Rocca di Montemassi Le Focaie Sangiovese

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.