Umbria is one of Italy’s smallest regions and lies in the shadow of its more illustrious neighbour, Tuscany. It is situated just to the east, north of Rome and west of the Marche.

The many Umbrian hills and mountains cast long dark shadows over river valleys which are already darkened by lush chestnut groves and elm forests. This is a beautiful region, a land whose rolling hills are dotted with castles, fortresses and watchtowers and is the home to Italy’s largest lake.

Of the many native red grape wines recently revived in Italy, Sagrantino di Montefalco, Umbria’s flagship wine and also Podere Le Vaglia’s, is one of the most distinctive. With its impressive complexity and longevity, it has the qualities to become the region’s most famous and prestigious red wine, despite the fact that this low-yielding Sagrantino grape makes up a mere 6% of Umbria’s total production.

The Podere Le Vaglie Estate comprises of 75 hectares of prime vineyards situated around the picturesque town of  Orvieto in the heart of Umbria. The Estate is owned by Alessandro Lumini who is aided by his sister Serana.  Presently under construction is their new state of the art cellar which should be completed by the end of 2010. Riccardo Cotarella has just been appointed as their consultant winemaker.

Grapes:   100% Sagrantino grapes 

Soil:         Mostly clay with limestone and sand

Yield:       48HL per hectare (one of the lowest maximum yields)

Climate:  Hot in summer – cold in winter. During the heat of summer the mountains provide cooling breezes especially at night.

Winemaking:   The grapes were destemmed and crushed.  Fermentation with skin contact lasting 15 days took place in temperature controlled tanks.

Ageing:  By law a minimum of 30 months ageing of which 12 months are spent in oak barrels and French barriques.

Colour:   Ruby red tending towards garnet with age.

Serve:    At 17C with red meats and strong flavoured cheese.

Taste:     A full bodied dry red wine with hints of blackberry, bramble, liquorice and wood spice in the background.  A wine that will age well.