Winemaker Notes
Bright red in color, aromas of violets and red berries complement undertones of leather and anise. On the palate, this wine is dry and mellow with smooth tannins that make for a crowd- pleasing, easy-to-drink red wine.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Aromas of black cherries, orange peel and some fresh herbs. Medium body, medium round tannins, and a soft and creamy finish. Light jammy character at the end. Drink or hold.
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Wine Enthusiast
Indulgent notes of tanned leather, coffee grounds, vanilla bean and dried fig on the nose lead the way to a berry-rich palate that gains depth and structure from close-grained tannins and a prick of acidity.
Among Italy's elite red grape varieties, Sangiovese has the perfect intersection of bright red fruit and savory earthiness and is responsible for the best red wines of Tuscany. While it is best known as the chief component of Chianti, it is also the main grape in Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and reaches the height of its power and intensity in the complex, long-lived Brunello di Montalcino. Somm Secret—Sangiovese doubles under the alias, Nielluccio, on the French island of Corsica where it produces distinctly floral and refreshing reds and rosés.
This mountainous region south of Abruzzo comes in second after Valle d’Aosta as Italy’s smallest and least populated region. Wine production is largely reserved for cooperatives with the main varieties as Montepulciano d’Abruzzo and Trebbiano d’Abruzzo. Plantings of grape varieties from its neighboring region of Campania—whites Fiano and Greco di tufo and the red, Aglianico—have increased recently.