Maximizing your wine dollars since 2011! Due to the high acidity and moderate alcohol content of Sangiovese, they are an absolute treat to pair with food. Most Sangiovese wine tends to open earlier, at around the 5 year age mark, with a significantly shorter lifespan of a little under 10 years. ), Sangiovese is an easy-drinking, medium-bodied red wine when crafted on its own. Combined with a little creative grape growing and a lot of attention, today his dream has become a reality. The name Sangiovese comes from the Latin sanguis Jovis, meaning "blood of Jove." Sangiovese is a dry, red wine with a medium body and qualities of tart cherry, plum, sun dried tomato, fresh tobacco and herbs. A classic for partnering with Italian classics like pizza and pasta bolognese, pair it with anything that involves tomato sauce. As Italy’s most popular grape, it is most well known as the primary varietal used in Chianti. Delicious notes of development – leather, mushroom, tobacco and soy sauce – sit alongside bright red fruit, spice and bitters. Deliciously sweet, … This infographic from Dievole looks at the Tuscan Sangiovese wine and some of the great Tuscan dishes it pairs with.. It’s a dry red wine with a strong, fruity and earthy aroma and the dishes have each been suggested to match well with these qualities. Jammy notes of … One of two Foster e Rocco wines in the tasting, this was Madden-Grey’s top wine: “Clearly looking to the traditional home of Sangiovese for style. Thanks to its excellent features, the Sangiovese variety has spread all over the world. According to several sources, the Sangiovese variety was first brought to California in the late 19th century. Popular since the 16th century, recent DNA profiling conducted by the Istituto Agrario di San Michele all’Adige suggested that the grapes ancestors are Ciliegiolo (from Tuscany) and Calabrese Montenuovo (from Calabria). Italy’s most planted wine variety and the pride of the Tuscan regional wine, Chianti. Generally there is a normale and a riserva bottling. So three of your top sangiovese-based wines are Chianti Classico, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and Brunello di Montalcino, but we could not wind down a sangiovese conversation without a mention of the wine style known as "super Tuscan". Today, the wine is a blend of 90% Sangiovese, 7% Canaiolo and 3% Colorino grown in high-altitude vineyards and aged in large casks. Freelance writer and wine expert, author of ""Idiots Guides: Wine""; as well as several magazine and online articles. Commonly used to make some of the world’s most famous blends and one of Italy’s best-known grape (you’ve likely tasted it in a Super Tuscan or Chianti! Sangiovese has also enjoyed success growing in California and Washington. Tasting Notes for Sangiovese. In the 1980s, Sangiovese enjoyed a surge of popularity in California due mostly to the “Cal-Ital” movement, with winemakers seeking red wine alternatives from the standard and widely accepted French varietals – Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Pinor noir. Serve sangiovese in a red wine glass either at room temperature or with a slight chill. What is Sangiovese Wine? Sangiovese is on the savory side of things, full of lovely herbal notes mixed with cherry, red plum, violets and earth. Sangiovese has also enjoyed success growing in California and Washington. While sangiovese plantings run from Emilia-Romagna down to the back of the proverbial boot in Puglia, it is central Italy, specifically the warm Mediterranean region of Tuscany, that remains the agricultural heartbeat of the sangiovese grape. Furthermore, there is a strong presence in the regions of Campania in the south part of Italy, Umbria, and Romagna. Sangiovese is a wonderfully versitile wine, especially for those who enjoy pairing wines with food, and while you need to be careful to ensure that the Cabernet Sauvignon often included does not dominate the blend, there are some absolutely beautiful bottles out there for reasonable prices. For Sangiovese with a low blend of Cabernet, opt instead to pair with more subtle dishes such as meatloaf or roast chicken in order to accentuate the natural flavors of the dish. Although barrell aged sangiovese wine is not often as aromatic as popular Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon or Syrah blends, they will often mature into a complex flavor profile featuring sour red cherries, earthy aromas, and tea notes. Get our free book when you sign up for our newsletter. Dry, crisp, with flavors of pear and apple and a pleasantly bitter finish. The grapes can exhibit savory characteristics like spicy oak-induced nuances, peppery tones, and even streaks of sweet tobacco. Sangiovese in New Zealand is mainly grown in the northern islands near Auckland, while in South Africa is primarily spread in the Darling regions and Stellenbosch. Sangiovese has proved a long and rocky road for wine producers, but for wine drinkers, the best part of the journey is still to come. Copyright © 2020 Fine Wine Master. It combines Sangiovese, Italy's flagship red grape variety with Syrah, a mainstay of the Rhone Valley and a known cépage améliorateur, or improver variety.Together, the two make a dense, inky red wine with characters of red and black fruits, and a herbal, scrubby character. Sangiovese is Italy’s most widely planted grape varietal. Aged in oak and made from top quality plots, Sangiovese-based Chianti Classico Riserva is a serious wine … There may be subtle flavors of blackberry, black cherry, black raspberry, chocolate, leather and violets but the late release of the wine after harvest results in less fruit flavors. Angels Angel Price $10.99. The tangy tones make Sangiovese a wine that pairs well with a variety of foods and flavors. Barrique, tonneau, big cask, what kind of soul are we going to impart to our Sangiovese? Tuscany is its native region. Click here to learn more about Sangiovese wine … Although the grape is originally from southern Italy, the central region of Tuscany boasts the best Sangiovese wines … Because of its ability to be a chameleon, Sangiovese wines offer a wide range of tastes from very earthy and rustic–as is the case with many Chianti Classico– to round and fruit-forward. Blending can have a pronounced effect on enhancing or tempering the wine's quality. The grapes are harvested and pressed, the juice is allowed to macerate with the skins to extract color, tannins, and more, and the wine is then either aged in wood barrels, concrete vats, stainless steel tanks, or bottled immediately. All Rights Reserved. However, it wasn’t particularly successful and essential for quite some time. This grape produces a fine Italian wine which can vary according to where the grapes are grown. Very Few Wines are as Purely Italian as Sangiovese. This 100% Sangiovese is a wine vinified in stainless steel to emphasize fresh, crisp flavors of these grapes. Let’s continue our trip among the grapes of Sangiovese, in theory the argument and the wines are endless, but this time, instead of its aging qualities, we want to focus on bottles that have a high food matching potential. Chianti Classico comes from better wine growing regions within Tuscany's larger Chianti wine district—expect more body, spice, and complexity. Sangiovese is Chianti’s heart and hero. On its own, it produces lighter styles but when blended, it's the backbone to some full-bodied, age-worthy wines. So, true to his Italian heritage, he planted exotic varieties like Nebbiolo, Sangiovese and others. Pair a Sangiovese-based Chianti with pizza or tomato-based pasta dishes, pair a varietal Sangiovese with meat and chicken dishes, and pair oaked Sangiovese with grilled foods. Out of stock. Sangiovese. Wines made from Sangiovese tend to exhibit the grape's naturally high acidity as well as moderate to high tannin content and light color. Initially, the variety was brought to the island somewhere between the 14th and the 18th century by Genovese settlers. Food to pair with Sangiovese . This 100% Sangiovese is a wine vinified in stainless steel to … They planted a clone version of the Sangiovese variety introduced by the University of California. Sangiovese is an Italian red wine grape varietal. The island of Corsica has a long tradition of producing Sangiovese. A Tuscan treasure and 100% Italian, this DOCG wine is made using grape... Read More. Premier Wine & Spirits 3900 Maple Road, Amherst, NY 14226 Call Us: 716-873-6688 For more oaky, aged Sangiovese, the optimal pairing is with grilled or smoked food such as steak or even earthy soups, such as those made from beans or legumes. In addition to the Barossa Valley, the Sangiovese variety is present in Margaret River and Karidale (Western Australia), Young and Canberra (New South Wales), Great Dividing Range (Victoria), Strathalbyn (South Australia), and so on. Sparkling wines; Rosè Wines; White Wines; Red Wines For a wine to retain the name of Chianti, it must be produced with at least 80% Sangiovese grapes. Chianti – fresh and fruity in youth: a blend of Sangiovese and Nebbiolo grape. Cherry; Roasted Tomato; Sweet Balsamic; Oregano; Espresso; Taste Profile The first plantations were made by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) during the late 60s. 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