Variety
RedSangiovese
Italy's most planted grape – cherry, herbs, leather, brisk acidity and tannin. The base of Chianti and Brunello; a rarity in Piedmont.
Portrait
Sangiovese is the most planted grape of Italy and originates in central Italy. DNA analysis traces it to a cross of Ciliegiolo and Calabrese Montenuovo. The name is usually derived from sanguis Jovis, the "blood of Jupiter"; the variety is documented from the 16th century. Its heartland is Tuscany, with further plantings in Emilia-Romagna, Umbria, California, Argentina and Australia. In Piedmont, where Nebbiolo and Barbera dominate, it remains a marginal presence.
In the vineyard Sangiovese ripens late and needs warm, well-drained sites; limestone and schist soils give the finest structure. The variety is highly variable, with many clones and sub-types such as Brunello and Prugnolo Gentile. The wines show sour cherry, herbs and leather, brisk acidity and firm tannins. They range from simple, young-drinking reds to Chianti Classico Riserva and Brunello di Montalcino, which age for many years.
At the table Sangiovese suits tomato-based dishes, pasta with ragù, grilled meat and aged pecorino; its acidity also copes with richer food.
Taste profile
Six axes — acidity, sweetness, body, tannin, aroma intensity and depth — on a 0–5 scale, based on typical style. Real wines vary by region and producer.
Typical aromas — Sangiovese
These 5 aromas typically define Sangiovese. Actual taste experience varies by region and style.
Sour cherry
Tomato leaf
Leather
Herbs
Balsamic
Sangiovese aroma families
These aroma categories are characteristic of Sangiovese. Other varieties have different focuses.
Fruit aromas are the most common and come directly from the grape, ranging from citrus through stone fruit to black berries.
Herbal aromas can be finely aromatic (sage) or grassy – a stylistic feature in some varieties, ripeness indicator in others.
Tertiary aromas that develop with bottle aging – typical of mature top wines.
Key regions
Sangiovese is grown in the following regions of our atlas. Click to see wineries.
Wineries with Sangiovese
2 curated profiles in our atlas grow Sangiovese.
2 wineries