Sangiovese

		Varietals:	100% Sangiovese
		Vineyard:	Estate Fruit
		Appellation:	Tuscany
		Sub Appellation:	The Maremma
		Fermentation:	Grapes are early harvested. Fermentation is done in stainless steel tanks at controlled temperature (30° C) with long maceration time and frequent racking.
		Wood:	No Wood
		Aging:	After fermentation, additional four months in the bottle.

WINEMAKER NOTES: Wine made with 100% Sangiovese grapes cultivated on the hills surrounding Capalbio, in the Tuscan Maremma. After early harvest, the must is left to ferment on the lees in stainless steel vats at controlled temperature (30°C., or 86°F.).

The color is ruby red, the bouquet is intense, with strong notes of wild berries. Forward taste with typical bitterness, strong tannins and hints of raspberries.

Sangiovese: Those of you interested in Sangiovese might enjoy this article by Sergio Esposito of recently published in his newsletter...

When most people think of Sangiovese, they think of magnificent Brunello. But getting to the essence of this flexible grape requires a little more exploration. Sangiovese has been pushing its way through the rocky Italian soil since Etruscan times. It's the key to Chianti Classico, most Super-Tuscans, Carmignano, Montepulciano's drinks, and Morellino di Scansano, and it's spawned loads of clones—Prugnolo, Sangioveto, and Sangiovese Grosso among them. It's Italy's most popular wine, pumped into billions of bottles each year, and it blankets the countryside, from Umbria to Le Marche.

But Sangiovese's true home is Toscana, where it thrives on the rolling hills, calmed by continuous cool breezes. Even there, however, in such ideal conditions, Sangiovese remains a difficult fruit to master. It's a noble grape, and its gentle, graceful character can easily be crushed by an overzealous producer who blends in too much of a deeper fruit. Bordeaux-style wines, now often associated with Super-Tuscans, largely mask Sangiovese. Most producers of Chianti, who are legally required to include 80% Sangiovese (in Chianti Classico, with the Chianti designation requiring 75%) in their wines, immediately obscure its personality with Aglianico and Primitivo. International wines, appealing for their familiarity and ease, frequently use Sangiovese as a base, instantly muddling it with heavy Cabernet or Merlot.

California Trade Sales | National Trade Sales | Consumer Wine Sales | Women and Wine | Donne Vino