I’ll admit to a degree of inverted snobbery when I’m faced with a wine that has achieved cult status. I ask a little bit more of it, I want it to prove its worth, to show me that the emperor isn’t naked, so when I had the chance to try this wine for the first time, from the legendary Paolo Bea, I already had my guard up, as if to say “Come and have a go if you think you’re delicious enough!”, but I only had to lift the glass to my nose and all my preconceptions evaporated, my knees went weak and I became a signed-up member of the Paolo Bea fan club.

They have taken Sagrantino, which is generally an unreconstructed bruiser of a grape variety, and taught it about the muses of poetry, music and dance (think, Ellis Genge playing the harp). The aromas are a heavenly tapestry of sweet red fruits, baking spices, crème de cassis and dried plums, while palate is wonderfully fresh and succulent and comes in at a surprisingly light 13% alc. Winemaking is strictly non-interventionist, with long skin-macerations, wild-yeast fermentations and extended lees aging to soften and make the wine more like a gentle tea infusion than a heavily-extracted style. For once, I get the hype! 13% alc. Drink now-2036.

Press review:

Vinous: "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. Drink: 2024-2031.” 92 points