Azienda Agricola Paolo Bea 'San Valentino' Umbria Rosso, 2019

Composed of 70% Sangiovese, 15% Sagrantino and 15% Montepulciano, “San Valentino” comes partly from  young vines (a dozen years old or younger) which Bea sees as not quite ready for prime time in one of his crus,  and partly from 40- to 50-year-old vines from parcels not destined for inclusion in the crus. Fermented and aged  two years in steel, then transferred to large Slavonian casks for two additional years, this 2016 spent 41 days  macerating on its skins, yet its texture is quite refined compared to more ferocious vintages of this wine. It soars on the nose and offers a bevy of spice as per usual, but this pulls back short of full-on wildness, and its balance is  striking.