Paolo Bea is a quintessential artisanal producer steeped
in the traditions of the Montefalco, which date back
to the early part of the 12th century. He currently remains
the guiding force behind the production of his estate,
sharing his traditional, noninterventionist approach
with his two sons—Giuseppe, who farms the vineyards,
and Giampiero, who assists in the vinification. Each
bottle provides an indication of the total produced that
year, and many feature a slight presence of sediment,
demonstrating the wholly natural methods of production.
While Sangiovese is the most prolific of the Umbrian
varietals, Umbria’s identity is intimately connected
to Sagrantino, a grape that has enjoyed premier positioning
in Umbria for centuries, conducting an extensive and
noted history as a passito wine. In fact, though
an exceedingly rare native—limited to a mere 400
acres of vineyards—this distinct minority mediates
between the two discrete flavor profiles that characterize
this region’s offerings—earth-driven Sangiovese-based
wines and modern-oriented blends crafted from the principal
international varieties. The wines of Paolo Bea, however,
are slightly “off center,” veering more towards
the former profile—headlined by the wines of Lungarotti—than
the latter. This stylistic predilection is enabled by
Bea’s rejection of barrique, yet his wines do not
take on a distinct profile; rather, distinctions are
realized both between vintages and, at times, within
the context of a single vintage.
Bea’s approach is firmly rooted not so much in
the desire to translate provenance, but in the
absolute necessity of articulating Montefalco’s
terroir: “Nature should be observed, heard, [and]
understood, not dominated.” Thus, his protocol
is essentially noninterventionist—a means of realizing
a genuine articulation of terroir uncompromised by practices
that may insulate the wine from harm but ultimately produce
a disingenuous wine. Paradoxically, this approach does
not preclude the use of technical developments that lessen
the burdens of labor-intensive vinification; rather,
Bea is desirous of cultivating a balance between tradition
and modernity.
The Bea estate—similar to its lead varietal—nurtures
a penchant for obscurity. The acreage devoted to wine
production totals less than one-third of the estate,
despite the fact that additional acres could easily be
planted to vine. The family desires to keep production
numbers low in order to maintain a very modest profile.
The current portfolio includes the estate’s signature
wine, Sagrantino di Montefalco Secco ‘Pagliaro’;
Montefalco Rosso, a blend of Sangiovese, Montepulciano,
and Sagrantino; a Sagrantino Passito; and the white five-varietal
Santa Chiara blend.
