The 2007 Sagrantino di Montefalco Passito flows with the essence of bright red berries, flowers and sweet spices. It is an unusually refined version of Montefalco's dessert wine. The Sagrantino tannins have largely been tamed in this beautifully sculpted, precise Passito. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2015. Marco Caprai continues to set the standard for contemporary wines in Montefalco.Importer: Folio Fine Wine Partners, Napa, CA; tel. (707) 256-2700

The 2006 Sagrantino di Montefalco Passito flows onto the palate with layers of dark, sumptuous fruit that come together seamlessly. The firm Sagrantino tannins are evident but there is more than enough fruit to provide balance. This is another fine effort from Marco Caprai. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2014. Marco Caprai has long led the way in Montefalco. These 2006s are Caprai’s best wines yet and capture all of the promise they showed when I tasted them from barrel a year ago. Simply put, readers will not want to miss these fabulous wines.Importer: Folio Fine Wine Partners, Napa, CA; tel. (707) 256-2700

Here’s a dense and thickly extracted sweet red wine with impenetrable concentration and intense notes of black cherry, blackberry preserves, plum cake and Indian spice. True to the Sagrantino variety, the wine has jackhammer tannins that taste like black tea and spice.——M.L.(12/15/2008)—— 88