The Sangiovese grape: wine with a thousand expressions.

Sangiovese is a grape variety that offers thousands of different wines. Let’s discover together the most cultivated black berried grapes in Italy.

“I’m not a great lover of Sangiovese, I prefer Chianti or Brunello di Montalcino”.

I have heard this absurd statement several times, at the table with neophytes, even if they are passionate about wine. Often because wine still inspires a kind of awe, but even more so when one is embarrassed to admit to ignoring many things. So often, to disguise one’s incompetence, one takes out label names, clichés, hiding behind the banner of personal taste. Thus, losing the opportunity to get to know something new, to learn from those who know more, to explore their own taste by opening up to new sensory experiences. Wine, therefore, is always discovery and experiencing. It is unfair to confine wine to the palmares of personal skills, relegating it to a status symbol. After this small introduction, we enter the great world of Sangiovese, the most cultivated red grape variety in Italy.

Sangiovese: the thousand expressions of a vine.

From Romagna to Campania, from Tuscany to Sardinia, in purity or in blend with other wines. The differences in Sangiovese wines depend on the area but also on the intravarietal phenotypic multiplicity. Let’s go back to the first absurd statement: Sangiovese is the basic grape variety of Chianti, Carmignano, Rosso Conero, and Rosso Piceno. The grape variety of Morellino di Scansano, Sangiovese di Romagna and, grand finale, Brunello di Montalcino. The list is even longer. In the Umbria area it gives life to Torgiano blended with black Canaiolo grapes, Rosso di Montefalco, Rosso dei Colli Amerini, Trasimeno and Colli Martani. Marche region, when mixed with Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, it gives life to Rosso Conero and Rosso Piceno. In Emilia-Romagna, with Sangiovese di Romagna and Colli di Faenza. In Corsica it is known as Nielluccio.
And do you still want to argue that you don’t like Sangiovese?

Sangiovese reap international successes

Usually dry, fresh and tannic, Sangiovese is often used to give its characteristics to wines that would be too soft and round and lacking in vitality. And it is in fact in the blend with complementary vines, such as Cabernet, that Sangiovese explodes in Supertuscan declinations. Realizing the dream and intuition of the great winemaker Giacomo Tachis of Italian wines “in the French style”: the Bordeaux style. Those Bordeaux blended wines that today are national pride and pride such as Sassicaia, Ornellaia, Bolgheri and many others. The success of these wines therefore lies in the happy marriage between the variant of Sangiovese grosso. Which is the Sangiovese clone for the Brunello di Montalcino, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Combination capable of enhancing the classic hints of violet, violet, alongside plum. In the Chianti area giving notes of yellow iris.

The Brunello di Montalcino? is Sangiovese too

The pure variant of Sangiovese grosso gives life, in the enclave of Montalcino, to that wine known as Brunello di Montalcino. It is an incredibly fragrant, richly spiced wine that offers notes of tobacco, undergrowth, and humus. Sangiovese grosso is also the grape for the production of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. This wine offers fruity notes of cherry and plum turn with age towards more intense and warm aromas of plum jam, black cherry and blackberry. Arriving, in long refinements, to present notes of hides and leather.

The history of Sangiovese

Let’s start with the name, which seems to derive from “Sangue di Giove”, or from “Sangiovannese”, both terms referring to areas of Romagna. Or “sangiovannina” for the classic date of premature budding close to the feast of St. John. Wrapped up in a legend about its origin, it seems clear that the grape was known and cultivated since the time of the Etruscans. While Sangiovese wine already appears in writings from the end of the 1500s.

7 parts of Sangioveto, Canaiolo, 11 parts of Malvasia: the recipe for Ricasoli’s Chianti

Baron Bettino Ricasoli went down in history as the “Iron Baron”, one of the eminent personalities on the Italian political and economic scene of the late nineteenth century. Founder of the winery that still today offers award-winning expressions of Sangiovese in the Chianti area, he is in charge of the Chianti Classico recipe. A wine resulting from the mix in different proportions with other vines such as Canaiolo, Colore, Trebbiano and Malvasia. Able to withstand long journeys and aging.
The baron found himself favouring the fate of Sangiovese which became a desired wine also on international markets, then dominated mostly by Great Britain. But he had to deal with endless problems due to the spread of vine diseases, such as oidium and phylloxera. Diseases that, as we know, destroyed a large part of the crops of half of Europe until the rootstock solution.

The Tuscan government – Governo alla Toscana

The winemaking practice of the governo, which met with informers and admirers in an endless diatribe. It is a very ancient cellar practice. Previous to the codification due to Ricasoli, in disuse even if still foreseen by the Chianti disciplinary. It consists of the early harvest of some bunches of Sangiovese and Canaiolo, left to dry in the drying rooms (drying rooms) for a few weeks. The must resulting from the squeeze of those grapes to be added to the harvest must at the end of the first fermentation. To allow the yeasts to wake up in the first heat of spring, to prolong fermentation. Giving the governed wines a greater roundness, more intense colour and aroma.

From abandonment to glory.

After World War II, the abandonment of the countryside will unfortunately contribute to the loss of much of that peasant wisdom and necessary knowledge. It will have to wait until the 1980s for new generations of winemakers to return to the countryside. Giving life to that progressive change that will bring Sangiovese-based wines to their national and international fame and popularity.

Sangiovese: an impetuous vine, to be tamed.

Sangiovese prefers hilly soils that are not very fertile and rich in skeleton. However, the great adaptability of the vine has made it possible to spread it in areas of different composition and longitude, such as Napa Valley and Sonoma in California. But also, in Argentina and Australia. It is an impetuous vine, which must requires a control in its growth and development, adapting it to the soil and carrying out severe selective pruning. It matures late and does not like humidity at all, therefore it is often subject to the attack of mold.

The color of Sangiovese

When vinified alone, Sangiovese has distinctive and easily recognizable characteristics. To the eye it is ruby ​​red, medium transparent and medium-bodied.

The scent of Sangiovese.

The nose has fruity notes, dark red fruits depending on aging. In all Sangiovese wines there is a marked vegetable component, often balsamic. Scented with medicinal herbs such as mint and thyme. Which turns with maturity towards fungal, earthy and humus notes. Sangiovese, therefore, is mainly aged in wooden barrels or barriques. Therefore, depending on the toasting, age of the wood, style of the producer, it will present spicy aromas, vanilla, and liquorice in the first place. But also coffee, chocolate and toasted aromas.

The taste of Sangiovese.

On the palate it is warm and tannic with good body. Soft, depending on the ripeness and elevation. Persistent.

Sangiovese in food pairing.

It is an exceptional pairing wine, which prefers structured and juicy dishes. The flesh is his death as they say in Rome. So, go ahead for first courses with meat sauce, steaks and chops, roasts and pork and game. However, pay attention to the tannic component, which is often lively, especially in young wines. It is advisable to pay attention to the combination with grilled cooking, therefore, or foods that are too spicy. In these cases, it is better to choose a Sangiovese whith mitigated tannins by age or by more rounded by other vines in the blend.

Want to find out more about matching techniques? read more in the blog or give yourself a mini course on approach to wine.