Paolo Bea Montefalco Rosso Riserva Vigna Pipparello 2018

The cru Pipparello is situated at 400 meters altitude with soils of clay and gravel, and this bottling displays Bea’s skillful touch with Sangiovese, which achieves a wilder and more powerful expression here than in neighboring Tuscany. Comprising 70% Sangiovese, 15% Montepulciano, and 15% Sagrantino, this 2018 — clocking in at 14.5% alcohol — harnesses the combination of power and energy that characterizes Bea at his best, and its lengthy 60-day maceration manifests as seamless concentration rather than undue structure. 'Pipparello' spends a total of 12-24 months in steel, then 2 years in botti in order to integrate its elements, and there is certainly no shortage of material here. The ultra-savory nose is a wild tangle of camphor, black olives, fresh tar, and sandalwood, with pretty high-toned spices lurking in the background. Its palate is arrestingly dense, yet it carries an incredible amount of energy given its overall disposition. This is a rough-andtumble, wholly uncompromising wine without a polite bone in its body, yet it still manages to be erudite and nuanced—an embodiment of the spirit of the Bea style at its most extreme.