The organic 2016 Montefalco Sagrantino Chiusa di Pannone performs beautifully and is one of the highlights of this tasting. It shows sweet cherry, preserved fruit, jammy tones and dark chocolate. These results are balanced and modern. Fruit is exclusively sourced from a 2.9-hectare site with vines planted in 1995 on limestone clay soils with southern exposures. Production is 6,300 bottles. Chiusa di Pannone is classic and elegant Sagrantino with good aging potential. The alcohol is high at 15%.

The 2016 Montefalco Sagrantino Chiusa di Pannone is a sleeping giant, with a beguiling bouquet of crushed ashen stones, dried roses, currants and balsamic spice that requires a bit of coaxing to emerge from the glass. It’s velvety, almost creamy in feel, with depths of dark fruit concentration that penetrate the palate, leaving saline minerals and super-fine tannins to mingle. The finish is potent and long, tannic, yet not clenching and leaves hints of savory spice and herbal tones to linger. The 2016 will need time to unlock all of its hidden charms.