A PORTRAIT OF THE WINERY

Built in the second half of the 1800s by Prince Boncompagni, one of the era’s most illustrious figures, this is without a doubt one of Italy’s most fascinating wineries. The name Scacciadiavoli, literally “banisher of devils”, comes from an old legend that tells of an exorcism: “one day, a young woman possessed by the devil was entrusted to an exorcist who tried in vain to free her from her torment with his formulas and infusions. When all else had failed, he gave her a glass of local red wine which inebriated her. As if by magic, the young woman was healed!”. Legends aside, however charming they may be, the winery was acquired in 1954 by Amilcare Pambuffetti, who gave it the continuity it deserved and also provided his own family with a sense of continuity – his own grandfather had worked there from a very young age and had made a considerable contribution to its growth. The real turn of events which led to the winery as we know it today came about in the year 2000, when brothers Francesco, Carlo and Amilcare decided to honour the ancient tradition of winemaking by restructuring the marvelous old building that houses the winery, giving it back its old splendor (and much more…) and dramatically improving the quality of its wines.

THE VINEYARD AND TERROIR

Of the 130 hectares that make up the estate, only 35 are dedicated to grapes. The soil they grow in is of medium depth and has a homogenous clayey consistency ideal for growing such quality late-harvest grapes as sagrantino. The altitude of the vineyard varies between 350 and 450 meters and it is located between two plains, the Topino and the Clitunno. Most of it enjoys a south-eastern and south-western exposure, although a small portion of it faces a north-easterly direction.

THE GRAPE VARIETIES GROWN

sagrantino, sangiovese, merlot,  grechetto

WINES

Scacciadiavoli’s Montefalco Sagrantino is among the very finest offered by the appellation. It ages for many months in barriques, has a deep and intense aroma and boasts an energetic yet smooth body, in spite of the tannins typical of this varietal. It is an impressive wine, rich and well-rounded. Their Montefalco roSSo (sangiovese, merlot, sagrantino) is also exquisite, featuring the deep aroma of red fruit and vanilla. The Sagrantino PaSSito they make is no less magnificent.