It’s time for another installment of the Noble Grape Challenge. Last episode we got to know Merlot, and today we’ll get acquainted with that old Italian grape, Sangiovese.
About the Noble Grape Challenge
Wine Folly created the Noble Grape Challenge as a way to learn the spectrum of wine flavours found in red and white wines. Taking nine reds and nine whites, we’ll go through them from lightest to darkest, learning about the key characteristics and flavours of each.
Characteristics
Before we talk about the wine, let’s talk about the word – Sangiovese. It doesn’t look English, does it? In fact, you might think it looks straight-up Italian – and you would be right. This is your first clue that Sangiovese is a special varietal.
Sangiovese is really only grown in Italy. It’s one of the few varietals that is so scarce beyond its ‘home’ location. But! Before you go feeling all sorry for the little Sangiovese grape, let me tell you that there’s actually a big variety of it within Italy, which means its bouquet and flavour can vary quite a bit depending where in Italy it’s found. That’s the second clue that the Sangiovese varietal is a special one.
To try out Sangiovese I tasted Farnese Fantini Sangiovese IGT.
Very New World style label – I like!
Tasting notes
As you can see, it colour is pretty gentle. It’s not super clear like a Pinot, nor is it completely opaque like a Malbec. It’s got a nice red colour and is a little orange-y along the edge, which I’ve read is a typical marker of a Sangiovese.
I found it difficult to get much off the nose of this wine, which I always find disappointing. After I left it in my glass for a while (almost an hour!) I started to smell some candied fruit, and a bit of cookie, actually. You know the classic vanilla Girl Guide cookies? I smelled those. Weird, I know.
The flavour was quite full. I got a fair amount of fruit (cherry, I think) off the top and a bunch of oak on the finish. In fact, the aftertaste was a bit like lickin a tree. Jury’s still out on that sensation.
Bottom Line
Despite being disappointed by the nose I quite like this wine. It goes down easy, and might just be my next go-to pick for a party or dinner with a friend. And, the best part, it was under $8! I was wary of the price and but decided to take a chance, and I’m glad it paid off.
Have you tried Sangiovese lately? What did you think?
Next up in the NGC: Nebbiolo – if I can find it!
4 Comments
Can I get Sangiovese In Venice? I’ll be there next month and may have to try it.
I’m not completely sure it’s grown in that region (in wine terms it’s called the Veneto) but I am pretty confident you’ll be able to find it there. I’d love to know if you have some while you’re there!
I’ll put it on my list of things to do while I’m there.
[…] time for another installment of the Noble Grape Challenge. Last episode we jumped into the world of Sangiovese, and today we stay a little while longer in Italy to get to know the […]