Lungarotti Cabernet Sauvignon 1997
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Lungarotti’s history is a love-story for the land spanning many generations. In the 18th century the Lungarotti family was already producing wine and olive oil in the Mid-Tiber River valley. After World War II this activity grew and was consolidated, culminating in the creation of Rubesco and Torre di Giano whose first vintage on the market dates back to 1962. These wines represent two of the first DOC appellations in Italy (Rosso and Bianco di Torgiano, since 1968). The 1964 vintage marks the first production of Rubesco Riserva Vigna Monticchio (Torgiano Rosso Riserva DOCG), a wine which has put Umbria on the world wine map.
Since 1999, when Giorgio Lungarotti passed away, the estate has been guided by his daughter Chiara, the CEO, and her sister Teresa, assisted by their mother Maria Grazia and grandchildren Francesco and Gemma.
Today Lungarotti boasts 250 hectares of vineyards whose cornerstone is sustainability, between the Torgiano estate (230 ha, VIVA certification since 2018) and the one in Montefalco (20 ha, organic since 2010). Native varietals such as Sangiovese, Colorino, Sagrantino, Grechetto, Trebbiano Spoletino and Vermentino are planted alongside international varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio.
Lungarotti is not just wine but also culture, with the Wine Museum of Torgiano, defined by the New York Times as “best in Italy” and the Olive and Oil Museum, managed by the non-profit Lungarotti Foundation directed by art historian Maria Grazia Lungarotti.
Finally, on the scenic road leading up from Torgiano to the Brufa hill – right in between Perugia and Assisi - Lungarotti has created Poggio alle Vigne, an elegant agriturismo among the Rubesco vineyards, ideal for enjoying relaxing holidays surrounded by the scents and sounds of nature.
Winery tours, wine tastings and typical products of the territory at the two wineries, picnics and trekking in the vineyards, guided museum tours: a multitude of experiences to savour in the green heart of Umbria. All this is the Lungarotti Experience.
While certainly not one of the hundreds of indigenous Italian varietals, Cabernet Sauvignon has been present in the country since the 1820’s and now encompasses approximately 35,000 acres. Only a small amount of Cabernet Sauvignon is grown in northern Italy, but notable examples include Angelo Gaja’s Darmagi from Piedmont and San Leonardo (typically a Cabernet blend) from Trentino-Alto Adige. Southern Italy sees more plantings, especially in Sicily, Puglia and Campania; most of these versions are made for everyday consumption and rarely garner widespread attention.
Then there is Tuscany, where Italian Cabernet Sauvignon can rise to impressive levels of quality. It is required in Carmignano, and since 1996 has been permitted in Chianti and Chianti Classico. The grape first shook up the Italian wine world in the early 1970’s, with the release of the so-called “Super Tuscans.” These were wines from the coastal region of Maremma that broke the rules of almost every Tuscan appellation and therefore had to be labeled as “table wine.” The first, Sassicaia, is a blend of Cab with Cabernet Franc. Other notable Italian wines that include Cabernet Sauvignon are Tignanello, Ornellaia and Solaia. These and others bear Cabernet’s signature notes of blackcurrant, blackberry, tobacco, graphite and oak, all supported by impressive structure.