2012 was a ripe vintage throughout Italy, and it was especially warm in Umbria, but some producers thrive in warm weather and Paolo Bea, the standard bearer for wine made without intervention, is one of them. Rich yet fresh, textured yet nimble, the ’13 Santa Chiara is a thrilling study in contrasts. Bursting with aromas of sweet, ripe tropical and citrus fruits, this wine is surprisingly dry, offering a concentrated, earthy and mineral-laden palate. Bea grows its grapes organically and makes its wines without additives or intervention; quite simply, they are magical. A blend of Grechetto, Malvasia, Chardonnay, Sauvignon, and Garganega, this wine macerates on its skins for about two weeks, and it ages extensively on its lees in stainless steel, resulting in a voluptuous, complex orange wine.
- Country: Italy
- Region: Umbria
- Sub Region/Classification: VdT Bianco
- Commune/Village: Montefalco
Situated in the heart of Umbrian wine country, Paolo Bea is the quintessential artisanal producer. Bea’s credo is “Nature should be observed, listened to and integrated, not dominated. Wine is not made by man but generated by nature!” An estate founded more than 400 years ago, family owned-and-operated Paolo Bea dedicates itself to indigenous Umbrian grapes--Grechetto, Malvasia, Gargenega and Trebbiano for its whites, and Montepulciano d’Abruzzo and Sagrantino for its reds. A guiding force in Vini Veri, or in English the “True Wine Group”, Italy’s natural wine consortium, the estate nurtures its grapes with organic, non-interventionist agriculture, and it continues that reliance on nature in the cellar, crafting its wines without temperature control and without any additives, additional yeasts, fining or filtration. Bea purposefully keeps its production low--so low that demand for its exceptional reds and outrageous whites always exceed supply.
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