Paolo Bea Santa Chiara Umbria Bianco 2021

Paolo Bea Santa Chiara Umbria Bianco 2021

Paolo Bea
$64.00

Grape: Grechetto, Malvasia, Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Garganega
Vintage: 2021
Type: Orange

Sourced from the elevated Pagliaro vineyard thirteen-hundred feet above sea level, this skin-contact white wine highlights Umbrian polyculture terroir. The blend combines fifty percent grechetto with equal portions of malvasia, chardonnay, sauvignon, and garganega managed under organic guidelines. The crushed grapes undergo a minimum of two weeks macerating on their skins during a spontaneous native fermentation. Bypassing oak barrels, the liquid undergoes careful rackings and ages for one year on its fine lees in stainless steel.

It displays a deep golden color, releasing complex aromas of yellow orchard fruit, preserved lemon, and fresh wild herbs over a mineral baseline. On the palate, the medium-bodied frame balances a rich, texturally dense mouthfeel with a sharp line of limestone acidity. A gentle phenolic grip frames mid-palate cleanly, avoiding any modern wood styling or flavor dominance. Clean flavors of grapefruit rind and white peach interweave with a marine salinity. It finishes completely bone-dry.

Paolo Bea is one of the great reference points for traditional, natural-minded wine in Umbria. Based in Montefalco, the Bea family farms Sagrantino, Sangiovese, Montepulciano and local white varieties with a deep respect for mixed agriculture and the rhythms of the farm. The wines are fermented spontaneously, often macerated for long periods, bottled without filtration and released only when they feel ready. They can be powerful, tannic and uncompromising, but they also carry warmth, honesty and a profound connection to place. Bea's wines are not designed to flatter quickly; they ask the drinker to meet them on their own terms.