Packaged in a precious 375-milliliter bottle, the 2011 Montefalco Sagrantino Passito opens to heavy and dried aromas of fig, prune, raisin and dusty walnut. Giampiero Bea gave me a chunk of Parmigiano cheese to try with the wine, and that's the pairing you want, believe me. The wine is not too sweet; in fact, its oxidative character takes center stage. Only 3,699 bottles exist.

The 2009 Montefalco Sagrantino Passito (375 milliliters) opens to a dark, blackish color with very little light penetration. The bouquet is strangely odd, with a sweet component that goes into direct and immediate contrast with a very savory and leathery component that recalls wet earth and porcini mushrooms. Starting with the sweet side, you feel the fruit ripeness with blackberry confit and baked cinnamon tart. The savory side offers volume, fullness and offbeat aromas of medicinal herb, cola, bacon fat and cured mahogany wood.

A high-toned sweetie, with tangy acidity creating a mouthwatering frame for the palate's creamy range of date, macerated cherry, toffee and herb-laced balsamic character that echoes on the plushly chewy finish. Drink now through 2027. 277 cases made, 200 cases imported.??–AN??Region: Italy / Montefalco Sagrantino Select to Add

This intense, sweet red displays a burnished edge to the dark date, dried currant and toffee notes. Rich and chewy, with a complex finish of candied orange zest, espresso and molasses. Best from 2015 through 2023. 188 cases made, 25 cases imported.??–NW??Region: Italy / Sagrantino di Montefalco Select to Add

The 2006 Montefalco Sagrantino Passito is one of the great versions of this traditional Umbrian sweet red. Tar, licorice, smoke, plums and wild cherries are just some of the notes that come to life in this deeply, expressive inward Sagrantino Passito. There is so much going on in the glass it’s hard to know where to start. Suffice it to say, it is a wine that transcends type and exists happily in its own little world, which is certainly not a bad thing. Far from it. I would choose to enjoy the Bea Passito with cheese, but it will be delicious on its own as well. A more ambitious pairing would be with game or other strongly flavored winter meat dishes. The fruit was picked very late, on October 17, and dried 40 days before being pressed. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2016. Importer: Rosenthal Wine Merchants, Pine Plains, NY; tel. (800) 910-1990