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Paolo Bea

Pagliaro Sagrantino 2015

Price: $95.95
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Tasting notes

The 2015 opens with tobacco, dried rose, and dark cherry on the nose, backed by earthy mineral depth that comes from clay and limestone soils at 400 meters. The 40-to-50-day maceration extracts Sagrantino's full tannic structure, yet the fruit concentration of the vintage holds everything in balance with a long, spice-dusted finish.

BodyFruitTanninAcidity
TobaccoBlack CherriesEarthBaking Spices
  • Style: Full-bodied dry red; deep garnet; tobacco, dark cherry, earth, baking spice; 15% ABV; Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG
  • Grapes & Terroir: 100% Sagrantino; Pagliaro vineyard; 400m elevation; calcareous clay and limestone soils; biodynamic and organic farming
  • Winemaking: 40-50 day skin maceration; spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts; 1yr stainless steel + 2yr large Slavonian oak + 1yr bottle; unfiltered, unfined; minimal SO2 at bottling only
  • Serving: Serve at 62-65F; minimum 2-3 hours decanting recommended; significant sediment expected
  • Pairing: Braised wild boar, osso buco, bistecca alla Fiorentina, aged Pecorino di Norcia
  • Similar To: For fans of Aglianico and Barolo who want a more rustic, terroir-driven Italian red with exceptional aging potential

Pagliaro is Paolo Bea's single-vineyard Sagrantino di Montefalco DOCG, drawn entirely from the Pagliaro vineyard situated at approximately 400 meters (1,300 feet) above sea level in Montefalco, Umbria. The wine is 100% Sagrantino, a thick-skinned indigenous variety known for producing wines with some of the highest tannin and polyphenol concentrations of any red grape in the world. Annual production ranges from 15,000 to 20,000 bottles.

Harvest takes place in the second half of October, when Sagrantino's late-ripening skins finally reach full maturity. Maceration on the skins extends 40 to 50 days. The wine is then aged one year in stainless steel, two years in large Slavonian oak barrels, and at least one additional year in bottle before release. No fining or filtration is used. A minimal dose of sulfur dioxide is added only at bottling, and the total sulfur level is printed on the handwritten label.

The 2015 vintage was hot and dry in Umbria, producing wines of substantial ripeness and concentration. Vinous awarded the 2015 Pagliaro 93 points, noting spicy and sweetly scented aromatics with dusty rose, currants, and tobacco on the nose, and silky textures with mineral-tinged red and black fruits on the palate, with fine tannins that build toward the close. The recommended drinking window runs 2024 to 2033, though the wine has the structure to develop for considerably longer.

Like all Bea wines, Pagliaro is imported in the United States by Rosenthal Wine Merchant. The handwritten label details production methods and ingredients, consistent with the estate's membership in Vini Veri, the consortium of non-interventionist producers co-founded by Giampiero Bea.

Sagrantino's formidable tannins need protein and fat to integrate properly. Serve alongside braised wild boar, osso buco with gremolata, or bistecca alla Fiorentina. Aged Umbrian cheeses such as Pecorino di Norcia also work well, as does any slow-cooked meat with a rich, herb-forward sauce.

Wine details

Dry/Sweet:, Dry
Wine Type:, Red Wine
Wine Style:, Full Body
Grapes:, Sagrantino
Farming:, Organic and Biodynamic
Vintage:, 2015
Alcohol:, 15%
Country:, Italy
Region:, Umbria
Appellation:, Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG
Bottle Size:, 750ml
Sugar Level:, Zero Added Sugar

We will process and ship your order in 2-3 business days, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with tracking as soon as the Carrier scans the shipping label.

Ground shipping time depends on location, here's a breakdown:

West Coast: 1-2 business days
Midwest: 3-4 business days
East Coast: 5 business days

Process time is not shipping time. Shipping time starts from the days successive to the day of shipping, after the order has been processed.

See here our shipping policy.


Important Compliance Requirements

FedEx and other carriers we might occasionally use can only deliver wine to customers who are 21 years or older. Someone must be at the address to receive the package, carriers don't just drop a package and leave. They must ensure the person receiving the wine is 21 or older.


Re-shipping a Package

If a package is returned to us after three failed delivery attempts, we can only re-ship the wine upon payment of a re-shipping fee, to be determined based on the shipping address and number of bottles. Shipping wine is extremely expensive. We are sorry about this, but we have no other choice. Please make sure there's always someone at the address you enter as your shipping address.

If you'd like to receive a refund for a package that was returned to us after FedEx made three delivery attempts, we can do that but we must keep a $20 refund fee; FedEx charges us a lot of money for returns, unfortunately, I can't stress this enough.


Re-routing a Package

If you'd like to reroute a package after it's been shipped, we can do so for a $20 re-routing fee. We cannot re-route a package across state borders. For any change of address, please contact us as soon as possible, ideally within 1-2 days from placing the order or we cannot guarantee we'll be able to reroute or change your order's shipping address.


Canceling an Order

If you'd like to cancel an order after it's been shipped, we can do so upon payment of a small cancellation fee – the amount depends on the size of the order. Carriers charge us a lot of money to recall a package en-route.


Heat/Frost damage

We are not responsible for heat- or frost-related issues. We offer ice-packs upon request. Please let us know if you think that there could be heat-related issues. If we don't hear anything from you regarding weather issues before an order is shipped, or if you don't request a hold due to the weather, we are not responsible for heat/frost damage.


Placed an order. What next?

1. You will receive an order confirmation email with your order summary.*

2. As soon as your order ships from the warehouse, usually within 2-3 business days, this applies to all shipping rates, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with your tracking information. 2DAY shipping refers to shipping time; we still need 2-3 business days to prepare an order. We need to pick and pack, QA, add printed collateral, and palletize the orders.

3. Please track your package using the tracking service.

4. The carrier will attempt delivery a maximum of 3 times. After 3 delivery attempts, your package will be sent back to our warehouse.**

*Please ensure your email address is correct; otherwise, you will not receive the order and shipping confirmation emails.

**If delivery is attempted 3 times without success, or if you fail to retrieve your package from the carrier depot by the stated deadline, the shipping fee will not be refunded to the customer.

Returns Policy

If you are not satisfied with your purchase, please contact us at (424) 414-2040 or via e-mail at hello@primalwine.com between 9 am and 5 pm Pacific Standard Time, Monday through Sunday, we would like to understand and try to solve your concerns. We can offer refunds only as store credit.

Producer profile

Paolo Bea

References in the archives of Montefalco document the presence of the Bea family in the area as early as 1500. The estate, formally named Antica Azienda Agricola Paolo Bea, began commercial bottling in 1980 under Paolo Bea. The property encompasses 15 hectares in total: 5 dedicated to vineyards, 2 to olive groves, and the remainder to fruits, vegetables, grains, and farm animals. The estate functions as a classic Italian fattoria, with the family producing much of what they consume.

Paolo Bea's son Giuseppe manages the vineyards, farming without pesticides, herbicides, or synthetic fertilizers. The estate practices biodynamic agriculture, observing lunar cycles and planting cover crops in vineyard rows each February to build soil health. Vine rows are mowed in June and the cut stalks left on the ground to retain humidity. No copper sprays are used, even in difficult vintages. Sixty percent of vineyard acreage is planted to Sagrantino, with Sangiovese, Montepulciano, and several white varieties occupying the remainder.

Winemaking is handled by Giampiero Bea, who co-founded the Vini Veri consortium and is a founding signatory of the Italian natural wine movement. Grapes are hand-harvested and sorted twice before destemming. Fermentation is spontaneous, using indigenous yeasts in stainless steel tanks without temperature control. For the Pagliaro, maceration on the skins runs 40 to 50 days. The wine transfers to large Slavonian oak casks for two years, preceded by one year in stainless steel, then spends at least one year in bottle before release. No fining or filtration is applied. A minimal amount of sulfur dioxide is added at bottling only. Total sulfur levels appear on each handwritten label.

Wine region

Umbria, Italy

Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG is located in the Province of Perugia in central Umbria, covering five communes: Montefalco, Bevagna, Gualdo Cattaneo, Giano dell'Umbria, and Castel Ritaldi. The medieval town of Montefalco sits at approximately 470 meters elevation and is sometimes called the 'Balcony of Umbria' for its panoramic views. The climate is predominantly continental, with warm dry summers and cold winters. Cooling evening breezes from the Apennines temper summer heat and preserve natural acidity. The Tramontana wind from the north reduces rot pressure during the long ripening season.

Soils in the appellation are predominantly calcareous silty-clay with limestone, providing both drainage and mineral structure that complements Sagrantino's naturally high polyphenol content. The DOCG was established in 1992 for dry Secco wines (elevated from its 1979 DOC), requiring a minimum of 37 months of aging including at least 12 in oak. Sagrantino carries the highest tannin concentration of any major red grape variety, exceeding Aglianico and Tannat, and roughly twice that of Cabernet Sauvignon or Nebbiolo. The appellation produces both a dry Secco and a sweet Passito style, with Secco outnumbering Passito by approximately nine to one.

Frequently asked question

We will process and ship your order in 2-3 business days, you will receive a shipping confirmation email with tracking as soon as the Carrier scans the shipping label.

Ground shipping time depends on location, here's a breakdown:

West Coast: 1-2 business days
Midwest: 3-4 business days
East Coast: 5 business days

Process time is not shipping time. Shipping time starts from the days successive to the day of shipping, after the order has been processed.

See here our shipping policy.

Signature on delivery is mandatory for wine deliveries. Please make sure someone is at the shipping address to sign for the package.

If applicable, please consider delivering the package to a business address to ensure someone is available to sign for the package.

We also have the option of delivering the package to a Carrier's store for pickup. Please reach out to us to coordinate.

Carrier will try to delivery a package up to three times before returning the package to us.

See here our shipping policy.

If you miss a delivery and a package gets returned to us we have two options:

1) Reship the package right away: due to the very high cost of shipping and returns, we must charge a re-shipping fee to be determined based on package size and shipping destination.

2) Consolidate the returned package with your next order: this option is free of charge and it's the most popular option.

See here our shipping policy.

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