Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
eight hundred hectares planted (and many
excellent wines made by Seghesio, Montevina,
and others) in AVAs as different as Napa, So-
noma, Santa Barbara, and others. Sangiovese is
also planted in Washington State and New
Mexico, as well as to the north (in both the
Canadian provinces of Ontario and British
Columbia) and to the south (Mexico). Else-
where, Sangiovese has encountered unbelieva-
ble success in Australia, despite less than stel-
lar early results (but by 2009, more than two
hundred wineries were trying their hand at a
Sangiovese wine, monovarietal or not). Mostly,
Sangiovese has been planted in eastern Aus-
tralia, while it is less common in western Aus-
tralia, where nursery errors made for lost time
(for example, estates thought they were plant-
ing Sangiovese only to learn later that it was
Carnelian). Sangiovese is also planted in New
Zealand, South Africa, Argentina, Chile, and
Brazil, among other countries.
of-all-trades, Sangiovese can be used to make a
complete range of wines, from
rosato,
to light
and refreshing reds, to full-bodied and very
ageworthy reds.
When bad, Sangiovese wines can be very
pale in color, lack fruit, and still have high tan-
nins and acidity, making for a less than thrill-
ing experience. In the past this led to the (at
times illegal) practice of adding various per-
centages of deeper-colored and fruitier wine
from warmer parts of central and southern
Italy, such as negro amaro, nero d'avola, or
montepulciano. However, in my experience, an
attentive, truly knowledgeable wine taster
should always be able to recognize when 10 per-
cent of a wine made from another grape variety
has been added to sangiovese. A great monova-
rietal sangiovese will vary considerably in its
organoleptic characteristics, depending on cli-
mate and soil: for example, those from the hot
Tuscan Maremma area are marked by very ripe
dark red-cherry, plum, and aromatic herb aro-
mas and fl avors; while in cooler areas such as
Chianti Classico or Montalcino (though the lat-
ter is already warmer than the former, and so
the wines differ considerably), notes of sour red
cherries, red berries, licorice, violet, and tea leaf
dominate. With age, all Sangiovese wines show
hints of underbrush, leather, and tobacco.
Cooler regions, such as the Chianti Rufi na
(some areas of which, like those around
Dicomano, have more in common with moun-
tain viticulture than sunny Tuscany), produce
many very fi ne wines blessed by lacy acidity
and refi ned texture. These are wines that also
age extremely well.
Clearly, the most famous wines made with
Sangiovese are Chianti Classico and Brunello
di Montalcino, and they offer a whole spectrum
of Sangiovese aromas and fl avors. Chianti
Classico wines from Gaiole, especially in the
Monti subzone, are perhaps the most complete
of all, but those from Radda can have a magi-
cal, unforgettable perfume, though much
depends on which complementary grapes have
been added to the blend. I fi nd that Sangiovese
wines with a little Canaiolo Nero or Malvasia
Which Wines to Choose and Why
Sangiovese is the fundamental grapevine of
Tuscany, being the principal component of the
six Tuscan DOCGs, from a minimum of 50 per-
cent up to a 100 percent: Brunello di Montal-
cino (100 percent monovarietal), Carmignano,
Chianti, Chianti Classico, Morellino di
Scansano, and Nobile di Montepulciano. It is
present, in various percentages, in almost all
the main DOCs and IGTs of Tuscany, such as
Barco Reale di Carmignano, Capalbio, Colli
dell'Etruria Centrale, Colli di Luni, Cortona,
Elba, Montecarlo, Montecucco, Monteregio di
Massa Marittima, Montescudaio, Orcia, Rosso
di Montalcino, Rosso di Montepulciano,
Sovana, Val di Cornia, and Valdichiana. San-
giovese is also used to make sweet wines, such
as the outstanding Vin Santo Occhio di Per-
nice. Of course, it is also part of many other
DOC and IGT wines in other regions, such as
Veneto's Bardolino, Valdadige, and Valpolicella;
Sangiovese di Romagna (Emilia-Romagna);
Montefalco Rosso (Umbria); Rosso Piceno and
Rosso Conero (the Marche); Velletri (Lazio);
and Gioia del Colle (Puglia). Being a real jack-
