Last summer, when I was traveling from Northern to Southern Italy, we made a stop, more or less halfway through. And the region was Umbria, and then we stopped here, closed to the magnificent village of Bevagna (a visit is a must, really). Where we are? We are in front of a work of art, a copper sculpture that has already changed color, from shiny orange into burnt earth tint: we are in front of the Carapace by Arnaldo Pomodoro which hosts the Tenuta Castelbuono winery of the Lunelli family.
Why Carapace? Because the shield of this giant tortoise is as rigid and solid as the territory that surrounds it: its cracks resume the furrows that can be seen here and there among the vineyards, a territory made largely of clay that has a strong impact on the surrounding vine, vine that mainly produces the autochthonous Sagrantino of Montefalco, but also Sangiovese, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.
The Carapace is fascinating on the outside as well as on the inside: inside the structure perfectly reproduces the supporting skeleton of this huge animal, you can see the head and tail, but the part I preferred is the underground one. You go down through a spiral staircase, enveloping, and you can reach the cellar full of barrels and barriques with walls painted in green inspired by the Bordeaux mixture (or verdigris): and in the center, in an atmosphere between the sacred and the profane, you discover a Zigurrat, this tower-temple of ancient Mesopotamia that was used to communicate with the sky. It really seems to enter a pagan temple (if you want you can make tasting sessions) and you can sit down, shut up and maybe meditate.
I like to think of this form of functional art, especially if it is related to wine.
The visit is completed with the tasting of four wines:
– Montefalco Rosso Ziggurat 2018: Sangiovese 70%, Sagrantino 15%, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot 15%. 12 months in 225 L barriques and then in 500 L tonneaux. Wine with strong character, very complex and aromatic, with slightly too pronounced tannins that deserve to wait a few years to “smooth out”.
– Montefalco Rosso Riserva Lampante 2017: The reserve version of the previous one, aged 18 months in tonneaux. Spicy and balsamic tones enrich the bouquet.
– Montefalco Sagrantino Carapace 2016: for me the best. 100% Sagrantino which remains 24 months only in large barrels and which charms me with a very intense note of violet, lovely. Then plum, blueberries and undergrowth. Powerful and elegant at the same time.
– Montefalco Sagrantino Carapace 2010 (unfortunately the Montefalco Passito was no longer available): interesting to compare it to the previous one, a bit like comparing the generations, the young and the mature: soft tannins, less daring in the aromas, longer and more persistent.
Yes, a Carapace fits perfectly here, it is the perfect symbol of the land and of Umbrian wine, and the red dart of 18 meters, a little disturbing, recalls the hand of man: it is the man who intervened, it is the man who created this mammoth sculpture in which you live and work, and work the wine. Enchanting.
