Paolo Bea - Rosso de Veo Umbria 2019

References in the archives of Montefalco, the beautiful hill town in Umbria, document the presence of the Bea family in this locality as early as 1500. This tiny estate is the classic Italian fattoria, producing wine, raising farm animals for trade and home consumption and working the land to produce olives, fruits and vegetables. To this day, the Bea family raises and produces much of what they consume on a daily basis. Paolo Bea, the senior member of the family, is the guiding force behind the production of this series of intense and idiosyncratic wines. He is assisted by his two sons, Giuseppe, who farms the vineyards, and Giampiero, who assists in the vinification and is responsible for all commercial aspects of the winery.

The entire property encompasses 15 hectares: 5 of which are dedicated to the vineyards, 2 to olives, and the remainder to the fruits, vegetables and grains that are grown. Sagrantino is the predominant grape, covering 60% of the vineyard surface. The remaining 40% is planted to Sangiovese and Montepulciano, with a small parcel planted to several white varieties. The vineyards are cultivated organically, all grapes are harvested manually and all wines are bottled without fining or filtration.

The current version of Rosso de Veo is a selection of the Bea estate’s younger Sagrantino vines, principally from the “Cerrete” vineyard which graces the highest point in Montefalco, between 1300 and 1500 feet above sea level. The soil is clay and limestone infused with small pebbles from an ancient riverbed. This wine is vinified in a similar fashion to the single vineyard Sagrantino with a long cuvaison which extends forty to fifty days. The wine is then aged one year in stainless steel tanks, two years in large oak barrels and another year in bottle before release. The wine is not filtered. Production varies depending on vintage … 9000 bottles were produced in 2005, the first year this exclusively Sagrantino-based cuvée was created.

"The 2019 Rosso de Veo is intense, with a burst of dried black cherries, autumnal spices and rubbed sage. This is a dark and brooding vintage for Veo, with depths of ripe red and blue fruit propelled by zesty acidity. Saline minerals saturate, and a primary concentration forms toward the close. It finishes dramatically long and tannic, yet they are round and soft contoured. Licorice and a tart cranberry concentration linger on and on. While labeled as Umbria Rosso, the Rosso de Veo could easily be a Montefalco Sagrantino, filling a happy place in the portfolio that adds a lot of value for lovers of Paolo Bea." - 95 Points, Vinous

Producer: Paolo Bea

Country: Italy

Region: Umbria

Varietal: Sagrantino

Appellation: Umbria IGT

Vintage: 2019

Size: 750ml