This excellent Umbrian red from Gambero Rosso's 2006 Winery of the Year blends exotic sagrantino with merlot and sangiovese.

Umbria - "The Green Heart Of Italy" - has always lived in the shadow of neighboring Tuscany. Bisected by the Appenine mountain chain, its hilltowns - Perugia, Assisi, Spello, Spoleto, Todi, Orvieto, Montefalco - were always more difficult of access. In wine terms, Umbria was always Nowheresville, until the advent of the winery of Arnaldo Caprai, and the vision of his son Marco.

Marco and his renowned winemaker Attilio Pagli have, through diligent research and persistent experimentation, revived indiginous grapes of Umbria to produce wines which now rank with the greatest Barolos, Barbarescos, Brunellos and Super-Tuscans. Italy's foremost wine journal, Gambero Rosso/Slow Food's "Vini d'Italia", has bestowed its highest ranking of "Tre Bicchiere" (Three Glasses) on the Caprai's Sagrantino di Montefalco for eight years in a row. For 2006, they have named Arnaldo Caprai "Winery Of The Year". A.G. Ferrari is proud to feature these superb expressions of one of Italy's greatest cultural treasures.

This wine utilizes the best of Caprai's sangiovese grapes (70%), combined with 15% merlot and 15% sagrantino, their flagship grape variety. These two "powerhouse" grapes raise the sangiovese to a whole new level, while still retaining the charm and easy drinkability for which sangiovese is prized. A wine this charming and this serious is the perfect dinner companion, getting more and more intriguing as the meal progresses. Excellent with virtually all red and white meats.

Visit Arnaldo Caprai's website to learn more about Gambero Rosso's 2006 Italian Winery of the Year.