Roccafiore Rosso Montefalco 2019

Roccafiore Rosso Montefalco 2019 is a sustainably farmed Umbrian red that blends seventy percent sangiovese with fifteen percent sagrantino and a co-fermented fifteen percent split of merlot and cabernet sauvignon. The sangiovese backbone gives the wine its brightness and structure, while the sagrantino—native to Montefalco and rarely seen outside the region—adds grip and a darker fruit profile. The 2019 vintage was made by the Baccarelli family from estate fruit grown in the rolling hills near Todi, a pocket of Umbria better known for whites but increasingly respected for reds that balance Old World restraint with approachable tannins. Cantina Roccafiore was founded in 1999 when father-and-son team Giovanni and Luca Baccarelli purchased fifteen hectares of vineyard land and planted local varieties—grechetto and sangiovese primarily, with smaller parcels of moscato giallo, sagrantino, and montepulciano. They made their first vintage in 2005 after converting from the energy business, and they brought that industrial mindset to sustainability: the estate runs on renewable energy, the tractors use organic fuels, and the vineyards are farmed organically. Luca Baccarelli has said publicly that this approach results in soils richer in organic material, fewer disease pressures, and healthier fruit at harvest, and the wines reflect that care in their balance and clarity. The 2019 Rosso Montefalco shows brilliant ruby color in the glass and offers aromas of ripe plum, red cherry, and a suggestion of sweet baking spice—cinnamon and clove—carried by the sagrantino component. On the palate the wine is fresh and flowing, with soft tannins that make it approachable now but structured enough to hold for three to five years. It pairs well with roasted pork, grilled sausages, or tomato-based pasta dishes—the kind of midweight red that works as well at a weeknight dinner as it does on a slightly more formal table. The merlot and cabernet sauvignon round out the mid-palate without dominating, letting the sangiovese and sagrantino define the wine's character. Roccafiore Rosso Montefalco 2019 is available for pickup at our Lincoln Park bottle shop at 1128 W Armitage Ave, local delivery throughout Chicago, and nationwide shipping.