Sagrantino is one of Italy's most tannic, uncompromising grapes, yet Angelo Fongoli treats it with a light hand, making it without additives or even added sulfur. The result is a natural-wine reading of one of Umbria's proudest varieties.
Backstory
The Fongoli family has farmed in Montefalco for more than a century. Angelo is the fourth generation to make wine here, working the estate with his wife Letizia. In the project's early days the couple worked with natural-wine specialist Danilo Marcucci to refine their zero-zero cellar approach.
The Region
Montefalco, in central Umbria, is the heartland of Sagrantino, a thick-skinned grape capable of formidable structure. The Fongoli estate also draws on the area's other traditional varieties to make a fuller range of styles.
Vineyards and Farming
The farm covers around 40 hectares, certified organic since 2013, with Angelo embracing biodynamics across both vineyard and cellar. About 20 hectares are planted to traditional regional varieties including Sagrantino, Sangiovese, Montepulciano, Grechetto and Trebbiano Spoletino, the oldest vines more than forty years old.
Winemaking
Native yeasts are non-negotiable and no additives are used, not even sulfur. Some wines age in stainless steel, others in oak, and a few in amphora made in nearby Deruta, a town famous for its ceramics.
The Wines
Fongoli produces Sagrantino in several styles, from dry Montefalco Sagrantino to frizzante and rosato versions, alongside Montefalco Rosso blends and single-varietal whites from Grechetto and Trebbiano. The estate also makes grappa and olive oil.
