Sangiovese is undoubtedly one of the greatest grapes in Italy. And not just because it is the most planted blue grape, but also because of its quality. Sangiovese, often in altered form, is the star of Chianti and Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, and a driving force in many other DOCs and DOCGs.
Characteristics
Sangiovese, which according to legend is the blood of Jupiter (sanguis Jovis), is a grape with many faces. You can take this quite literally, as there are over 80 known clones. The most famous ones are Sangiovese Grosso, a.k.a. Brunello (mostly grown around Montalcino), Prugnolo Gentile (which is the basis for the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano) and Morellino (grown in Scansano in the south of Tuscany).
Under those different names, Sangiovese is the most planted grape in Italy, even more than Trebbiano Toscano (a white grape mostly planted for its high volumes), and one of the top 10 most planted grapes in the world. Because of its omnipresence in Italy, it's not easy to give a general description of the grape. There are many different terroirs in Italy, which give their own accents to the resulting wine, and Sangiovese is often blended with other, often local grape varieties.
Still, a couple of things are always present. Aside from the delicate cherry aromas, Mediterranean herbs and refreshing acidity, the firm tannins are characteristic for this blue grape variety. This is why it is often blended with other varieties that add more elegant fruity aromas, which balance out the wine. But a good wine maker can make a perfectly balanced quality wine of 100% Sangiovese. The TdM Emilio for example, to name one of our favourites.
DOCs and DOCGs
Sangiovese is grown everywhere in Italy. Obviously, Tuscany is the centre of quality Sangiovese, but the grape is also often used in Emilia-Romagna and Le Marche in central Italy, and in Puglia in the far south. Sangiovese can work on its own, but can also play second fiddle and add acidity to the often heavy, overly fruity wines of the south. That means there's a lot of wine that is partly of fully made with Sangiovese, but for this blog I'll limit myself to the best-know appellations, where Sangiovese is more than just support.
Chianti / Chianti Classico
When you think of Sangiovese, Chianti immediately springs to mind. For centuries the Chianti region has been the home of Sangiovese, and for centuries Sangiovese has been the basis for the Chianti wines. The grape used to be blended with Malvasia and Trebbiano Toscano, but now this is mostly done with Canaiolo Nero and Colorino, or with the international varieties Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. However, large part of Chianti wines, especially in the Chianti Classico subregion, is made with 100% Sangiovese, and that is really all it takes to make a top wine!
Chianti is of course not just one wine, but a collection of many different wines. The area that is legally considered Chianti is bigger than Bordeaux, and offers a similar diversity in terms of soil type, inclination, temperature and other factors that affect the development of the grape. There is therefore an immense variety of wines, ranging from the elegant and fruity wines from the hills east of Firenze (better known as Chianti Rufina, and definitely worth discovering!), to the heavy, deep wines from the south around Siena, and everything in between. It would lead us too far to go into too much detail in this blog, but if you're interested I can recommend Chianti !
Brunello di Montalcino
Brunello di Montalcino doesn't need a lot of introduction: it is one of the most famous appellations in the world of wine, the source of some of the greatest wines, and unfortunately an appellation that comes with a serious price tag. Brunello is made with 100% Brunello, which is the local clone of Sangiovese. It is also known as Sangiovese Grosso (fat Sangiovese), because its skin is thicker than that of the regular variant, which produces more tannins and therefor delivers wines with fuller body. The Brunello grape mostly grows around the medieval town of Montalcino, and is intricately linked to it.
The high tannins and acidity in the Brunello grape ensure the wine can lay dormant for many years, or even decades, and retain their freshness and taste (or even improve it). An older Brunello will offer an abundance of ripe and dried fruits, nuts, leather and chocolate, with perfectly intertwined acidity and tannins. But even if you don't want to wait 10 to 20 years, there's a Brunello for you. In recent years, more and more Brunello is being made to be ready to drink at a young age, using a shorter maceration at lower temperature in order to extract less tannins from the skins. You won't get the typical flavours that are link to slow maturation, but you will get heaps of red fruit, berries and violets, with some bitterness from the tannins and a pretty high acidity.
Most Brunello produces also make a Rosso di Montalcino. The Rosso is a separate appellation with its own rules. For instance, the wine doesn't have to mature for 4-5 years, but is ready for release to market after only 1-2 years, at which point it is also ready to drink. The Rosso is often referred to as Brunello's little brother, with less depth and less quality. And perhaps this is true. But this also means a lower price tag, and a wine that is better suited to most dishes that you prepare at home. You can compare it to a good Chianti: high acidity, soft tannins, lots of fruit and, depending on quickly you drink, hours of enjoyment.
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is perhaps less well-known than Brunello and Chianti, but this DOCG also produces fantastic wines from mainly Sangiovese. Or, to be more precise, from Prugnolo Gentile, the local name in Montepulciano for Sangiovese Grosso, and therefore the same grape that is used in Montalcino. Unlike Brunello, Vino Nobile doesn't have to be made from 100% Prugnolo Gentile, 70% is sufficient. The rest of the blend consists of local varieties such as Canaiolo and Mammolo, which gives Vino Nobile a completely unique character.
In a glass of Vino Nobile, you'll find mostly black fruits such as black cherry and plum, but also ripe strawberry and red cherry. You'll also notice more complex flavours, such as leather and tobacco, which can also be found in older Chianti and Brunello, and a characteristic finish of black tea leaves. This finish comes from the firm tannins in Prugnolo Gentile's skin, which are balanced by the equally firm acidity so that you can forget about this wine in your cellar for years until the perfect moment presents itself.
As in Montalcino, Vino Nobile also has a younger brother: Rosso di Montepulciano. Similar to the Rosso di Montalcino, you can expect a lighter, more fruity wine at a lower cost, which can be served with your daily dishes without any sense of guilt.
Also interesting: Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is completely unrelated to the Montepulciano grape or the Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOCG. The grape might have originated in Tuscany (even though that debate is still open), but it is not related to Prugnolo Gentile, and cannot be used in the Vino Nobile blend.
Final fun fact: in the 19th century the wines from Montepulciano were often sold under a Chianti label. The region is located within the Chianti Colli Senesi subregion and fulfills all Chianti criteria. Luckily, Montepulciano went through a renaissance in the second half of the 20th century, which means we can once again a glass (or a bottle) of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano.
Morellino di Scansano
If Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is less well-known that Chianti and Brunello, than the same and more can be said of Morellino di Scansano. This is a small DOCG in the Maremma in southern Tuscany, around the city of Scansano. The name of the DOCG was created in the same way as with Brunello di Montalcino: Scansano is the place where the wine is made, Morellino is the main grape variety. And as with Brunello, which literally means 'little brown one", Morellino is the diminutive form of morello, which is a type of cherry. And to complete the comparison: Morellino, like Brunello, is the local name for Sangiovese Grosso.
Of course, Morellino di Scansano has its own characteristics, which distinguish it from Brunello. It has to consist of at least 85% Morellino, with the addition of local varieties. There are no regulations for maturation in barrel, as opposed to Chianti, Brunello and Vino Nobile, which means you can often find young and refreshing Morellinos in the marketplace. They offer an abundance of lively red fruit, plum, leather and spices. You can also opt for a Riserva, which needs to mature for at least 2 years, if you are looking for more depth and complexity.
So Morellino di Scansano is less well-known than Brunello, Chianti and Vino Nobile, but that is also the region's appeal. The warm climate offers tremendous capabilities for ripening the grapes, and the less strict regulations offer more freedom to the producers to experiment with style and quality. A bottle of Morellino will therefore have a lower price tag than its more famous nephews, which makes it more than worthwhile to taste a few different bottles and debate for hours about them with kindred spirits.
Carmignano
Carmignano is an appellation that will mean very little to a lot of people, but it's definitely worth mentioning here. The city of Carmignano lies about 20km west of Firenze, which is a pretty northern location compared to the great Sangiovese wines that are produced further south in Tuscany. But make no mistake, this region breathes wine history: as early as 1369 the wine from Carmignano was four times as expensive as other wines, and already in the 1700s young vines where nurtured here, including imported Cabernet Sauvignon. Still, the region stood in the shadows of Chianti, and wines from Carmignano were often sold as Chianti Montalbano (one of the Chianti subregions). Only in 1975 did Carmignano receive its own DOC, and in 1990 they were awarded a DOCG, the highest level in the Italian wine hierarchy.
Carmignano was the first DOC(G) in Tuscany that allowed for the use of international varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc in their blend. Today, a Carmignano must consist of at least 50% Sangiovese, supplemented with up to 20% Canaiolo Nero, 10 to 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10 to 20% Cabernet Franc. Carmignano therefore has a much more international profile than the classic Chianti wines. Because of the cooler temperatures, the style of the wine will be closer to French wines, particularly in poor years when Cabernet cannot fully ripen and has that typical arome of green bell pepper. Other than that, Carmignano has the perfect terroir for growing these grapes: the soil is full of chalk, water is quickly drained to enforce a low yield, and there's a perfect alternation between warm days and cold nights in the growing season, allowing the grapes to fully ripen while retaining their freshness. The result is a well-balanced, modern, international wine, definitely worth tasting if you have the opportunity!
Rosso Piceno and Conero Rosso
It doesn't always have to be Tuscany... To finish this list of DOCs and DOCGs we will cross the border to Le Marche, on the Adriatic coast. There, we can find the Rosso Piceno and Conero Rosso appellations, two lesser-known names perhaps (compared to Brunello), but with qualities of their own.
Rosso Piceno and Conero Rosso are both blends of Sangiovese (of cours) and Montepulciano, but in different proportions. Rosso Piceno can contain up to 60% Sangiovese, Conero Rosso only 15%. It might seem strange considering Sangiovese's reputation, but it's actually the percentage of Montepulciano that determines the quality of the wine. Therefore, Conero Rosso is qualitatively better, and more expensive!
Rosso Piceno is therefore the everyday wine: a relatively light, fruity wine, not too much alcohol, perfect for whatever dish you're preparing tonight. You'll recognize the red fruit aromas that are typical for most Sangiovese wines, supplemented with the more potent black fruit for which Montepulciano is known. Add some high acidity and medium tannins, and you're ready for a quiet night alone or with friends, with a good wine that doesn't require too much of your attention.
But sometimes the mood is a little more serious, and on those occasions there's Conero Rosso. This wine consists mainly of Montepulciano and has a much darker, heavier profile than Rosso Piceno. Blackberries, brambles, Mediterranean spices and aromas that typically develop after 1 to 2 years of maturing in wooden barrels. The tannins are more present, but still balanced by the Sangiovese acidity, so you can serve a heavier dish. Or, if you can't come up with the right dish, you can first serve your bottle of Rosso Piceno with your meal, and then open the Conero afterwards to fully enjoy it.
I could go on for much longer discussing DOCs and DOCGs in which Sangiovese plays a bigger or smaller role, such as Montefalco Rosso in Umbria, or the many regions in the south where Sangiovese is blended with Primitivo, Nero d'Avola and other local varieties. But that might get tedious... So we'll save that for a future blog.
What you should remember from this blog, if anything at all, is that Sangiovese is the undisputed king of Tuscany, and the star in some of the best-known appellations. But also outside Tuscany, Sangiovese is used all over Italy, mostly in support of the local varieties. And even if we look beyond the borders of Italy, we keep running into Sangiovese. The variety doesn't yet have the same international status as for instance Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot, but you can be certain that New World wine makers are extensively experimenting with this top class grape. There is therefore much more Sangiovese around to discover!
