It's that time of year again. The new vintages of Paolo Bea have arrived, The wine that made Some Good Wine famous. Paolo Bea is one of those names that almost that has almost become a secret code in the wine consumers world. Not for the un-savvy shopper. Those who speak about it are normally avid collectors who appreciate great values. And while Paolo Bea is not cheap, for what it can do in the cellar over time, there is literally nothing like it. Speaking personally, I have only tried one older one before from 2001 that was still so young; the tannins hit the brakes on my palate as if I came to a red light with a group of school children crossing the street. It had barely aged a day.  The strange thing is that many people still don't know what these wines are capable of, since the amount of pre-2000 that exists in the U.S. is very slim and not many have claimed a taste.


For today, we have the new lineup of their flagship reds: Rosso de Veo, Pipparello and Cerretto. Unfortunately, production is down, demand is up. 

 

• The whites are not new but figured would add them anyway to make people happy
• 10% off Any 6
• Wines arrive in Late November
• The reds are highly allocated, please choose wisely!

2016 Paolo Bea Santa Chiara Umbria Bianco
$43.99
 A white wine produced from Grachetto, Malvasia , Chardonnay, Sauvignon and Garganega, in approximately equal proportions, planted in the “Pagliaro” vineyard, a site with alternating layers of gravel and clay at 1300 feet above sea level with both east and southwest facing parcels. After crushing, the juice spends at least two weeks macerating on its lees; sulfur is never added. Fermentation occurs in small stainless steel vats at low temperatures. Two rackings are done early in the fermentation process to remove the heavy deposits and a third is done after three weeks. This wine is then left on the fine lees in stainless steel for one year before being bottled. Approximately 4500 bottles of wine are produced annually.

2012 Paolo Bea Arboreus Umbria Bianco
$64.99
One of the early success stories in the modern-day revival of skin-macerated white wines, Bea’s legendary “Arboreus” originates from exceedingly old Trebbiano Spoletino vines (up to 130 years of age) in the village of Spoleto, halfway between Bea’s home village of Montefalco and nearby Trevi. A striking instance of non-standard training, these ancient vines wrap themselves around the trunks and branches of trees (hence the wine’s name), growing and ripening high above the ground.  Made from a Trebbiano clone known as Trebbiano Spoletino which is trained so that the fruit hangs high above the ground. The vineyards are planted in the low hills between Trevi and Montefalco at an elevation of 650 to 700 feet with a range of parcels facing both to the east and to the southwest. The soil is essentially clay and gravel. Harvest generally occurs during the first two weeks of October. The wine is left in contact with the skins for up to three weeks or more and is then aged in stainless steel tanks for at least two years prior to bottling. Sulfur is never added. Annual production is in the range of 3000 bottles.

2012 Paolo Bea Rosso de Veo
$69.99
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.

2012 Paolo Bea Pipparello Montefalco Rosso Riserva
$79.99
The Pipparello vineyard is a hilltop site in Montefalco at 1300 feet above sea level. The soil is clay and gravel. The vines in the Pipparello vineyard are a minimum of 20 years old. Harvest takes place normally during the middle of October. The ultimate wine is a blend of roughly 60% Sangiovese, 25% Montepulciano and 15% Sagrantino. The cuvaison extends for a period between 40 to 50 days. After the alcoholic fermentation this wine spends a year in stainless steel tanks and then two years in large oak barrels and is released after an additional year of bottle-aging.


2011 Paolo Bea Sagrnatino Cerette
$151.99
Neil Rosenthal says that it “is perhaps the greatest combination of height and exposition in the appellation.” Debuting in 2007, this is their top of the line Sagrantino and the greatest wine to emerge from Umbria. Compared to the Pagliaro, there is more intense power, grip and everlasting knowledge when it sits in the cellar to emerge like a hungry lion on the prowl.