Montefalco Rosso & Montefalco Rosso Riserva DOC | Red wine from Montefalco and surrounding towns (listed below) in Umbria, Italy (see also the Montefalco DOC). Unlike its (kind of) bigger brothers Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG and Montefalco Sagrantino Passito DOCG neither Montefalco Rosso DOC or Montefalco Rosso DOC Riserva are made exclusively from Sagrantino. Instead, the wine is made as follows: 60-80% Sangiovese (which has an historic presence in the area), 10-25% Sagrantino, and 0-30% other non-aromatic wine grapes authorised in Umbria (typically Merlot, Cabernet or Barbera). The original formula, devised apparently by a Professor in Perugia, was 60-70% Sangiovese, up to 15% each Sagrantino, Merlot, Cabernet or Barbera (Brook, 2016). The idea was to make a totally different and more accessible (when young) wine compared to pure Sagrantino. Yields are higher than for Sagrantino. As Sagrantino cannot be mentioned on the label terms like ‘a noble autochthonous variety’ are used instead (Brook, 2016).

Production zone | Bevagna (in part). | Castel Ritaldi (in part). | Giano dell’Umbria (in part). | Gualdo Cattaneo (in part). | Montefalco.

Yields | Base grape yields are 110 quintals per hectare (11 tonnes per hectare).

Ageing | Montefalco Rosso can be released after 18 months beginning from 01st November of the year of harvest. There is no requirement for oak ageing. Montefalco Rosso Riserva must spend at least 12 months in oak and can only be released 30 months after 01st November of the year of harvest.

Wineries | See Montefalco DOC.

Bibliography

Stephen Brook, ‘The might of Montefalco’, Decanter, Italy 2016 supplement p72-76.