Arnaldo Caprai's Collepiano is 100% Sagrantino from Montefalco, aged 22 months in barrique. Powerful yet precise: blackberry, clove and pepper over deep, age-worthy tannin. The benchmark estate's Sagrantino DOCG for rich meat and the cellar.
Arnaldo Caprai's own notes call Collepiano powerful yet elegant, with blackberry jam, clove, pepper and a balsamic lift; across 1,586 Vivino reviews drinkers echo oak, vanilla and leather over deep tannin.
Very intense ruby red with violet glints leads into a nose Arnaldo Caprai describes as blackberry jam, black pepper, clove and vanilla, with a balsamic note and a touch of talc. Across 1,586 Vivino reviews the dominant descriptors are oak and vanilla, then leather and earthy balsamic, reflecting the 22 months in barrique.
Violet
Black cherry
Blackberry
Plum
Tobacco
Leather
Black pepper
Liquorice
VanillaPowerful and at the same time elegant, in the producer's words, with a tannic weave Tannico calls of incredible precision. The 14% alcohol and deep black fruit are framed by barrique-derived vanilla and tobacco rather than buried by them, holding Sagrantino's famous grip in check.
The 2021 closes very long on bramble and blackberry, with a balsamic, lightly powdery echo. Firm tannin signals a wine still early in its 10 to 15 year curve.
Collepiano is Arnaldo Caprai's accessible Sagrantino DOCG, set below the 25 Anni, and Vivino drinkers rate the line 4.1 to 4.2, with the 2005 among the top 2% of all wines. A benchmark Montefalco red for lovers of structured, age-worthy Italian wine, best with rich meat and cellar time.
The 2021 Collepiano sells around 41 to 49 pounds in the UK against roughly 36 pounds at Italian source Tannico, and the 88-pound 25 Anni sits above it in Caprai's range.
Collepiano is a high-tannin, age-worthy DOCG red near 41 pounds, so it scores high for cellar and occasion and lower for everyday drinking and for beginners.
Aged 22 months in barrique with a producer-stated 10 to 15 year potential and a 2025 to 2035 window, this is built for the cellar.
A top-tier Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG from the grape's benchmark estate makes a serious occasion and gifting bottle.
High-tannin, full-bodied Sagrantino pairs powerfully with fat-rich meat, braises and aged cheese, but its grip narrows the range against delicate or spicy dishes.
At about 41 pounds in the UK, Collepiano offers strong quality for a benchmark Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG, sitting well below Caprai's 88-pound 25 Anni.
Scoring is rule-based and deterministic. The model and weightings are documented in our editorial methodology.
A compact view of what the Montefalco Sagrantino denomination actually requires, and how this bottle sits inside it. Pulled from the official Italian disciplinare.
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Tannico places the 2021 in a 2025 to 2035 window; Caprai gives the wine 22 months in barrique plus at least six in bottle and states a cellaring potential of 10 to 15 years.
2021 was a balanced central-Italy vintage that gave Sagrantino ripe fruit without excess, and Tannico rated this Collepiano 92 points. After 22 months in barrique the tannin is firm and the wine sits early in its 2025 to 2035 window.
Drink-now / hold guidance reflects general style cues for this wine, not a forecast for a specific bottle. Where vintage-level editorial notes exist, they appear above.
Arnaldo Caprai produced the first Collepiano in 1979 and is the estate most credited with reviving Sagrantino di Montefalco; the wine is 100% Sagrantino grown on the Collepiano slopes.
Italian wine law sorts bottles into a pyramid. DOCG sits at the top: tightly drawn boundaries, prescribed grapes, mandatory ageing, government tasting before release. DOC is the same idea with looser thresholds. IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica) is broader still, requiring only that 85% of the grapes come from the named territory.
Montefalco Sagrantino is in the DOCG tier. That is not a quality verdict, it is a description of how much freedom the producer has at vinification and ageing.
Montefalco Sagrantino falls within Umbria , covering Umbria.
Collepiano is pure Sagrantino grown at the Caprai estate on cordone speronato (spurred-cordon) vines; the thick-skinned, low-yielding grape is costly to ripen and vinify.
Arnaldo Caprai ages Collepiano 22 months in barrique and at least six in bottle, tying up oak and cellar capital for over two years before the wine can be sold.
The DOCG covers only the hills around Montefalco, so total Sagrantino output is limited and the top classification commands a premium over the wider Montefalco DOC.
Caprai bottled the first Collepiano in 1979 and is the producer most identified with Sagrantino di Montefalco, a benchmark reputation reflected in the price.
Collepiano is Caprai's accessible Sagrantino at about 41 pounds, well under the roughly 88-pound 25 Anni, which keeps it the entry point into the estate's DOCG range.
On a 41-pound bottle, HMRC still-wine duty of 2.67 pounds (14% ABV, under 15%) plus 20% VAT add roughly 9.50 pounds before the retailer's margin.
Dishes that complement this wine
Caprai recommends fat-rich roasted meat, stews and game served at 18 to 20C; the wine's grip needs protein and fat, which is why braises and aged cheese work where delicate fish does not.
Sagrantino carries one of Italy's most powerful tannic structures. The protein and rendered fat of a charred Fiorentina or a fatty roast bind those tannins and round the grip into something supple.
Try with: Fiorentina steak · Brasato al Barolo · Ossobuco alla Milanese · Agnello Ragu Lucano · More pairings →
The full body built over 22 months in barrique matches long-cooked dishes weight for weight, while the wine's balsamic and clove notes echo the spices of a slow braise.
Try with: Brasato al Barolo · Ossobuco alla Milanese · Agnello Ragu Lucano · Beef stew · More pairings →
Collepiano's leather, earthy and balsamic notes bridge to gamey, herb-driven cooking, and its tannin handles the dense texture of venison and wildfowl. A nod, too, to Umbria's black truffle.
Try with: Venison Stew · Roast Pheasant · Roast Duck · Duck breast · More pairings →
The salt and fat of a mature pecorino foil Sagrantino's tannin, while the wine's dark fruit lifts the savoury, crystalline cheese. Best with hard, aged styles rather than soft or fresh ones.
Try with: Pecorino sardo e pan carasau · aged Pecorino Romano · mature Parmigiano · More pairings →
Firm, fatty cured meats give the tannin something to grip, and the salt softens the wine's structure. Reach for well-aged, robust salumi rather than delicate, lightly cured slices.
Try with: aged finocchiona · salame di cinghiale · culatello
Collepiano's massive tannin and 14% alcohol overwhelm delicate white fish, and the grip turns chilli heat bitter and metallic. Light salads and plain vegetables are simply flattened by the wine's power.
Skip with: sushi · steamed sole · oysters · prawn vindaloo · green salad · Pairing guide →
With 22 months in barrique and a producer-stated 10 to 15 year potential, the 2021 is built to hold, and older Collepiano vintages such as 2005 sit among Vivino's top 2% of all wines.
Peak around 2030. Best in the years above; holds without falling over either side.
Aged 22 months in barrique with a producer-stated 10 to 15 year potential and a 2025 to 2035 window, this is built for the cellar.
£41.08 is the lowest tracked offer for the current vintage and we have no signal of further discounting.
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Confidence · HighDrawn from what drinkers consistently report on Vivino and Wine-Searcher, summarised in our own words. A crowd read across many tasters, not a single critic.
Confidence · MediumFrom the official Italian disciplinare for this denomination, cross-checked against the Ministry of Agriculture register.
Confidence · HighOur reading of the price, drawn from the disciplinare, public UK duty rates, and typical landed-cost benchmarks. Not a quote from the producer or a retailer.
Confidence · MediumStyle guidance for this kind of wine at this price point. Treat it as advice, not a forecast for the bottle in your hand.
Confidence · MediumCollepiano is 100% Sagrantino, the thick-skinned native grape of Montefalco in Umbria. Arnaldo Caprai grows it on the Collepiano slopes and has bottled the wine since 1979.
Yes. Collepiano is classified Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG, the top tier for Sagrantino, and is made entirely from estate-grown Sagrantino.
Arnaldo Caprai gives Collepiano a cellaring potential of 10 to 15 years, and Tannico suggests drinking the 2021 between 2025 and 2035. It is aged 22 months in barrique before release.
Its powerful tannin needs fat and protein: fat-rich roasted meat, braises such as ossobuco, game and aged pecorino. The producer suggests roasted meat, stews and game served at 18 to 20C.
Collepiano is the more accessible of Caprai's two Sagrantino DOCG wines, around 41 pounds against roughly 88 for the 25 Anni. It is less structured but prized for detail and balance.
Expect blackberry jam, black pepper, clove and vanilla with a balsamic edge, and a very long finish on bramble fruit. The palate is powerful but precise, with firm, age-worthy tannin.
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