Paolo Bea Montefalco Rosso Riserva Pipparello 2019

Similarly large-scaled as the San Valentino, the Pipparello is more overwhelmingly brooding, and even more intense in its concentration. The ultra-savory nose is a thick swamp of camphor, black olives, fresh tar, and sandalwood, with pretty high-toned spices lurking in the background. Its palate is arrestingly dense, yet it carries an incredible amount of energy given its overall disposition. This is a rough-and- tumble, wholly uncompromising wine without a polite bone in its body, yet it still manages to be erudite and nuanced-an embodiment of the spirit of the Bea style at its most extreme.