Introduction
In case you missed it: Paolo Bea is my favorite producer. A little over three years ago, my girlfriend (now my wife) and I decided to take a trip to Italy. More or less at the last minute we decided to add a one-night stay in Montefalco to visit with Giampiero Bea, son of Paolo and now the driving force behind this estate and indeed Italy's natural wine movement. That visit had a profound impact on me and I've since become an ardent believer in Bea's approach to winemaking.
For those of you who haven't visited Paolo Bea, the tasting experience is like nothing else. Nearly every wine is tasted—multiple vintages for most—a privilege reserved by most producers for members of the trade. Bottles are opened days ahead of time so they show their best and also to demonstrate the stability of natural wines. Small plates of food are paired with each set of wines. You sit around a table in the family home. Indeed, you're made to feel like family.
We returned to visit Giampiero again, far more knowledgeable but with no fewer questions than the last time. Giampiero and his assistant, Sergio, were again excellent hosts. Over the course of many hours, we talked about winemaking philosophy, recent vintages, the wines themselves, and more.
Speaking of the wines: Knowing that we'd already tasted pretty much everything currently available on the market, Sergio disappeared for a few minutes, returning with bottles of vintages that have yet to been released (in the States, and in some cases in Italy), making this a particularly special (and educational) tasting.
In addition to the tasting notes below, here are various bits of information that I gleaned during the visit and may be of interest to readers here or elsewhere:
- What's drinking particularly well right now, according to Giampiero: The 1999 and 2003 Pipparello (I can attest to the former) and all of the 2006 reds (I can also attest to this). Interestingly, the 2005s, once thought to be a superior vintage to the difficult 2006, are on a bit of a downward slope. This is a good reminder never to judge a book by its cover.
- I asked Giampiero why only the Pagliaro is bottled in magnum, offering my opinion that the Pipparello may be his wine best suited to long-term aging. He said he had never seriously considered it and joked that perhaps he now would. I'm surprised that Neal Rosenthal, Bea’s importer in the States and a self-declared lover of magnums, hasn’t convinced Bea to bottle the Pipparello in large format, especially in vintages like 2007.
- The reason the DOCG Cerrete spent so much time in botti in 2007 is simple: during élevage, each month it tasted better than the last. Sergio jokes that Giampiero suggested aging it for another 12 months, but practicality—there's only so much space to age wine—won out.
- There will be no DOCG Cerrete in 2008. The quality didn't warrant a separate bottling, so all of the Sagrantino from the Cerrete vineyard went into the Rosso de Véo bottling (which, in case you haven't tried it, is delicious right now).
- Bea started renting a second vineyard with Trebbiano Spoletino in 2009 (the vines are of similar old age), which is how the number of bottles of Arboreus was able to more than double in 2010 to 7,636. Bea exercises complete control over the vineyard, e.g., there are no chemicals used, accessory crops are planted, etc. Bea has also planted a small amount of Trebbiano Spoletino in the Cerrete vineyard, an experiment that may find its way into the Arboreus or a separate bottling in the future.
- Bea has also started selecting some of the best Trebbiano Spoletino grapes to be dried in the passito style. Instead of vinifying them separately, however, they're being pressed and added to the Arboreus cuvée, giving that wine more sweetness and richness than it would otherwise have.
- The 2012 vintage is high quality, but the quantity is low. This will result in a string of challenging years for collectors of Bea's red wines, because the 2013 and 2014 vintages are basically non-existent.
- Speaking of the 2013 and 2014 vintages: Unusually wet and humid weather resulted in the loss of most of these harvests to disease. This is terrible for the Beas—imagine working for an entire year and having nothing to show for it, and then having that happen for a second time in as many years—and for those of us who love the wine, because it will be even harder to come by than it is today. Here's a breakdown of these two harvests:
* In 2013, no red wine is being made. I saw a 3 hectoliter tank of Trebbiano Spoletino (normally bottled as the Arboreus), but don't know if there will be any more white wine than that.
* In 2014, 90% of the Sagrantino was destroyed. Only 30 hectoliters of red wine is being made (at only 12% alcohol), to be bottled under the San Valentino Umbria Rosso IGT label. There's also at least 8 hectoliters of Santa Chiara and 15 hectoliters of Arboreus (there may be more—this is just what I saw in tank).
- Lovers of sweet wine, rejoice: A passito is being produced for the 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012 vintages. Combined with the 2006 and 2008 vintages, which have already been released, this will form an unprecedented run of eight consecutive vintages. Unfortunately, the streak ended in 2013 as there will be no passito made in that year or in 2014. The 2007 has yet to be released because it needs more time to evolve in tank.
Flight 1 - Umbria Bianco (3 notes)
Orange
2012 Paolo Bea Santa Chiara
Italy, Umbria
Deeper in color than is usual for the Santa Chiara, the result of an additional five days of skin contact in this vintage. This longer maceration has also resulted in greater intensity of aromas and flavors, although not necessarily more complex; part of the appeal of the Santa Chiara is its subtlety. Aromas of overripe nectarines and apricots, honey, and Asian spices. Quite sweet; no evidence of slightly bitter tea, as is sometimes common here. Bottle #1645. Rated 1 on a scale of -1 to 3.
Orange
2011 Paolo Bea Santa Chiara
Italy, Umbria
Opened six days prior. No signs of oxidation beyond what you get on day one. However, the wine has taken on considerably more heft than I imagine it had upon opening: more honey, particularly on the palate, and an intense gummy worm (not gummy bear, as my wife likes to point out) aroma. A healthy amount of acidity gives this plenty of structure. It stands on its own as an aperitif, but I'd serve it with a vegetable course. Bottle #2980. Rated 1 on a scale of -1 to 3.
Orange
2010 Paolo Bea Arboreus
Italy, Umbria
Normally an intense amber hue, in the 2010 vintage the Arboreus in fact has quite a light color and initial presentation of aromas. The aromas build quickly once the wine is given a few swirls in the glass, revealing a truly magnificent bouquet of honey, white flowers, spices, reduced stone fruits, sweet petrol (a contradiction?), and, yes, cat urine. Mild tannins give the wine excellent body and structure. Great persistence of flavor. Bottle #5350. Rated 2 on a scale of -1 to 3.
Flight 2 - Montefalco Rosso (2 notes)
Red
2008 Paolo Bea Montefalco Rosso Riserva Pipparello
Italy, Umbria, Montefalco, Montefalco Rosso
Dark inky purple in the glass. The bouquet is explosive: black currant, licorice, menthol, vanilla, and herbs. This intensity carries over to the palate, which is so concentrated as to be almost impenetrable at this young age. Still, the potential for greatness is clear: this has the fruit, acid, and tannin required for long-term aging and development. The finish hints at the potential, leaving you with a wild combination of game, black fruits, and earth. Bottle #739. Rated 1 on a scale of -1 to 3.
Red
2006 Paolo Bea Montefalco Rosso Riserva Pipparello
Italy, Umbria, Montefalco, Montefalco Rosso
As with the 2006 vintage of the Pagliaro, this rendition of the Pipparello has reached a glorious peak. Although not the most concentrated of vintages, the wine nevertheless exhibits the best of Montefalco Rosso and the Bea style: garrigue, barnyard funk, roadkill, wild black and red berries, and roasted prunes. Sweet and savory in the mouth at the same time, everything held together by ample acidity and grainy tannins. Bottle #6568. Rated 2 on a scale of -1 to 3.
Flight 3 - Sagrantino Secco (4 notes)
Red
2009 Paolo Bea Rosso de Véo
Italy, Umbria
This needs time to develop before it can express itself. Black currants, prunes, herbs, and hints of vanilla waft from the glass and hint at the potential, but the palate is closed—not entirely shut down and inaccessible, but not worth revisiting for at least a year. Not as sweet or viscous as the 2008 vintage, which was top-notch when tasted a few months ago, but that could change. Unnumbered bottle (it was labeled right in front of us). Not rated.
Red
2005 Paolo Bea Rosso de Véo
Italy, Umbria
Opened three days prior. The nose is an absolute knockout combination of brown sugar, Mediterranean herbs, prunes, and game. I could smell this for hours. Unfortunately, the palate falls short: light and even a bit watery on the front; slightly sour; a finish that's gone almost as soon as it arrives. Time has shown that 2005 wasn’t as good of a vintage as it first appeared to be; certainly the usual staying power isn’t there. Drink now. Bottle #6260. Rated 1 on a scale of -1 to 3.
Red
2008 Paolo Bea Montefalco Sagrantino Secco Pagliaro
Italy, Umbria, Montefalco, Montefalco Sagrantino
Opened immediately before serving, which isn’t conducive to getting the most out of any Bea wine, certainly not the Pagliaro. Still, after a few minutes in the glass this started to open up. Sweet black fruit, fresh herb, and barnyard aromas. The palate remained firm, with robust tannins that coated the entire mouth. Dense minerality characteristic of Montefalco. Production was sharply down in 2008, but Bea clearly selected the best fruit. Bottle #4835. Rated 1 on a scale of -1 to 3.
Red
2007 Paolo Bea Montefalco Sagrantino Secco Pagliaro
Italy, Umbria, Montefalco, Montefalco Sagrantino
Opened 23 days prior. No, that’s not a typo; rather, it’s a testament to Bea's philosophy of natural winemaking that a bottle can survive—improve, even—so many days after being opened. A fantastic combination of baking spices, brown sugar, rocky minerality, and stewed black and purple fruits. Flavors of rosemary and game persist. Concentrated fruit, big tannins, and high acid, all with the elegance of wine matured over many years. Bottle #9351. Rated 2 on a scale of -1 to 3.
Flight 4 - Sagrantino Passito (3 notes)
Red - Sweet/Dessert
2008 Paolo Bea Montefalco Sagrantino Passito
Italy, Umbria, Montefalco, Montefalco Sagrantino
From 375ml. Bea's passito is utterly unique. The drying of the grapes, which concentrates the aromas and flavors, combined with maturation exclusively in stainless steel, produces the purest and most intense expression of Sagrantino. This is less sweet and viscous than recent vintages—like a dry Sagrantino that somehow ended up with a little residual sugar. Maple, herbs, dates, and smokey notes. The perfect accompaniment to Parmigiano Reggiano. Bottle #1434. Rated 2 on a scale of -1 to 3.
Red - Sweet/Dessert
N.V. Paolo Bea Montefalco Sagrantino Passito
Italy, Umbria, Montefalco, Montefalco Sagrantino
In 1984, Giampiero Bea had the idea to take grapes that had succumb to botrytis during the drying period, remove the skins (and therefore the fungus), and vinify them separately, so as not to waste anything. Because the quantity was extremely low, it wasn't practical to bottle. So, over the last 30 years he's created a passito blend of de-skinned grapes from 11 vintages ('84, '86, '89, '90, '92, '94, '98, '01, '03, '06, and '08) that he hopes to bottle at some point in the future, bureaucracy permitting.
From tank. Because passito gets its color from the skins, and the fruit that went into this blend was removed of its skins, the color is an extremely light shade of rust. Tannins also come from the skins and so are not present here. Now at 22%, the alcohol level is high, as is the acidity, but the wine is exceptionally well balanced. In many ways it resembles a fine Port, with familiar notes of maple, prune, and herbs. A very special wine. Rated 3 on a scale of -1 to 3.
Red - Sweet/Dessert
2005 Paolo Bea Montefalco Sagrantino Passito
Italy, Umbria, Montefalco, Montefalco Sagrantino
From tank. For whatever reason—either he didn't say or I can't recall—Giampiero Bea hasn't bottled his passito from the 2005 vintage. It's not because he doesn't think it’s good: he was smiling ear to ear as he enthusiastically filled our glasses. Coffee, toffee, and leather aromas immediately filled the room. An extremely sweet bouquet leads to an only slightly less sweet palate. Lots of sediment. Delicious, and it would be divine with dark chocolate. Rated 2 on a scale of -1 to 3.
