People often ask me, “what’s your favorite wine?”  And that’s an impossible question to answer because I really don’t have a singular favorite.  There are so many options and the differences between them can be so vast that I have different preferences for different occasions.  Now if someone asked me, “what’s your favorite wine to have with spaghetti?” it would be easier to answer, but I still couldn’t give just one.  I’d say, Chianti or sangiovese, but I still wouldn’t have a specific brand.  Anyway, that’s a long way of saying, “I love sangiovese.”  So I was glad to give this one a try.

The thing I like about sangiovese is that it has depth.  Its a medium-bodied wine with plenty of fruit flavors, some spice to make it interesting and, if it’s made well, good structure.  It’s not too big or jammy, which makes it a good food wine.  Yet it can be good on its own as well.  When ordering a wine for a meal, I’ve often gone with the philosophy that you can’t go wrong with a good sangiovese.

The Rocca di Montemassi estate is located in the Monterigio zone in Tuscany.  Sangiovese is one of the main varietals they produce.  The area has a long history of wine production, and the estate has been owned by the Zonin family since 1998.

This wine has a very pleasant nose, with aromas of cedar, spices, cherries and raspberries.  In the mouth it offers plenty of plum and cherry flavors with a touch of spice. The tannins add a touch of black tea to the flavor and a dryness to the mouth feel. Vibrant acidity keeps this wine bright.  While it has plenty of structure, it’s not overly acidic or tannic, making this is a very approachable wine.  While many people would just think of this as an old world wine, I think it has the best of both worlds.

Wine: Rocca di Montemassi Le Focaie           
Variety: Sangiovese
Vintage: 2008
Alcohol: 13.5%
Rating: 87
Price:  $14.00

Find Rocca di Montemassi Le Focaie Sangiovese with Snooth

Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.

Before jumping into the next big series, I thought we’d review some odds and ends.  Wines that we’ve received as samples, but are unique enough that we don’t get the quantity needed to do a full series.  Today, we’re checking out a Sangiovese from Dievole.

Wine production at Dievole dates back to the 12th century in Tuscany.  Of course, many things have changed over the years but in 2006 they began undergoing a renewal.  A renewal focused on preserving traditions while using modern technologies to ensure quality.  They focus on native mother vines, but use modern techniques of vineyard management.  Also, in 2006, they brought in agronomist Dr. Valerio Zorzi as a consultant.

If this wine is an example of the results from this renewal, then I want to taste more.

I love, love, love the bouquet from this wine.  Aromas of ripe strawberry, roses, vanilla and oak are delightful.  And the intensity is just right. The palate is slightly understated, compared to the nose, but it’s still quite good.  Raspberry and strawberry flavors, with good acidity and moderate tannins.  I’d like a touch more concentration on the palate, but it’s still good.  While it’s not overly sweet, the finish leaves me with the flavor of pure cane sugar on the back of my tongue — again, not the level of sweetness you would find in sugar, just the flavor.  I like this wine.  Now I just need a good pasta to enjoy with it.

Wine: Dievole Dievolino Rosso di Sangiovese
Variety: Sangiovese
Vintage: 2006
Alcohol: 13%
Rating: 86
Price: $12.00

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Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.

There’s a thing that wine bloggers do called “Wine Blogging Wednesday.”  It’s an event that happens once every month… usually on a Wednesday. The idea is that several wine bloggers all write about the same topic that day.  Then there’s a host, who summarizes the collective thoughts and points you to all the writers for that theme.  I used to participate in it every month, but I haven’t done so for the past six months or so.  It’s good to get back in it today.

The host this month is Michelle, the author of My Wine Education.  And her theme is “Snow Day Wine,” which I interpret as meaning we should write about a wine we would want to drink on a day when we’re snowed in at home.

To me, being snowed in is a time when I want some comfort foods, which for me means Italian.  Yep, if it’s cold and ugly outside I crave baked mostaccioli or gnocchi with homemade marinara sauce.  And I want a good Chianti or Sangiovese to go with it.  In order to give this another twist, I decided to pick a Californian Sangiovese rather than an Italian.

To be honest, I generally would prefer an Italian Sangiovese over a Californian one due to the acidity and aromatics I expect from the Italian ones.  They go great with food and I just find them interesting.  Those I’ve had from California tend to be much more fruit-forward and less aromatic.

So, I pour a glass of 2007 Luna Vineyards, Napa Valley Sangiovese and I’m pleasantly surprised.  While it’s definitely a “new world” style of wine and very different from an old-world, Italian Sangiovese , it’s still really good.

It’s spicy on the nose, with cloves, white pepper, red raspberry, black cherry and an ever-so-slight barnyard.  The palate is big and full of ripe fruit, like juicy raspberry, black cherry, currant and plum.  A little bit of dark chocolate shows up mid-palate and it finishes with a black cherry flavor that lasts and lasts.  It doesn’t have the acidity you would find in most Italian Sangiovese and is more fruit-forward, making it clearly a “new world” wine.  The tannins are perfect for drinking now.  While it’s not what I would typically look for in a Sangiovese (i.e. old world style) it’s still a very enjoyable wine.

The suggested retail price is $25.00, which is slightly higher than we typically go here, but I expect you could find it for less if you shop around.  When I work the rating numbers on it, I get an 89-point-something.  But hey, it’s a snow day… let’s round up and give this one a 90.

Wine: Luna Vineyards Sangiovese
Variety: Sangiovese
Vintage: 2007
Alcohol: 14.1%
Rating: 90
Price: $25.00

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Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.