Savaterre 2016 Sagrantino
"Personality uber alles"
Ned Goodwin - Halliday
Vigneron Keppel Smith has a mate who suggested he spends some time in Umbria, and by virtue of that, has ended up planting sagrantino in his Beechworth vineyard. “They are cantankerous vines”, he offers, “and it’s taken 15 years from planting to first crop I thought was approaching good enough”. Well, here’s my first look at sagrantino from Savaterre. No regional information on bottle or label, however, which is also kind of interesting.
Quite strong in smoky notes and char, choc-liqourice and earthiness, you could say savoury but there’s a strong ‘ripe’ element in the wine, dark cherry and plummy fruit abides here. Medium weight, mouth-coating, spicy, smoky and meaty in the palate, almost no fruit character and all savouriness here, which in itself is curious and also quite compelling. It certainly feels like a version of the variety, and acidity and tannin are rippling through the wine. It’s a wine for spending a lot of time with, it feels. And you’ll have to like all that elemental character. I did. Rated : 94 Points
Mike Bennie - The Wine Front
Sagrantino is a rare, central-Italian originated red found mostly in Umbria and now at Savaterre. It’s recently been noted to contain some of the highest polyphenol (antioxidants) levels of of any red wine. It is a wine that rewards ageing.
"Although Chardonnay, pinot Noir and shiraz are the most fashionable, Sagrantino could well be the most exciting new driving force at Savaterre....Impeccable wine - watch this space!!!"
Rocco Esposito - Project 49, Beechworth & Collingwood