Paolo Bea Montefalco Sagrantino, Pagliaro | 2019

The wines of Paolo Bea need little introduction. Their fans are the most loyal, and with each release they typically disappear into the hands of beloved restaurants, neighborhood wine shops, 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 grape. Aged in steel and large Slavonian oak, and bottled un-filtered, the 2018 is a roller coaster of dark fruits, bramble spice, and liquid earth. At 15% alcohol, it’s over-the-top in every which way, forwards and backwards, but completely in-harmony, seamless, and invisible. Delicious, organized chaos, that's PAG. ~Allegra A