Winemaker Notes
The character of Sangiovese and the fascination of Cabernet Sauvignon together yield an intense wine, with scents of sour black cherry and subtle hints of vanilla and spice.
Blend: 70% Sangiovese, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Pine cones, vanilla, coffee and dark cherries on the nose. A rich, full-bodied blend of sangiovese and cabernet sauvignon with tight, fine-grained tannins and a long, spicy finish. Generous oak but has ripe, juicy fruit to balance.
Disenchanted with Italian winemaking laws in the 1970s, a few rebellious Tuscan winemakers decided to get creative. Instead of following tradition, to bottle Sangiovese by itself, they started blending it with international varieties, namely Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah in differing proportions and with amazing success. However, some Tuscan Blends don’t even include Sangiovese. Somm Secret—The suffix –aia in Italian modifies a word in much the same way –y acts in English. For example, a place with many stones (sassi) becomes Sassicaia. While not all Super Tuscan producer names end in –aia, they all share a certain coy nomenclature.
Extending from the Adriatic coast in the east, to the border of the Mediterranean Ligurian region in the west, Emilia Romagna is a large, central Italian region focused on a wide array of gastronomic specialties. The plains of Emilia host four well-defined subzones for its famous, lightly sparkling red, Lambrusco. The more coastal Romagna has the capacity to produce impressive wines from Sangiovese and Albana.