The King of Italian grapes, Sangiovese relished its time to shine in our annual Global Masters competition, wowing the judges. Patricia Stefanowicz MW reports. Italy is the kingdom of Sangiovese. It is the country’s most planted wine grape, with around 70,000 hectares. The expressions are variable in terms of quality, but this variety can provide some exquisite wines – as judges found in our annual Global Sangiovese Masters. Today in Tuscany, partly due to the rise of international varieties (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah) and the success of Super Tuscan wines, Sangiovese is often blended. This is permitted for Chianti zones, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Morellino and others, but not for Brunello di Montalcino or its younger sibling, Rosso di Montalcino. Sometimes these other varieties are used to fill the midpalate, to add complexity and, when carefully made, the blends are beguiling. This judging day was an exciting snapshot of what is being produced from Sangiovese (and its partners). The majority of wines were from Tuscany, with a couple from Romagna and a few from elsewhere, including Australia and the Americas, where Italophiles have long been experimenting with Sangiovese. The judges discovered a few expressive and crowd-pleasing unoaked wines under £15. Tenute Piccini’s Oro Chianti Superiore, a Sangiovese with some Merlot, garnered a Gold award for its juicy fruit and sappy character. Sangiovese, however, seems to benefit from some level of wood ageing, usually with older oak, to add complexity. At under £20 there were a number of very good Silver
This Article was originally published on The Drink Business - Wine
