About Sangiovese

Sangiovese is probably best known in the United States as a foundation for the "Super Tuscan" red wine blends, and traditional Italian Chianti, which traditionally is mostly Sangiovese. But it is an old wine, one that while we can only positively trace back to the sixteenth century, was likely enjoyed by the Romans as well as medieval Italians living in Tuscany. Professor José Vouillamoz of the Istituto Agrario di San Michele all'Adige in profiling Sangiovese thinks it is most likely the descendant, in the fairly distant past, of Ciliegiolo and Calabrese Montenuovo, both grapes that are almost forgotten outside of Italy. Sangiovese as a name is derived from Latin sanguis Jovis, "the blood of Jove."

The vines favor semi-arid limestone soils. It needs a longer than average growing season, since, while the vines bud very early, the emergent grapes are slow to ripen. The ripening grapes need to be tended carefully, since their thin skin is prone to various fungi. In addition, though the grape is slow to ripen and favors a long growing season, it isn't a friend to heat. Too warm a season, and the flavor is muted; too cool, and too long a season, however, can result in overly acidic grapes and too much tannin in the skins. It's a delicate balance, and one reason that Sangiovese isn't more common. Moreover, as the vines tend to be vigorous, there's a tradition of culling the fruit to control the total harvest, and encourage more flavorful juice. There's a reason that Sangiovese is so successful in so many kinds of wines, including the dessert wine Vin Santo; the wine is very much a product of its growing conditions, and fermentation process, length and style, as well as oaking, make enormous differences in the final wine, more so than with many grapes. It's aroma is typically described in terms of strawberries, blueberries, and floral scents like violet, and the amount of exposure to oak in processing makes a marked difference in flavor, creating flavor impressions that range from sweet, and vanilla, to smoke and tar.

To this day, the grape is closely tied to Tuscany in terms of growing regions, though it has also successfully been grown in California and Australia. The popularity and success of "Super Tuscan" blends using Sangiovese have helped encourage Sangiovese plantings outside of Italy, especially in California. In Washington, growers in Walla Walla and Yakima have had success in creating spicy, robust, flavorful Sangiovese, with spicy cherry notes, as well as Sangiovese blends. Even Australia is increasingly planting Sangiovese, using specific clones designed for specific growing conditions, to encourage successful plantings, and increasingly, bottling the wine as a varietal instead of relying on blends.

California's Crane Lake makes a Sangiovese, as does Washington state's Barnard Griffin. Bonny Doon makes a 76% Sangiovese that, while quite palatable, is not typically Sangiovese.

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