1997 Paolo Bea Montefalco Sagrantino Passito

Community Tasting Notes (5) Avg Score: 90 points

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  3/2/2022 - vagrantone Likes this wine: 90 Points

  from a half bottle, which seems to be how this wine is bottled.
  Not really sure what to expect from a passito style wine from this variety.
  It had the balance and texture expected with relatively soft tannins, sufficient acidity and noticeable sweetness. The Sagrantino character came somewhat across on the nose but overall I found that it lacked intensity and complexity.
  Perhaps my expectations were too high but this was underwhelming. Less interesting than a decent Rivesaltes.

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  11/7/2014 - kevinacohn wrote:

  From 375ml. My second bottle of this excellent passito this year, this time tasted alongside the Secco from the same vintage—a real treat to be able to examine Bea's different interpretations of Sagrantino. Unlike my previous bottle, this was mostly clear with only a little suspended sediment, and nowhere near as viscous. Still, a maple syrup element dominated, with notes of prune, medicinal cherry, and bark. Great with cheese. Best to drink in the next few years. Bottle #1162. Rated 2 on a scale of -1 to 3.

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  2/7/2014 - kevinacohn wrote:

  'inoteca Last Sip, Take 2 ('inoteca, New York, NY): From 375ml. Decant to give this a little air, but don't try to get it off the sediment—it's one of the best parts. Fantastic bouquet of prunes, stewed cherries, oak bark, sweet tobacco, maple syrup, and menthol. Compared with every other vintage I've tasted, this was far less sweet, more herbaceous and savory. Medicinal tones set it apart. The acid is still present and I imagine this would become even more refined with time. A simply amazing bottle of wine. Bottle #761. Rated 2 on a scale of -1 to 3.

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  12/15/2011 - Le Musigny wrote:

  Very sweet fruit with good texture and flavors. Showing well.

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  3/20/2006 - jrufusj wrote:

  White Burgs and Rich Italian Reds (Cà Angeli Restaurant, Tokyo): Deep red color that looks sweet. Nose shows deep sweet red fruit – candied cherry and raspberry essence. This shows as much younger and tighter than the Amarone. Tight is an odd word, as one would never think of austerity or tightness here, but the wine is offering only rich fruit on the nose and refuses to give up anything more, unlike the panoply of the Amarone. In the mouth, rich cheek coating sweetness. Imagine the cough syrup you hated as a child, but make it completely delicious. This has all the flavor and concentration you could ever want, with a variety of sweet rich berries as it rolls through the mouth. It just doesn’t show any complexity beyond that. Give it time. There’s plenty under there, but it’s dwarfed by the young sweet richness. I’ll be putting some of this away for sure.

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