There’s a wine so bold it nearly vanished—until one man made it a legend. Arnaldo Caprai, the visionary behind Italy’s Montefalco Sagrantino, passed away at 92, leaving behind a legacy that transformed a near-extinct grape into a global icon. For decades, Sagrantino was a footnote in wine history, its dark, tannic character deemed too fierce for mainstream palates. Caprai didn’t just save it—he redefined it, proving that terroir and patience could turn a forgotten vine into a benchmark of Italian winemaking.
Caprai’s journey began in the 1970s, when he traded textiles for terroir, buying a 108-acre estate in Umbria. Most of his peers were still fermenting passito, the sweet, dried-grape wine that Sagrantino once dominated. But Caprai saw potential in its wild, age-worthy structure. “We need to make something that stands the test of time,” he declared, a philosophy that reshaped the region. His 1986 collaboration with Giampaolo Tabarrini—then a young vintner—became a turning point. Together, they championed dry Sagrantino, a gamble that paid off when the wine’s deep plum flavors and iron-rich tannins finally found their audience.
The shift wasn’t just technical. Caprai’s son Marco expanded the estate to 400 acres, while enologists like Michel Rolland refined the grape’s expression. Today, Caprai’s seven DOCG bottlings—each 100% Sagrantino—stand as proof of his vision. The 2015 Spinning Beauty, with its 95-point rating, epitomizes the grape’s evolution: a wine that’s both fierce and refined, capable of aging for decades. Yet Caprai’s true triumph wasn’t in accolades—it was in rekindling pride for Montefalco. “We give the right weight and the right impression of the Montefalco area,” he once said, a mantra that shaped the region’s identity.
KEY POINTS: Caprai’s genius lay in seeing Sagrantino’s potential beyond its historical role as a sweet wine. His insistence on dry, ageable expressions elevated the grape from obscurity to reverence. By merging tradition with innovation, he forged a path that his son and successors now walk, ensuring Sagrantino’s place in Italy’s wine canon.
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Questions & Answers
What was Arnaldo Caprai known for?
Arnaldo Caprai was renowned for pioneering the Sagrantino grape in Montefalco, Italy, elevating it to global recognition through his winemaking expertise and dedication to quality.
When did Arnaldo Caprai pass away?
Arnaldo Caprai passed away at the age of 92, marking the end of a legacy that transformed Montefalco Sagrantino into a celebrated wine region worldwide.
Information sourced from industry reports and news outlets.
