WTNs: Arnaldo Caprai x 4 plus Planeta Moscato

According to Neal Rosenthal’s Reflections of a Wine Merchant, Arnaldo Caprai put Montefalco (and Sagrantino) on the map, but, from what I can tell, his modern style doesn’t attract as much (geek) interest as, say, Paolo Bea. Some of his wines were available at the Rome airport duty free shop earlier this month, so I decided to see for myself.

2008 Arnaldo Caprai Grecante Grechetto dei Colli Martani DOC 13.5%
100% Grechetto, fermented and aged 3 months in stainless steel. Aroma is unexpectedly tropical, mainly passion fruit, with slate/mineral notes. Fruity and sweet, with a nicely bitter mid palate. Could use a little more acidity, but otherwise quite attractive.

2006 Arnaldo Caprai Montefalco Rosso DOC 14.0%
Sangiovese 70%, Sagrantino 15%, Merlot 15%, aged 12 months in large oak barrels. Aromas of cherry and vanilla, the latter tending towards malted milk. Good acidity, raspy tannins, curiously granular. Peppery, with good mouth weight.

2005 Arnaldo Caprai Sagrantino di Montefalco Collepiano DOCG 14.5%
100% Sagrantino, aged 22 months in French oak barriques. Attractive cherry and leather aromas, with a new note (for me): eggnog. Dense mouth feel. Aggressive tannins, intensely mouth-puckering; this sandpaper needs time to polymerize. Well made, but didn’t give me pleasure (just not into tough love).

2004 Arnaldo Caprai Sagrantino di Montefalco 25 Anni DOCG 14.5%
100% Sagrantino, aged 24 months in French oak barriques. Expensive. Attractive cherry and funk. Excellent mouth feel, judicious oak, decent acidity, but those raspy tannins seem intent on burning a hole through your tongue. Best of the three reds, but needs therapy. Down, boy, down!

2005 Planeta Moscato di Noto Sicilia DOC 12.5%
100% Moscato Bianco, fermented and aged in stainless steel. Apricot, honey, lime, alcohol and airplane glue. Unctuous and fresh, but could use a bit more acidity.

Perhaps it’s unfair to judge these wines so young, when one would give a tannic Barolo at least ten years to settle down.

Oswaldo,

Thanks for the notes.

I had the 2005 Caprai Collepiano and the 2004 Caprai 25 Anni at Arnaldo Caprai’s imposing, modern and very Napa-esque facility in Montefalco just last spring. These were 2 of the 15 different wines that they poured for my wife and I to taste. I am with you on your notes on these wines, especially your notes on the tannin level amidst the somewhat rough layer. The 2005 25 Anni Sagrantino di Montefalco (not on your notes) was the one that I chose to take home with me as it appeared to have the good stuffing to round-out into a good wine.

I did splurge and filled my wine take-home limit (the wife has a limit for my wines purchased when travelling) with Paolo Bea's stuff. I think the wine geeks got this one right as they were simply much, much better than Caprai's.

I have had Caprai 2000 25 Anni and this one is shaping out nicely into a nice-drinking top tier Sagrantino, better than my last bottle of Paolo Bea's 2000 SdM.

RC

Hi, Ramon, I had read your note and was impressed at how they treated you. I think it predisposed me favorably towards them... The closest I have got to tasting Bea was a wonderful Suore Cistercenci white; I just can't seem to muster the gumption to pay those outrageous prices.

Hi, Ramon, I had read your note and was impressed at how they treated you. I think it predisposed me favorably towards them...

I guess they just have to show a more welcoming gesture when one travels all the way into the off-the beaten countryside of Umbria, and within Umbria, further and deeper into Montefalco. We were the only guests on that day in that Dr. No’ish (I refer to James Bond’s arch enemy) facility.

I agree about the steep prices of Paolo Bea’s wines. But the purchases were wife-sanctioned (very important), and they will make for some great reminiscing about our wonderful time spent at their winery and in the region. Plus, I think that they’re pretty good wines. I’d gladly uncork and share with you as the schedule allows during your subsequent NY trips.

Thank you, Ramon, very kind of you. Will be in touch.