Grapelive Wine of the Week
By Kerry Winslow
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2007 Raina Sagrantino di Montefalco DOCG, Rosso, Umbria, Italy.
Sangrantino, brought to Umbria and the little village of Montefalco in the 15th Century by friars and monks of the Franciscan order after a pilgrimage to Asia Minor, is thought to be one of the worlds most tannic grapes and has the highest level of Polyphenols of any red grape. In fact, we hope it s good for your heart, it was at first only used to make sweet wine (Passito) as it was too tough to tame for the the early winemakers! But after a few hundred years Sagrantino has made a name for itself as a powerful full bodied dry red wine and was granted a DOCG in 1992. The Raina Sagrantino is big wine and shows the grape off as it should, but delivers the tannins in a balanced and smooth fashion which holds the fruit in a firm, but elegant structure much like a fine Bordeaux. The palate is dense with red raspberry, plum, dark cherry, currant and blueberry layers with hints of mineral, fennel, dried flowers and cedar notes.
($55 Est.) 94 Points, grapelive
Available at www.sfwtc.com ($54.95)
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