2001 Arnaldo Caprai Rosso Outsider

The 2001 Outsider is superior to the 2000 vintage, the first to be bottled. A Bordeaux blend with the maximum focus, purity, and expressiveness in its aromas, its concentrated body, superior delineation and complexity, and long, rich finish indicate that it will drink well for another decade and a half. This wine demonstrates that Umbria can make Cabernet-based wines which comfortably compete with the best of Italy, Tuscany included. Marco Caprai, the young entrepreneur who created a name and a market for the wines of Montefalco in Umbria all by himself, has a lot more company in the zone than when he started, a period in which Sagrantino was considered a grape for dessert wines and little else. Not that he has all that much to worry about – he started working on his vineyards over 15 years ago, when everyone else was asleep at the switch, and he also enjoyed the not inconsiderable advantage of the services of consulting winemaker Attilio Pagli. About this professional, whose name is too little known outside of Italy, the only thing I wish to say is that no Italian oenologist has given me more pleasure with his wines over the last 20 years, starting with the superb 1985 Brunello di Montalcino of Giulio Salvioni, made when Pagli was a mere 22 years old. Importer: Villa Italia, San Francisco, CA; tel. (650) 873-6060