Paolo Bea

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Country of Origin: Italy
Location: Montefalco, Umbria
People: Paolo Bea & Family, Owners | Giampiero Bea, Winemaker
Viticulture: Practicing Biodynamic

Items

Paolo Bea 2015 'Arboreus' Trebbiano, Umbria Bianco IGT Login AG 93 In Stock
Paolo Bea 2018 'Santa Chiara' Pagliaro Vineyard, Umbria Bianco IGT Login
Paolo Bea 2019 'Santa Chiara' Pagliaro Vineyard, Umbria Bianco IGT Login AG 92 In Stock
Paolo Bea 2018 'San Valentino' Umbria Rosso IGP Login In Stock
Paolo Bea 2018 Montefalco Rosso Riserva, Pipparello, DOC Login In Stock
Paolo Bea 2017 'Rosso de Veo' Umbria Rosso IGT Login AG 92 In Stock
Paolo Bea (1.5 L) 2017 Montefalco Sagrantino Secco, Pagliaro Vineyard, DOCG Login AG 93 In Stock
Paolo Bea (1.5 L) 2018 Montefalco Sagrantino Secco, Pagliaro Vineyard, DOCG Login In Stock
Paolo Bea (3 L) 2017 Montefalco Sagrantino Secco, Pagliaro Vineyard, DOCG Login AG 93 In Stock
Paolo Bea (3 L) 2018 Montefalco Sagrantino Secco, Pagliaro Vineyard, DOCG Login In Stock
Paolo Bea 2017 Montefalco Sagrantino Secco, Pagliaro Vineyard, DOCG Login AG 93 In Stock
Paolo Bea 2018 Montefalco Sagrantino Secco, Pagliaro Vineyard, DOCG Login In Stock
Paolo Bea (375 ml) 2010 Montefalco Sagrantino Passito DOCG Login In Stock

References in the archives of Montefalco, the beautiful hill town in Umbria, document the presence of the Bea family in this locality as early as 1500. This tiny estate is the classic Italian fattoria, producing wine, raising farm animals for trade and home consumption and working the land to produce olives, fruits and vegetables. To this day, the Bea family raises and produces much of what they consume on a daily basis. Paolo Bea, the senior member of the family, is the guiding force behind the production of this series of intense and idiosyncratic wines. He is assisted by his two sons, Giuseppe, who farms the vineyards, and Giampiero, who assists in the vinification and is responsible for all commercial aspects of the winery.

The entire property encompasses 15 hectares: 5 of which are dedicated to the vineyards, 2 to olives, and the remainder to the fruits, vegetables and grains that are grown. Sagrantino is the predominant grape, covering 60% of the vineyard surface. The remaining 40% is planted to Sangiovese and Montepulciano, with a small parcel planted to several white varieties. The vineyards are cultivated organically, all grapes are harvested manually and all wines are bottled without fining or filtration.

From Paolo Bea, owner and winemaker:
"As a child, I learned this craft from my father. Our history and tradition is the source of our knowledge and inspiration. Today, my family is here with me, all working together. Our roots in Montefalco trace back to the 1500's, as documents in the village archives attest to. Through passion sustained and encouraged by my sons, Giuseppe and Giampiero, and also by the irreplaceable presence of Marina, my wife and mother of my children, our family has come to appreciate each other in more profound ways, each day relishing the fruits of our labor at our table. With each passing year, I better understand our land, respecting and caring for it... and at the end of each year extract from it a wine which is totally unique, continually developing, improving, and sustaining our health. With an ever growing conviction, we practice, discover, and appreciate natural winemaking methods that exclude the use of chemicals in the vineyard and artificial stabilizing techniques in the winery. Each season is a new discovery, a chance to apply and evaluate knowledge we have gained in previous years. "


Vinous 8/2021
"Giampiero and Giuseppe Bea continue to work their five hectares of vineyards by hand, choosing to use only one-third of their 15-hectare property for grape production even though they could easily continue planting to expand. Their vineyards occupy the higher elevations of Montefalco terroir, reaching up to 500 meters above sea level. The Beas don't label themselves organic or biodynamic; they simply farm the way their family did long before herbicides and pesticides were developed, depending on biodiversity and Mother Nature's fertilizers to deliver a transparent representation of each vintage. In the winery, gentle macerations and slow fermentations can last from three weeks to as many as seven before the wine is placed into steel tanks for a year to rest. For the bigger reds, this is followed by refinement in large Slavonian oak for up to three years. At this point, the wines are bottled without filtration and little, if any, added sulfur, and then left to rest for another year or more. Giampiero Bea will tell you that he sells his wines when they are 'ready,' but when dealing with a grape as naturally high in tannin as Sagrantino, you have to take that with a grain of salt."


Media Links
Sprudge: Giampiero Bea of Paolo Bea: The Sprudge Wine Interview
Wine Advocate: Italy, Umbria: Paolo Bea
Grape Collective: Paolo Bea's Extreme-Artisanal Wines
Occasional Thoughts: 2008 Arboreus - Grapes DO grow on Trees

Reviews

  • Paolo Bea 2019 'Santa Chiara' Pagliaro Vineyard, Umbria Bianco IGT
    Vinous
    Rating: 92 (11/29/2022)

    The 2019 Bianco Santa Chiara is a deep golden color with orange hues. It pulls me close to the glass and doesn't let go, wafting up with masses of crushed rock, ginger, peppery dried flowers and exotic citrus. This is a textural animal, soft and silky, yet has a cheek-puckering intensity and an acid/mineral mix that literally sizzles upon the palate. It finishes long and salty in character, leaving pretty inner florals and a concentration of sour melon that resonates throughout the entire experience. The Santa Chiara represents one of the top values from Paolo Bea. It's an old-vine blend of both indigenous and international varieties that goes through 25 days of maceration and is refined entirely in stainless steel for two years.
  • Paolo Bea 2015 'Arboreus' Trebbiano, Umbria Bianco IGT
    Vinous
    Rating: 93 (11/29/2022)

    The 2015 Bianco Arboreus bursts from the glass with a rich and nearly tropical mix of green melon, papaya and sweet mint. It coasts along the palate with glycerol-like textures that are perfectly balanced by saline-mineral tones, as ripe orchard fruits and sweet spices cascade across its juicy acid core. It finishes a bit shorter than anticipated, yet leaves a lasting impression, as the cheeks pucker with tension, and a lemony concentration slowly tapers off. The 2015 Arboreus is the product of a warm vintage, which you feel in its sapidity. It spent 22 days macerating on the skins.
  • Paolo Bea 2017 'Rosso de Veo' Umbria Rosso IGT
    Vinous
    Rating: 92 (11/29/2022)

    The 2017 Rosso de Veo is impossibly fresh, with a wild aromatic mix of spiced citrus, roses, cloves, hints of cocoa and, finally, medicinal black cherries. It's silky-smooth and juicy to the core, with an abundance of energy and vibrant ripe red fruits that wash across the palate with ease. The 2017 finishes only lightly structured and lively, as the mouth waters under an air of red inner florals, and an underpinning of chalky minerals slowly fades. This may be a more immediate expression of Rosso de Veo, but it's one that I hope to be able to try over and over again. It pays to mention that the 2017 clocks in at just 13% abv, an amazing feat for Sagrantino.
  • Paolo Bea 2017 Montefalco Sagrantino Secco, Pagliaro Vineyard, DOCG
    Vinous
    Rating: 93 (11/29/2022)

    It's not often that I would open a Paolo Bea note with "unbelievably pretty" or "sweetly scented and finessed," but that's exactly what the 2017 Montefalco Sagrantino Pagliaro is in the glass. This is a veritable spice box on the nose, mixed with masses of dried flowers and exotic spices. Its textures are pure silk, showing a refinement note often found at this early stage in the wine's development. Dark red fruit melds with their mineral underpinnings to create an impression of total elegance. The mentholated finale leaves a subtle layer of fine tannins to mingle with hints of blackberry and currant, as the wine finishes long yet lively and fresh. The 2017 spent 42 days maceration on the skins.
  • Paolo Bea (1.5 L) 2017 Montefalco Sagrantino Secco, Pagliaro Vineyard, DOCG
    Vinous
    Rating: 93 (11/1/2022)

    It’s not often that I would open a Paolo Bea note with “unbelievably pretty” or “sweetly scented and finessed”, but that’s exactly what the 2017 Montefalco Sagrantino Pagliaro is in the glass. This is a veritable spice box on the nose, mixed with masses of dried flowers and exotic spices. Its textures are pure silk, showing a refinement not often found at this early stage in the wine’s development. Dark red fruit melds with their mineral underpinnings to create an impression of total elegance. The mentholated finale leaves a subtle layer of fine tannins to mingle with hints of blackberry and currant, as the wine finishes long yet lively and fresh. The 2017 spent 42 days macerating on the skins.

  • Paolo Bea (3 L) 2017 Montefalco Sagrantino Secco, Pagliaro Vineyard, DOCG
    Vinous
    Rating: 93 (11/1/2022)

    "It’s not often that I would open a Paolo Bea note with “unbelievably pretty” or “sweetly scented and finessed”, but that’s exactly what the 2017 Montefalco Sagrantino Pagliaro is in the glass. This is a veritable spice box on the nose, mixed with masses of dried flowers and exotic spices. Its textures are pure silk, showing a refinement not often found at this early stage in the wine’s development. Dark red fruit melds with their mineral underpinnings to create an impression of total elegance. The mentholated finale leaves a subtle layer of fine tannins to mingle with hints of blackberry and currant, as the wine finishes long yet lively and fresh. The 2017 spent 42 days macerating on the skins." - Eric Guido