ARNALDO CAPRAI MONTEFALCO VALDIMAGGIO 2015

Credited with rescuing Sagrantino from near-extinction — fewer than 10 planted hectares remained in the 1970s — Arnaldo Caprai is the producer most responsible for putting Montefalco on Italy's fine wine map. The Valdimaggio draws from 4.9 acres of 40-year-old vines surrounding the winery, rooted in the clay and limestone soils of Montefalco at elevations that slow ripening and sharpen acidity. Fermented with extended maceration and aged 24 months in French oak before bottle rest, the 2015 opens with black fruit, tar, cured tobacco, and cherry liqueur — a signature of the warm vintage — then delivers plumped cherry, star anise, and graphite on a structured palate with carefully managed, close-grained tannins.