Thousands of years ago the Romans made viticulture one of their great, enduring contributions to world history. In their home country, Tuscany and Piedmont emerged as the most prominent and highly regarded wine regions. A revealing assignment to explore the wines of Umbria brought me a deeper understanding and appreciation for that region and its winemakers. Sampling on site and questioning Italian wine experts for their perspectives contributed significantly to what I learned.

Umbria sits just to the southeast of Tuscany, yet they share more than a common border. Both are known for their verdant, rolling hills, which are ideal for planting vines. They have a similar climate of cold, rainy winters followed by dry summers with abundant sunshine. And Sangiovese is the principal grape variety in both. So why has Umbria been overshadowed by its more glitzy neighbor?

For one, Tuscany had a long head start. In addition to their extremely high quality soils, there are historical, economic and sociological factors that led to more time, attention and investment being made to quality wine development. Tuscany also produced some of the star wines of Italy – Sassicaia, Tignanello, Ornellaia – that really put them on the map during Italy’s quality wine revolution. Indeed, it was the “super Tuscan” designation that first made people pay attention to Italian wine.

Umbria and Tuscany are very different places in spite of their similarities. “Proximity is not the best judge for overall quality”, says Joe Campanale, highly respected New York wine expert, buyer and restaurateur. Soil conditions can vary based on altitude and exposition. “Remember that within a single vineyard in Burgundy, the same producer who makes wine in the exact same way, but who has a vineyard in the middle of the slope produces far superior wines to that in their same vineyard that’s higher up or further down the same slope. So it stands to reason that something a few miles away can have significantly different growing conditions. The most important thing is the soil and you can have very different soil compositions even within a few meters, much less a few miles.”

Tuscany obviously does not have a monopoly on making fine Italian wines. Nor does Piedmont, with its great Barolos and Barbarescos, among others. Although it takes time, Umbria’s winemakers have been doing their part over the past 30 years to raise the profile of their own prowess by producing world class wines from their beautiful, rich agricultural region. No pun intended, but their initiatives are bearing fruit.

“Nothing prevents Umbria from making wine as exceptional as those in Tuscany,” according to Alison Napjus, Senior Editor & Tasting Director at Wine Spectator. Umbria had been best known for its white wine production, built on Trebbiano and Grechetto grapes. Orvieto is its most famous wine town, but although the brand bearing its name achieved major commercial success in the past, it did nothing to elevate the regions’s winemaking status. On the other hand, Umbria’s two DOCGs (the highest level of Italian wine designation) are for red wines. And most of the excitement these days has been coming from the emerging prominence of the native grape Sagrantino in the Montefalco area, an indigenous variety that almost died out.

The Cotarella brothers, esteemed enologist Riccardo and famed winemaker Renzo, are the founders of the Falesco Winery. With a rich history of innovation since 1979, they have achieved notable international success with an impressive array of wines, ranging from their popular and accessibly priced Vitiano line to their flagship Famiglia Cotarella (Montiano, Marciliano and RC2). That the Cotarellas recently purchased a small vineyard in Montalcino (Le Macioche) to produce organic wine in Tuscany speaks to their ambition as well as their aspiration to constantly improve and innovate. The brothers also just handed over the management of the family-run operation to their three well-prepared daughters, who have already opened a nearby school to teach the art of hospitality, food and wine.

Of their 15 wines I sampled, my taste buds gravitated to the deep, balanced, dried cherry of the 2014 Montiano ($50), a sophisticated 100% Merlot. I savored the lush plum, prune and berry fruit of the 2014 Marcilliano ($40), a 70/30 Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabarnet Franc blend. And I appreciated the chocolate, leather and licorice, tannic intensity of their 100% Sagrantino 2012 RC2 ($52). Here’s another take on that RC2 from my journalist colleague, Christine Havens, herself a winemaker: “An impressive, baritone inky wine composed of 100% Sagrantino. The nose: a kaleidoscope of black fruit jelly, blackberry reduction, anise, along with a touch of iron and brick dust, black olive and ochre. The palate is big and structured, reinforced by grippy tannins at the front and mid-palate. Black tea, cedar, green peppercorn emerge at the close. Serious, bloody, brooding.”

“This is a really exciting time right now for Italian wines,” says Joe Campanale. “There is potential for high quality that’s been untapped.” He is particularly excited about producers that are growing wines with minimal amount of chemicals added to soil and “exploring historical grapes of the area and trying to doing it in a way that’s reverent to nature.” That’s certainly the case in Umbria, which takes its wine seriously and is poised for continued recognition and appreciation.