Drink (and think) like a somm
Agri Segretum
Pottarello
Umbria
Todi DOC
Sangiovese 80%
Colorino 10%
Malvasia Nera 10%
Dark Cherry, Blackberry, Strawberry, Vanilla.
12 Months
Tonneaux
100%
ABOUT
Agri Segretum 2022 Pottarello
Pottarello translates into “little kid” in Umbrian dialect. It’s a mix of Sangiovese (80%), Malvasia Nera (10%) and Colorino (10%). The Sangiovese used in Pottarello is picked from vineyard rows 46 to 75, where the biotype is particularly thin clustered and with much smaller berries than those of its more common Sangiovese siblings. Smaller berries mean more skin, which translates into more extraction of color and polyphenols.
The wine undergoes alcoholic fermentation in stainless steel tanks and remains in contact with skins for about 3 weeks. It’s during this time that we perform the classic manual follatura, (punch downs), by mixing and stirring of juice and skin). After separation of skins, the finished wine is transferred into tonneaux (500 litre/150 gallon French oak barrels), where it ages for about 12 months before resting another 9 months in bottle.
Classified as Todi DOC Rosso, Pottarello is the very essence of Umbria, squeezed into a bottle.
This is a full-bodied wine, the Sangiovese provides structure and tannin, the Malvasia adds notes of wild berries and the Colorino just a hint of spice.
PAIRINGS
IN A PINCH
Spaghetti and meatballs.
DEEPER DIVE
You want food here and ideally you want central Italian classics. Anything with red sauce, animal protein is welcome but not essential. Try ricotta stuffed shells or if feeling adventurous, culurgiones in a fresh tomato sauce topped with ricotta salata.
Roast chicken, grilled pork chops with vinegar peppers, even a veal saltimbocca would work but do try to incorporate tomato somewhere into the entree or salad. Arugula with balsamic and oil really bring out the essence of sangiovese here if you want to stick to simple entree preparations. Think of a charmingly rustic, slightly more sturdy sibling to it’s famous northern neighbors in Chianti.
Stand out features: Full body, red and black fruit, elevated tannins.
PAIRING SCALE
STEER CLEAR
Light fare like fish will be quickly overpowered by this wine, and anything too spicy will start to clash with the alcohol and rustic texture.
CHEESE OPTIONS
Piave
Piave
Country: Italy
Animal: Cow
Type: Hard
Texture: Grainy
Style: Sweet, milky, nutty.
Taleggio
Taleggio
Country: Italy
Animal: Cow
Type: Soft
Texture: Creamy
Style: Mild, sweet, aromatic
Pecorino
Pecorino
Country: Italy
Animal: Sheep
Type: Hard
Texture: Grainy
Style: Salty, tangy, nutty.
RECIPE IDEAS
SERVICE
WHICH GLASSES?
Large Bordeaux or All-purpose glasses would be best.
BORDEAUX
BURGUNDY
FLUTE
COUPE
ALL-PURPOSE
WHITE
DESSERT
SHOULD I DECANT THIS?
WHY “Probably”?
This wine could easily benefit from some air after being opened, even though it does show a lot of its fruit up front.
It does start to open up after 45 minutes or so showing off some deeper flavors, but that could also be achieved in the glass without a decanter.
HOW LONG?
Generally you would want to decant a younger wine for longer to help it open up and be cautious of exposing older wines to oxygen for too long. There are always exceptions of course, but this is a pretty good rule to follow.
Minutes to decant this bottle:
Year opened
SERVING TEMP
The correct serving temperature is important to show a wine’s true potential, but don’t stress over getting the temp exactly right. Use the chart below to try to get in the right ballpark.
AGING
WHEN SHOULD I OPEN THIS?
If a wine has been released by the producer, it means it is ready to drink. Wines don’t necessarily get “better” with age, they just change. Typically, this change involves things like losing fresh fruit flavors in exchange for more savory notes.
The moment you should open the bottle depends on your preference, so it’s more important to understand the evolution and the life span of the bottle than it is to try to time its opening perfectly. (It’s far better to open a bottle too early than too late.)
This bottle should probably be opened between:
2026 – 2034
Development
VINTAGE
2021
2021 was a rollercoaster of a year for Umbria. An early April frost threatened the entire crop right off the bat, particularly with the whites.
Sometimes these isolated, brief misfortunes only impact low lying areas but this was severe enough to impact some of the higher elevation, hillside fruit as well.
Spring and summer were pristinely dry and much to everyone’s surprise by harvest time the fruit was of excellent quality. Production was down between 25 and 35% but what did come is of remarkable quality that should age as well as any vintage in recent memory.
PRODUCER
ABOUT US
Almost 20 years ago we launched La Segreta, set on a 90 acre nature preserve in the heart of Umbria. We started by restoring the rustic stone borgo that was already on the property. More recently, we reinvented an historic farmhouse that was just up the road.
Set among olives, jasmine, and lavender, The Farmhouse is a sophisticated mix of modern and traditional with every conceivable convenience. Italian country living at its most private and most genuine. Our village is 10 minutes up the road, your pool is hidden under the almond trees, and sunset from your terrace is picture perfect.
OUR VINEYARDS
We planted our vines in 2008 on a sun-exposed Southwest facing slope at an altitude of 300 meters. We learned about the strong Umbrian sun, the dry wind brought by the scirocco and the mud. Lots of mud. We were helped by our Tuscan agronomist and enologist who were curious to see what the Umbrian soil could produce. Pensioners, village moms, and teenagers hiked into the vineyard with us with buckets and a pair of shears to harvest our crop. That’s how we’ve done it since the start and that’s how we keep doing it.
The hard, mineral-rich Umbrian soil gifted us delicious fruit. We brought it into our cantina and carefully let it develop. We sorted by hand, squeezed the fruit, and let it bubble in the tanks. The juice picked up the natural yeast that has been in the air for generations. We punched down the skins and let them rise again. Our fall was (and still is) a dedicated and delicate play with our grapes.
And then we bottled. Baptized each with names that came from local dialect: Cinino (“Tiny One”), Pottarello (“Little kid”) and Marmocchio(“Rascal”). Seemed like a good fit. We’ve created some delicious wines and are part of the new Todi DOC Appellation. We couldn’t be happier.
