 10:20:00 PM - Since when did you start drinking Sagrantino? With whom/where did you have this?
I've loved Paolo Bea's wines in the past, but they got so damn expensive I stopped buying (not that I ever bought much). I'm glad the wines are still good. Maybe someday the prices will moderate some.
Comment posted by Seth Rosenberg:
3/28/2015 5:46:00 AM - MP - It's true, this isn't the type of wine that I try very often. But that's one of the great things about CellarTracker. I follow Kevin Cohn's notes and he posted a note on this wine that really got my attention. I found that a small store in prospect Heights, less than 10 min away, was selling the wine, so I grabbed a bottle and tried it at home, by myself.
Comment posted by kevinacohn:
3/28/2015 7:12:00 AM - mdvino63: Bea's wines have certainly become more expensive in the last few years, which is unfortunate but also unavoidable given the high quality (to give you an idea of Bea's obsessiveness over quality, he will essentially sell no wine for the 2013 or 2014 vintages). Without knowing what you consider to be expensive, the San Valentino IGT retails for ~$35 and punches above its weight. It's not 100% Sagrantino (in most vintages it's predominantly Sangiovese), but it's a great way to drink Bea for considerably less than the Pagliaro.
Comment posted by mdvino63:
3/31/2015 10:23:00 AM - Hi, Kevin:
I have had the San Valentino, which I like but don't find compelling at its price point. I think my issue with pricing is one of expectation as it relates to history: Paolo Bea's wines (and Caprai's, as well) used to be less than 1/2 what they are now (granted, I'm talking > 10 years ago) and were, IMO, wonderful bargains given the quality. If I were to compare Bea's wines to, say, red bordeaux or burgundy in the same quality range, Bea's wines are still bargains - I would jump at the chance to buy a great Chambolle at the price of the Pagliaro. Additionally, there is the "je ne sais quoi" factor: if one loves the style and flavors of a certain producer, the point scores, reputation and relative pricing should be a lot less relevant. I think I'm talking myself into revisiting buying Paolo Bea! (but don't tell my wife!)