How to identify Sangiovese in a blind wine tasting?

Aromas and flavours

Fruits: red fruit scented like (sour) cherry, cranberry and red & black currant

Herbal:

• Young ones – basil dominated
• Matured ones – thyme and rosemary

Floral:

• Young ones – fresh roses
• Matured ones – more potpourri

Others: leather, ink, brick, clay, red pepper and tomato, vanilla

Brunello di Montalcino in particular: orange, bergamot, seaweed, red pepper, tomato

Sweetness

Dry

Acidity

Medium plus

Alcohol

Medium to Medium plus (depending on style) – hotter vintages may push this to HIGH

Body

Medium to medium plus (depending on style) hotter vintages may push this to FULL

Tannin

• Chianti – medium – often more coarse
• Chianti Classico Riserva – medium plus – mouth-coating, sandy, ticklish
• Brunello – medium plus to high – velvety, chalky, fine-grained

Comparison to others

Grenache

• Often more dark fruit driven
• Classic examples like Rioja Reserva are more oak dominated
• More dominated oak arrived aromas of sweet spices, chocolate, vanilla, etc…
• Often ripe and overripe fruit, not dried

What makes it unique

• The lightness of colour – Pinot Noir like but with more rim variations
• Driven by acidity and tannins
• Dried red fruit paired with floral aspect yet mouth-coating tannin
• Red brick, clay and herbal notes

Disclaimer

The purpose of this “how to spot” series is to make blind tasting as accessible as possible by establishing a “baseline”, therefore examples and content are based on what is considered to be the most “classic”.

There is a great variety of different Sangiovese produced and there can be huge differences. Therefore, this is not an implication of all Sangiovese are the same.

We choose the following wines as classic wines

• Chianti Classico Riecine 2021 – 13.5% ABV
• Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Colledila Ricasoli 2018 – 13.5% ABV
• Rosso di Montalcino San Lorenzo 2019 – 14% ABV
• Brunello di Montalcino Cupano 2018 – 14.5% ABV
• Brunello di Montalcino Fattoria del Pino 2018 – 14% ABV