Paolo Bea Montefalco Sagrantino, Pagliaro | 2019

Paolo Bea fans are the most loyal. Upon release, the new vintages typically disappear into the hands of neighborhood restaurants, fine wine merchants, and of course, the fans themselves. Out of the collection, Pagliaro is the showstopper. Soaring high at 1,300 feet, the vineyard is a sunny hillside of limestone, clay, and gravels, dedicated to the unforgiving Sagrantino variety. Aged in a combination of steel and large Slavonian oak, and bottled un-filtered, the 2019 is a roller coaster of pitch-dark fruits, bramble berry spices, and molten earth. With 15% alcohol, it moves in every direction on the palate — forwards, sideways, and backwards, melting into every nook and cranny. Over-the-top, yet totally seamless; delicious, organized chaos, that's PAG! ~Allegra A