The 2005 Sagrantino di Montefalco 25 Anni is round and supple at the outset, with warm notes of red fruits, spices, earthiness, game and French oak. The firm Sagrantino tannins appear on the mid-palate, framing the long and intense finish, where sweet herbs, licorice and tar make a second appearance. The 25 Anni is a wine that nicely straddles modern and more classic styles in Sagrantino, with a lean towards the modern end of the spectrum. That said, today Caprai’s wines are closer to the middle stylistically relative to most wines being made in the region. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2021. This is another strong set of releases from Marco Caprai, the producer most responsible for calling attention to the potential of Sagrantino in these hillside vineyards. The estate itself is sprawling, and covers 150 hectares of vineyards planted to various densities and trellising systems that clearly show the enormous expense Caprai has undertaken to fully understand the unique qualities of Sagrantino. At the heart of the property is a large, well-appointed visitors’ center and tasting facility that looks more like something out of Napa Valley rather than rural Italy. My tasting at Caprai was remarkable as I had a chance to revisit a number of older vintages, which will be reviewed in a forthcoming article on www.erobertparker.com. Caprai’s wines tend towards the modern end of the spectrum, with French oak used for both malolactic fermentation and aging. The wines often appear tough when young, but with a few years in bottle they can develop beautifully. In the finest vintages, Caprai’s top wines drink well to age 15 and occasionally beyond. Importer: Villa Italia Imports, South San Francisco, CA; tel. (650) 873-6060

The 2005 Sagrantino di Montefalco 25 Anni is round and supple at the outset, with warm notes of red fruits, spices, earthiness, game and French oak. The firm Sagrantino tannins appear on the mid-palate, framing the long and intense finish, where sweet herbs, licorice and tar make a second appearance. The 25 Anni is a wine that nicely straddles modern and more classic styles in Sagrantino, with a lean towards the modern end of the spectrum. That said, today Caprai’s wines are closer to the middle stylistically relative to most wines being made in the region. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2021. This is another strong set of releases from Marco Caprai, the producer most responsible for calling attention to the potential of Sagrantino in these hillside vineyards. The estate itself is sprawling, and covers 150 hectares of vineyards planted to various densities and trellising systems that clearly show the enormous expense Caprai has undertaken to fully understand the unique qualities of Sagrantino. At the heart of the property is a large, well-appointed visitors’ center and tasting facility that looks more like something out of Napa Valley rather than rural Italy. My tasting at Caprai was remarkable as I had a chance to revisit a number of older vintages, which will be reviewed in a forthcoming article on www.erobertparker.com. Caprai’s wines tend towards the modern end of the spectrum, with French oak used for both malolactic fermentation and aging. The wines often appear tough when young, but with a few years in bottle they can develop beautifully. In the finest vintages, Caprai’s top wines drink well to age 15 and occasionally beyond.Importer: Villa Italia Imports, South San Francisco, CA; tel. (650) 873-6060

There's plenty of character to this rich, rustic red, which offers layers of dark blackberry and raspberry ganache notes framed by hints of tar, maduro tobacco and olive paste. Dusty tannins frame the tangy finish. Best from 2012 through 2020. 150 cases imported. -BS