Italy · Umbria

Arnaldo Caprai

Arnaldo Caprai is the benchmark producer of Sagrantino di Montefalco in Umbria, central Italy, having transformed this obscure indigenous variety into an internationally recognized appellation through investment, research, and critical acclaim beginning in the 1990s under Marco Caprai. The family's involvement dates to 1971 when Arnaldo Caprai purchased the estate; his son Marco took over in 1988 and dramatically elevated quality, planting new Sagrantino clones, reducing yields, and hiring consultant Attilio Pagli. The 25 Anni, a single-vineyard Sagrantino produced from the estate's oldest vines in the Colle Grimaldesco site, was created in 1993 to commemorate the estate's 25th anniversary and averages $85 at auction (with top lots at $331), widely acknowledged as the reference expression of the variety. The standard Montefalco Sagrantino averages $59 and Collepiano $48. The 2004 vintage is the most actively traded for the 25 Anni — a consistently praised year for central Italian reds. Sagrantino is one of the world's most tannin-rich grape varieties, and Caprai's wines require 10–15 years of cellaring for full integration; auction buyers seeking aged examples of the 25 Anni from the late 1990s and early 2000s form the core demand.