Right next to Tuscany you can find the lesser known region of Umbria, where many wine enthusiasts now look for value. Just as 2006 was an amazing vintage for Tuscany, so it is for Umbria as well. So when we were offered a sample of a 2006 Montefalco Rosso we gladly accepted.
Montefalco Rosso is the entry level wine for Milziade Antano. The rep could have given us the '05 Riserva, or the '04 Sagrantino, or maybe a coveted bottle of the single vineyard Sagrantino Colleallodole which many consider a benchmark for the appellation. But the 2006 Montefalco Rosso was the smartest way to go. Why show something more expensive, when an affordable choice can 'WOW' you as well?
Milziade Antano's wines have that rustic appeal that many purists search for, yet the 2006 vintage provides plenty of fruit for anyone used to a slightly more modern touch. Dark berries and spices are present on the nose. Bright red fruits shine first on the palette. Earthen notes of brick and clay then follow, finishing up with herbs and tobacco.
This level of complexity is not easy to find with an entry level table wine. Especially one that is only $19.95! The kicker is that the '05, generally considered a lesser vintage, scored 91 points in the Wine Advocate and most stores are waiting for the '06 review which possibly posts in April. Here at Sokolin we are buying up what we can of the '06 now and suggest you do too. Chances are, by the time the review is posted, the staff will have sold it all...if not drank it!