Bea's 1999 Sagrantino di Montefalco Passito might be described as a cross between Recioto and Barolo Chinato. This sweet red wine is made from grapes that are dried on straw mats to concentrate the flavors. The wine is aged for up to five years in stainless steel prior to being bottled. It is a beautiful and totally unique wine with an endless array of coffee beans, leather, baking spices, figs, plums, and sweet medicinal herbs that flow from the glass with superb detail. The wine is soft and caressing on the palate, its open-knit texture supported by tannins that are remarkably finessed for Sagrantino. It is fully-flavored, yet never heavy or cloying. This beautiful sweet wine will work well with cheeses and chocolate-based desserts, but is perhaps best on its own, where readers will be able to fully appreciate it for the grand vino da meditazione it is. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2018. Paolo Bea's wines represent the finest of the artisan approach to winemaking. Bea farms his vineyards naturally. The wines are made in a traditional style that calls for extended periods of skin contact and several years of aging. At their best these are finessed expressive wines of the highest level in a style that recalls the Brunellos of Gianfranco Soldera or the Barolos of Giuseppe Rinaldi, to name just two producers with a similar aesthetic. Importer: Rosenthal Wine Merchants, Pine Plains, NY; tel. (800) 910-1990