Wine By Grape Variety | Sagrantino

Sagrantino is a red wine grape variety of Italian origin that is indigenous to the region of Umbria in Central Italy. It is grown primarily in the village of Montefalco and the surrounding area but production is still relatively limited and the wine is not widely known outside Italy. 

Sagrantino has one of the highest tannic levels of any grape variety in the world and creates wines that are inky purple with an almost-black centre. The bouquet is one of dark, brooding red fruits with hints of plum, cinnamon, and earth. 

The origins of the grape are widely disputed, but what is known is that it was used primarily for dessert wines for many years, the grape being dried in the passito style, yielding a thick, syrupy wine with raisin and blueberry qualities, much like a Recioto di Valpolicella. Beginning in 1976, however, the wines were made in a dry style, and that is how they are primarily produced today.

Australia has now seen forms of this varietal wine from a number of wineries who produce varying styles of Sagrantino.