Like an “undiscovered” Tuscany, Umbria is one of the great secrets of Italy. Many of her wines are either super rustic and “natural” (Paolo Bea or Antano Milziade can both be great, with much bottle variation in my experience) or overly polished, “modern” and market-driven (Arnaldo Caprai and Antonelli are two of the big players), so when I tasted the wines of Lorenzo di Monaco I promptly fell head-over heels. They are neither of these extremes.
Instead his Rosso di Todi is a perfect expression of a great old-world terroir (alluvial sediments with sand, gravel, and clay) created with a deft touch that showcases the purity of Sangiovese at its best.
Two hours North of Rome, the Medieval hilltop town of Collazzone is in the heart of Umbria, and part of the recently-awarded DOC of “Rosso di Todi”, on the Southern border of the DOCG of Montefalco Sagrantino. His 2019 vintage is inky, juicy and delicious now, but also with enough structure and tannins that make you want to hide it away in the cellar!
With just six hectares in production (and a few more newly planted) Lorenzo’s alchemy is his attention to detail, both in the vineyards (with algae and orange extract treatments as one example of his devotion to homeopathic farming) and in his tiny (but immaculate) cellar, where he experiments with a mix of clay amphorae, and Demi-muids from Taransaud, and larger oval botti from Mittelberger and Rousseau.
90% Sangiovese, 5% Colorino and 5% Malvasia Nera & clayey loamy soil
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