2019 Paolo Bea Rosso de Véo

Producer

References in the archives of Montefalco, the beautiful hill town in Umbria, document the presence of the Bea family in this locality as early as 1500. Azienda Agricola Paolo Bea is a classic Italian fattoria, producing wine, raising farm animals for trade and home consumption, and working the land to produce olives, fruits, and vegetables. Their 40 acre organic and Biodynamic property is comprised of 12.5 acres of vineyards, 60% Sagrantino, 35% Sangiovese and Montepulciano, plus a small parcel planted to several white varieties, plus 5 acres of olives, and the rest dedicated to miscellaneous crops and livestock rearing, the majority of which sustain the family year-round

In the 1980s, Paolo’s young and ambitious sons, Giampiero and Giuseppe Bea, began learning the ropes alongside their father - a through-and-through farmer with an Umbrian dialect nearly incomprehensible to outsiders. Paolo produced shockingly expressive and staunchly old-school wines using a bare minimum of technology, out of step with the modernization-happy Italian trends of the time. His adherence to traditions and uncompromising quality lives on through his sons - Giuseppe and Giampiero have long been at the helm of Azienda Agricola Paolo Bea. Giuseppe farms the vineyards with an obsessive commitment to sustainability and Giampiero runs the production and commercial operations with a focus on low-intervention cellar work, which has made him a pillar in the Italian natural wine community. But it is Paolo's approach - so bred-in-bone as to seem instinctual - that guides the estate to this day, given voice and definition through Giampiero's remarkable work.

Wine Information

Producer: Antica Azienda Agricola Paolo Bea
Cuvée: 2019 Rosso de Véo
Winemaking: native yeast fermentation, 45 day maceration in stainless steel
Aging & Fermentation: aged one year in stainless steel tanks, two years in old oak barrels, then one year in bottle prior to release.

Time & Place

Region: Montefalco, Umbria, Italy
Grape: Sagrantino
Terroir: Highest vineyards in Montefalco, 1300-1500 meters ASL. The soil is clay and limestone infused with small pebbles from an ancient riverbed.
The Vintage: 2019 in Montefalco was characterized by a variable but highly favorable weather cycle. The combination of a rainy spring and a very hot summer allowed the late-ripening Sagrantino grapes to reach perfect, balanced maturity.

Why this wine?

First, the Sagrantino-based wines of Montefalco were my introduction to serious and age-worthy Italian reds. A glass of Paolo Bea alongside anchovy pizza from the White Salmon Bakery during my time working harvest back in 2021 took this reverence for the varietal even further. This wine is made from the younger vines of the estate, but is still crafted using the same methods & level of care as their higher-end wines. This is a singular and emblematic estate whose wines demand attention and respect the world over. They are among the very best examples of natural wines you’ll find from anywhere.