Umbria
It has been quite some time since Artisan sold wines from Umbria. We have always found the wines there (with a few exceptions) to be rather clumsy in terms of the tannin/fruit balance. Perticaia's wines are one of the few exceptions that make the rule. Their wines are big for sure, there is no way around that given the soils and moreso, the Sagrantino grape that is featured either exclusively or in a blend with Sangiovese and sometimes a bit of international varieties. Perticaia's wines have a level of finesse rare in the DOCG zone and it is not by accident. The Guardigli family chose the area around Casale which is known for the comparative inherent finess that wines grown here have above the surrounding territory. Very careful low yield farming and meticulous winemaking complete the picture. Even the winery's name ("plow" in dialect) and logo exemplify the close tie to this land and the inherent vineyard and farming focus employed here. Only about 8,000 cases in total from just over 15 hectares. If you don't take our word for, just taste the wines and read what Ian D'Agata had to say recently in "Vinous" June 2016 "Owner Guido Guardigli has only been making Montefalco wines for a dozen years or so but has quickly risen to the top of the heap in Montefalco. Above all, his wines are characterized by unbelievable grace and refinement, and thus Perticaia’s Sagrantino wines, unlike those of far too many other producers, are not brutally mouth-coating and astringent in their tannic power."