The calling card of Montefalco, a gem of a hill-town in Umbria, is Sagrantino, a grape that makes robust, high alcohol, tannic red wine. Earlier this year, the Consorzio Tutela Vini Montefalco invited me to their annual tasting that showcases their red wines, Sagrantino di Montefalco DOCG and Rosso di Montefalco DOC. I gladly accepted because my prejudice towards Sagrantino was that it was too boisterous – an overly flamboyant wine. So, I thought a true exploration of the grape would determine whether my prejudice was supported by data. Spoiler alert – it wasn’t. Sagrantino di Montefalco, like Wagner’s music, is not as bad as it sounds. Indeed, it won me over because it’s perfect in the correct setting. (I’ll provide a link to my article laying out that finding at the tail end of this column.) On the same trip, I also discovered Rosso di Montefalco, a blend of primarily Sangiovese and Sagrantino, because it turns out that a little bit of Sagrantino goes a long way. But what I really fell in love with was Trebbiano Spoletino, a seductively aromatic white grape that is distinct from the more common and innocuous Trebbiano Toscana.
As I’ve learned, I’m not the only one smitten with Trebbiano Spoletino. The bad news is there’s not much of it made – and even less is exported. I usually avoid writing about wines that are hard to find, but I’ll make an exception for Trebbiano Spoletino because its unique profile makes it a variety and wine to watch for down the road.
Lorenzo Gubbini, a representative of Perticaia, one of Montefalco’s top producers, explained that producers have embraced Trebbiano Spoletino with an enormous increase in planting over the last five years. He predicts that consumers will too. He goes on to predict that in five to ten years, “Trebbiano Spoletino will be the most important wine of the region, more so than Montefalco Rosso or Montefalco Sagrantino.” His description of the wine made from Trebbiano Spoletino rings true: “The best aspects of Riesling and Chardonnay, with minerality and a saline acidity from the former and richness from the latter.”
Fillipo Antonelli, current head of the eponymous firm, established by his grandfather 150 years ago, echoes Gubbini when he says that “there is an enormous push towards whites” in the region.
The naming of these wines confused me because both the DOC, Spoleto, and the name of grape, Trebbiano Spoletino, refer to the town of Spoleto and both appear on the label, which is atypical for Italian wines. Usually, Italian wines carry the name of the DOC (or DOCG) like Barolo or Barbaresco, or the name of grape grown in a geographic area, like Langhe Nebbiolo or Barbera d’Alba. Less commonly does an Italian label carry both the DOC and the grape name. Collio Sauvignon and Cortona Syrah are other exceptions.
To put Trebbiano Spoletino on the label, the blend must contain 85 percent of that variety. Then the producer is entitled to the Spoleto Trebbiano Spoletino DOC. Wines with less than that…but at least 50 percent of Trebbiano Spoletino in the blend…force producers to hide the name of the grape and label the wine as Spoleto Bianco DOC. Makes sense, right?
Ironically, Italian wine bureaucracy limits the recognition of the grape’s name. Not only do producers need to adhere to the above-mentioned 85 percent rule, but they can also only put the grape name, Spoletino Trebbiano, on the label if the grapes came from within the small Spoleto DOC area. This is a shame because Trebbiano Spoletino is grown outside of the Spoleto DOC, and excellent wines are made from it. However, regulations require that the grape’s name remain hidden.
Producers tell me that rules prohibit the name of the grape anywhere on the label, including the back label, and even on the producer’s website, if it is grown in communes outside of the Spoleto DOC. So, there are plenty of enticing white wines made from Trebbiano Spoletino which must keep the name of the grape hidden and be labeled as Montefalco Bianco, or anonymously as Umbria IGT. Typically, producers within a DOC fight vigorously against expanding the DOC since it increases competition. But in this case, Antonelli explains that even the producers within the Spoleto DOC want to expand it because it will spread the word of this unique and distinctive white grape and make consumers aware of it.
I am told by a well informed authority that the Consorzio is asking the DOC regulators to expand the Spoleto DOC to include all of the Montefalco Sangrantion DOCG area, which would permit more producers to put Trebbiano Spoletino on the label.
To my mind, Trebbiano Spoletino stand as a vibrant aromatic white with good body and just a hint of intriguing white pepper-like spice on the finish. Unsurprisingly, producers are experimenting with varying winemaking techniques—extended skin contact, oak or amphora aging, or battonage—so various styles exist. Other producers add Chardonnay to the blend to give extra weight to the wine, but often at the expense of losing the unique spicy, peppery aspect Trebbiano Spoletino. Although my preference runs to the purest, least interventionist style that allows the grape’s unique character to shine, Antonelli’s Vigna Tonda and Perticaia’s Del Posta, to name just two, show that those made with a judicious use of skin contact or barrel aging, respectively, can add complexity. The problem for consumers is knowing which style is in the bottle without having an encyclopedic knowledge of producers’ wines. I’m told that the Consorzio is considering ways to solve the problem, perhaps with a Reserva designation for wines with skin contact or extended aging.
Some producers have been bottling Trebbiano Spoletino practically since it received its DOC in 2011. Valdangius’ floral and mineral-laden 2024 “Campo de Pico” (Spoleto Trebbiano Spoletino DOC) represents their 10th anniversary bottling. Good acidity balances its weight (93 pts.; n/a for now in the USA). They continue to experiment with vinification and aging. After fermenting their 2022 “Filium” (Spoleto Trebbiano Spoletino DOC) in stainless steel vats, they aged it in French barriques for just under a year. The wine certainly has more weight and richness, but at the expense of the grape’s individuality at this stage (90 pts.; n/a). How this youthful wine emerges remains to be seen.
Terre de Trinci, a high-quality co-op, vinified their 2024 “Divino,” a 100-percent Trebbiano Spoletino labeled Umbria IGT 2024, like a red wine, with 10 to 12 days of skin contact. The resulting orange-like wine delivers great aromatics, good depth, and a pear-like fruitiness, reminiscent of a top Alsace Pinot Gris (90 pts.; n/a).
Alessandro Mariani, the estate manager of the Cecchi family-owned Tenuta Alzatura, explains that they label their “Cortili,” a wine made exclusively from Trebbiano Spoletino, as Montefalco Biano DOC because of the name recognition afforded Montefalco. The stunning 2024 “Cortili” was fermented and aged entirely in stainless steel which helps explain its engaging floral aspect and its clean and bright profile (92 pts.; $35). Mariani exclaims, “This is our version of fresh wine.” Alzatura also ferments and ages Trebbiano Spoletino in 500-liter new oak barrels and bottles the wine as Montefalco Biano DOC “Aria di Casa.” The subtle oak exposure imparts an alluring layer of complexity to the still fresh and balanced 2022 “Aria di Casa” without losing any of the grape’s energy (93 pts.; $54).
Tenuta Bellafonte also opts to take advantage of the Montefalco name by labeling their 100 percent Trebbiano Spoletino “Sperella” under the Montefalco Biano DOC. The mid-weight 2024 combines richness with white pepper-like spice (91 pts.; $24).
Arnaldo Caprai, one of the top producers in Montefalco, makes a delicious and fresh Spoleto Trebbiano Spoletino DOC exclusively from that grape labeled “Le Molacce.” The crisp and fresh 2024 enlivens the palate with its white pepper and herbal nuances (93 pts.; n/a).
Antonelli, a longtime leading name in the region, makes two renditions of Spoleto Trebbiano Spoletino DOC, with and without skin contact. The floral and lively 2024 “Trebium” has good body and finishes with an intriguing white pepper-like spice (94 pts.; $23). The 2023 Vigna Tonda displays a delicate orange-quality without overwhelming its raciness. A hint of attractive bitterness in the finish reinforces the care they must have taken with the skin contact (93 pts.; $32).
Like Antonelli, Perticaia, another top producer in Montefalco, makes two Spoleto Trebbiano Spoletino DOC versions, one with and one without oak influences. Perticaia’s fresh and bright unoaked version, simply labeled with the name of the grape, spends a three to six months on the lees after undergoing a few days of skin contact during fermentation. These techniques give Perticaia’s 2024 good weight while still awaking the palate with delightful peppery nuances (92 pts.; $23). Their 2023 Del Posta bottling spends just under a year in used, second-year tonneau, imparting a deeper richer, but not overwhelming component. Perticaia has managed to add a layer without subduing of the grape’s energy (94 pts.; n/a).
A trio of Spoleto Trebbiano Spoletino DOC bring a hint of tropical fruit-like nuances to the wines showing the diversity of the grape’s profile. Subtle melon-like notes lend succulence and complement the spicy ones in Cantina Ninni’s refined 2024 Spoleto Trebbiano Spoletino DOC “Poggio del Vescovo” (93 pts.; n/a). Bocale’s (officially Bocale di Valentini) lively and fresh 2024 seamlessly marries spice and subtle melon-y traces (93 pts.; $22). Le Climate’s racy mid-weight 2024 Spoleto Trebbiano Spoletino DOC combines white pepper-like spice and subtle tropical fruit bits (94 pts.; n/a).
As these notes show, Trebbiano Spoletino makes light to mid-weight energetic aromatic wines that marry subtle fruitiness with spice. Although I’ve had a few Trebbiano Spoletino wines with several years of bottle age that have developed an intriguing complexity, my advice is to drink these vibrant wines within a couple of years of their release to capture their youthful energy and verve. They are excellent choices for pasta with a light tomato sauce or pesto, sauteed veal, cheese, and ironically – since Umbria is landlocked – seafood.
. . .
E-mail me your thoughts about Montefalco in general or Trebbiano Spoletino in particular at Michael.Apstein1@gmail.com and follow me on Instagram @MichaelApstein
To see my recent article on Sagrantino di Monteflaco, go to https://winereviewonline.com/sagrantino-di-montefalco-enters-the-modern-age/
September 17, 2025