Umbria Wine

Bramito Della Sala Chardonnay — Castello della Sala, Umbria, Italy 2024

Castello della Sala is one of Italy's most storied white wine estates — a magnificent medieval fortress set in the hills of Umbria, just 18 kilometers from Orvieto, where the Antinori family has spent decades proving that Italy can produce world-class Chardonnay. Bramito Della Sala is the estate's benchmark white: a pure, elegant expression of Chardonnay grown on the estate's high-altitude vineyards, fermented in stainless steel to preserve freshness and precision. Wine Enthusiast awarded the 2024 vintage 93 points, praising its perfect balance between richness and restraint. At $25.99, it is one of the most exciting values in Italian white wine.

The nose is inviting and complex: baked apple, hazelnut brittle, crème fraîche, and wet stones. On the palate, generous fruit meets mineral tension in a seamless, structured mid-palate, leading to a refreshing, tart finish that is clean and long. This is Chardonnay that finds the rare sweet spot between Old World restraint and New World generosity — and it delivers every time.

Wine Enthusiast 93 — "Baked apples and hazelnut brittle weave through notes of crème fraîche and wet stones. The palate delivers substance with style, where generous fruit meets mineral tension and a refreshing tart finish. Here’s Chardonnay finding perfect balance between richness and restraint." (Vintage 2024).

• Producer: Castello della Sala (Antinori), Umbria, Italy
• Vintage: 2024
• Appellation: Umbria IGT
• Varietal: Chardonnay
• Vinification: Stainless steel fermentation
• Size: 750ml
• Tasting Notes: Baked apple, hazelnut, crème fraîche, wet stone, mineral tension, tart finish
• Best Paired With: Grilled fish, lobster, roast chicken, risotto, soft cheeses, pasta with cream sauce

A 93-point Umbrian Chardonnay at an honest price — Bramito Della Sala is the benchmark for what Castello della Sala and Italian white wine can be.

Montefalco Rosso That Overdelivers at Every Price Point

Arnaldo Caprai is the benchmark producer of Montefalco, the Umbrian appellation that put Sagrantino on the world wine map. Their Montefalco Rosso — a blend of Sagrantino, Sangiovese, and Merlot — is the estate's entry point into the appellation and one of central Italy's great value reds: aromatic, full-bodied, and richly textured, with the signature Sagrantino grip and spice at a fraction of the price of their flagship Sagrantino di Montalcino.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2021

• James Suckling — 92 pts: "Bright and fruit-forward with ripe raspberries and cherries as well as sweet spices, chocolate and candied orange peel. Medium- to full-bodied with deep, succulent fruit and firm, tightly packed tannins."

Winemaker Notes

Sensationally intense, with notes of wild flowers, violet and red berry jam. Full-bodied, rich, and dry with a long finish and a delicate hint of spice.

Vineyard & Provenance

• Blend: Sagrantino, Sangiovese, Merlot
• Appellation: Montefalco Rosso DOC, Umbria, Italy
• Producer: Arnaldo Caprai
• Vintage: 2021
• Size: 750ml

Food Pairings

Highly versatile at the Umbrian table — exceptional with grilled lamb, wild boar ragù, truffle pasta, aged Pecorino, and hearty lentil soups.

Arnaldo Caprai Sagrantino di Montefalco Collepiano — Umbria 2020

Arnaldo Caprai is the definitive name in Sagrantino di Montefalco — the producer who put this ancient Umbrian grape on the world map. Founded in 1971 when Arnaldo Caprai purchased 42 hectares in Montefalco, the estate was transformed in 1986 when his son Marco took the helm and launched a series of collaborations with agronomic and winemaking research institutes that would redefine the region. The result was the legendary “25 Anni” cuvée, which captured the attention of critics worldwide and established Montefalco Sagrantino as one of Italy’s great DOCG appellations. Today, Caprai farms 160 hectares across all four cardinal points of the Montefalco DOCG, and the Collepiano is the estate’s benchmark expression of Sagrantino — powerful, structured, and built for the long haul. James Suckling awarded it 94 points; Wine Spectator 92, recommending best drinking from 2030 through 2040.

The nose is dark and commanding: wild blackberries, meat, graphite minerality, and a stern, brooding intensity. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied with firm, austere tannins, lifted acidity, and a chewy, concentrated core of pureed black cherry and blackberry paste. Accents of marjoram, garam masala, sandalwood, and smoke carry through to a polished finish of salt, chocolate, and fruit. This is Sagrantino at its most serious — a wine that demands patience and rewards it generously.

James Suckling 94 — "A dark mix of wild blackberries, meat and graphite minerality. Firm, austere tannins, a full body and lifted acidity. A very chewy style, with a polished finish showing salt, chocolate and fruit." (Vintage 2020). 

Wine Spectator 92 — "Dense tannins impart a thick, creamy texture… pureed black cherry and blackberry paste, with accents of marjoram, garam masala, sandalwood and smoke. Best from 2030 through 2040." (Vintage 2020).

• Producer: Arnaldo Caprai, Montefalco, Umbria, Italy
• Vintage: 2020
• Appellation: Sagrantino di Montefalco DOCG
• Varietal: 100% Sagrantino
• Size: 750ml
• Tasting Notes: Wild blackberry, black cherry, graphite, marjoram, garam masala, sandalwood, dark chocolate, salt
• Cellar Potential: Best from 2030–2040
• Best Paired With: Braised wild boar, lamb osso buco, aged Pecorino, truffle pasta, beef short ribs

A 94-point Sagrantino from the appellation’s defining estate — dark, powerful, and built to age for decades.

Winemaker Description 

A stunning Sagrantino from our favorite Italian, Mr. Mattoni himself! Intense ruby red color with hints of berries, sweet spices and tobacco. On the palate there is a freshness followed by soft tannins of finesse and persistence.

ROCCAFIORE FIORFIORE GRECHETTO DI TODI 2023 | 750ML

🇮🇹 Italy — Grechetto di Todi | Todi, Umbria

Straw yellow with golden reflections. The nose is generous and expressive — pineapple, golden apple, yellow flowers, and delicate hints of white spice. On the palate it is enveloping, fresh, and sapid, with good minerality and a sleek texture that speaks to both the single-vineyard terroir and the 12 months of amphora aging. A wine of great elegance and complexity, with a drinking window that extends 3–4 years from harvest.

Fiorfiore is produced from a single vineyard of Grechetto di Todi (clone G5) planted in 1990, trained Guyot on whitish clay soils rich in marl, limestone, and chalk. Fermentation is spontaneous with indigenous yeasts; the wine is then aged 12 months in amphora and large Slavonian oak casks on fine lees, with no malolactic fermentation, followed by a minimum of 6 months in bottle before release.

Cantina Roccafiore was established by the Baccarelli family in 1999 on 15 hectares of rolling hills near Todi — the green heart of Umbria. Sustainability is foundational: the estate runs on renewable energy, uses organic farming practices, and employs indigenous yeast fermentations exclusively. “Today, in addition to the essential quality of the grapes, creating excellent wines requires vision, innovation and nerve.”

Grape: 100% Grechetto di Todi (Clone G5)
Region: Todi, Umbria, Italy
Vintage: 2023
Aging: 12 months in amphora & Slavonian oak
Format: 750ml
Viticulture: Organic, sustainable

Winemaker Description 

Intense ruby red with violet shadings, nearly opaque with traces of garnet
Bouquet. Expansive and persistent with sweet fruits, notes of blackberry, black cherry and a subtle nuttiness. Sweet spices lead to a mineral finish

Soft, sweet, voluptuous body, persistent and velvety. The tannins are thick and sweet, the acidity is well balanced, cutting the density and heaviness, while giving structure. Long finish, persistently fruity with notes of underbrush, forest fruit, and complex, intense spices.