Sangiovese, Apulia
In addition to being the symbol of Tuscany for wine, Sangiovese is the most widespread grape variety in Italy today with almost 72,000 hectares of vineyards. A massive presence justified by the great adaptability of Sangiovese and by enviable organoleptic capacities, perfect for the creation of pure wines or blends of great value. This is the case in which Sangiovese appears in appellations such as Carmignano, Rosso Piceno , Rosso Conero, Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Morellino di Scansano, Sangiovese di Romagna. Today, however, Sangiovese is diversified into many clones, which can be identified in two large groups: Sangiovese Grosso ( Brunello di Montalcino, Prugnolo Gentile di Montepulciano, Sangiovese Grosso di Lamole, Sangiovese Romagnolo) and Sangiovese Piccolo. Sangiovese remains an extremely adaptable grape and capable of acclimating itself to very different pedoclimatic conditions, always guaranteeing the creation of distinctly territorial wines.
With its origins for a long time shrouded in mystery, Sangiovese is today considered, also thanks to the analysis of its DNA, a probably spontaneous cross between Ciliegiolo and a vine from Southern Italy: the Calabrese di Montenuovo. Sangiovese prefers sunny places with a cool and breezy climate, while it becomes expressive if grown on poor soils, rich in skeleton and with a good percentage of limestone. Sangiovese can thus be counted as a gritty and impetuous wine, with marked tannins, a marked acidity, medium body and great concentration. Its versatility provides, in the case of Chianti Classico, for example, a basic version, a Riserva and a Gran Selezione, all suitable for making Sangiovese's response to different ripening periods known. However, the generic notes on the bright ruby red color, the characteristic aromas of cherry, violet, morello cherry, blood orange and ripe red fruit remain valid. It produces ample wines on the palate, with medium or full body, with a pronounced and moderately reduced tannic presence even in the most worked versions, as well as being able to ensure good freshness and aromatic persistence.
Buy Sangiovese
For those who love wine and retain a true passion for Italian wine, Sangiovese is undoubtedly one of the most authentic expressions of the territoriality of the Peninsula. Buying Sangiovese online means first of all knowing its chosen territory, Tuscany, which has been successfully growing this variety for hundreds of years, so much so that it has attracted great public attention both towards the blend and the food and wine tourism that affects many areas of the region. . Another reason to buy Sangiovese is the fact that it is suitable both as a table wine and as a meditation wine: versatile and authentic, capable of reserving many surprises and surprising despite its recognizable identity. In summary: buying Sangiovese online means owning one of the treasures that the world envies the Italy of wine.
What are the Sangiovese varieties?
If we analyze the types of Sangiovese grown in Italy, we realize that under the genetic profile there are some differences that make it possible to place different clones in the same family, i.e. plants that retain a genetic material similar but not identical to the plant of origin. In the case of the famous Sangiovese B-Bs 11 clone we are faced with a selection of Sangiovese that has made the history of Brunello di Montalcino with Biondi Santi. Naturally, the possibility of creating clones by companies, as well as their subsequent registration in the National Register of Varieties, must contemplate the real peculiarity of the clone reared in terms of resistance to diseases and adaptation to the terroir. In the particular case of Tuscany, it seems that the weaknesses of Sangiovese cultivated up to the 70s of the last century had also contributed to the birth of the Super Tuscans, in which the improvement of international blends would have corrected the improper properties of Sangiovese and pushed towards investment in clonal selection.
What is the characteristic flavor of Sangiovese?
The organoleptic recognition of Sangiovese largely depends on a distinct and easily traceable flavor. The characteristic flavor of Sangiovese includes blood orange, violet, cherry, ripe red fruits, but also tomato, licorice and balsamic notes which, combined together, determine a structured palate, with pronounced acidity that gives tension and strength, while gradually releasing hints of green and refreshing notes such as oregano.
Where is the Sangiovese grape grown?
There are many regions where the Sangiovese grape is cultivated and widely spread. These include Tuscany, Marche, Lazio, Emilia-Romagna, while beyond the national borders Sangiovese is grown in Corsica, California, Argentina and Australia.
Apulia is a land of sea and sun and the Apulian wine contains all its warmth. The vine has been cultivated in Apulia since ancient times, so much so that Pliny the Elder defined Manduria as viticulosa, that is, "full of vines". If in the past the wine was used as a "blending" wine to reinforce other wines, today Apulian wines are widespread and appreciated all over the world. Production is abundant and is close to 5000000 hectoliters. The native grapes are the protagonists, both in the whites with Fiano and Bombino Bianco, and in the reds with Primitivo, Negroamaro and Nero di Troia, which are sometimes part of the more famous and larger appellations, other times smaller and unknown.
Apulian red wine: fruit in its pure state
Apulian red wines are usually structured and juicy, with a strong fruity character. The most famous grapes are undoubtedly the Negroamaro (which gives soft and velvety reds, with a slightly bitter background) and the Primitivo, famous above all for the Primitivo di Manduria, which instead gives structured wines with a good alcoholic content and which seems a relative of Californian Zinfandel. Not to forget the Uva di Troia and the black Malvasia, also protagonist of the famous rosé wines of Salento and of a small and unknown appellation: the Cacc'e Mitte di Lucera. Also noteworthy are the sweet wines from red berried grapes, such as Primitivo liqueur and Salice Salentino Aleatico Passito, which manage to highlight the full potential of Apulian wines.
Apulian white wine: all the goodness of the earth
Apulia is known for its red wines, but there are also fine Apulian white wines, from the Locorotondo to the white Gravina passing through the Castel del Monte appellation. In this region there are both native grapes, such as Bombino Bianco, Malvasia Bianca and Verdeca, and international grapes, such as Chardonnay, which has found a happy island in Salento and is today one of the most widespread in the region. Apulian white wines are fresh and drinkable and for this reason they are easy to pair. From the white berried grapes are also born fabulous dessert wines, such as Moscato di Trani, which is present both as a sweet wine and as a straw wine.
What are the finest Apulian wines?
The most prestigious and famous Apulian wines are known all over the world and usually have large companies behind them: among the many, we cannot fail to mention the historic Five Roses by Leone De Castris (progenitor of the Salento rosé wines), the wines of the Tormaresca estate and above all the Primitivo di Gianfranco Fino, one of the most awarded and famous Apulian wines among wine lovers.
When were Apulian rosé wines born?
Apulian rosé wines are born with Leone De Castris' Five Roses: at the end of the last world war, the American general Charles Poletti, commissioner for supplies of the allied forces, asked for a large supply of rosé wine from the Leone De Castris winery. Thus was born a 100% Italian wine, but with a strictly American name: Five Roses (from the Cinque Vie district, not far from the Negroamaro vineyards that give life to this wine). A story full of successes, which today sees in this kind of rosé wines a must of the summer, in Italy and beyond.
What are the Apulian DOCG wines?
Apulian DOCG wines include three red wines, Castel Del Monte Bombino Nero DOCG, Castel del Monte Nero di Troia DOCG and Castel del Monte Rosso Riserva DOCG, as well as of course a sweet wine, the sweet natural Primitivo di Manduria DOCG. However, there are numerous DOC and IGT wines, scattered throughout the region from the Gargano to the extreme tip of Salento.