Sangiovese Mini Expo

Mostly dominated by Tuscan wines (as one would expect) but with a few outliers as well, across three brackets representing the wines of three importers

my least favourite bracket

• 2019 Bissoni Sangiovese di Romagna Girapoggio Superiore

  Italy, Emilia-Romagna, Sangiovese di Romagna

  Funky, meaty, muted red cherry fruits, a little savoury spice, slight Brett? Juicy, tight talc textured tannins, a sense of breadth, equally savoury on the palate, slight wild cherry, alcohol warmth on the finish <shrugs>

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• 2020 Fattoria Poggerino Chianti Classico

  Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG

  A little polished oak, ripe cherry, a touch of sweet spice, very slightly oxidised baked notes, and tomato leaf. Medium plus intensity acidity, savoury, chalky tannins fruit is slightly muted. Hmm.

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• 2019 Fattoria di Fèlsina Berardenga Chianti Classico

  Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG

  Hmm, quite green on the nose, tomato leaf, a little stalks with charcuterie elements, savoury spice. Medium plus intensity acidity lends a mouth-watering quality, medium minus intensity chalky tannins, green cherry if you can imagine such a thing. Hmm.

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• 2018 Brancaia Chianti Classico Riserva

  Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG

  Franks says “Penfolds does Chianti” – this is very oaky on the nose; caramel, vanilla, slight coconut, sweet spice, and a little cedar. And the oak rather dominates the palate the detriment of the juicy acidity, woody tannins, and muted red fruit. Nah.

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• 2019 San Giorgio Rosso di Montalcino Ciampoleto

  Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Rosso di Montalcino

  Savoury, smells fleshy, juicy, red fruits, a little tobacco leaf. Juicy, medium plus intensity acidity, red fruits are supported by floury textured tannic grip which prove slightly drying and lends a sense of breadth, there is also a slight almost residual sugar sweetness to the finish that I find off-putting

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• 2016 San Giorgio Brunello di Montalcino Ugolforte

  Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino

  Smells a touch oxidised on the nose, a little caramel, and baked apple, a little woody extract and concentrated savoury cherry and cherry stone. Medium plus intensity acidity lends sourness to the muted fruit, tannins are drying, woody and chalky textured, slight alcohol warmth on the finish. Meh.

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lots to like here

• 2019 Querciabella Mongrana Rosso

  Italy, Tuscany, Maremma, Maremma Toscana

  Ooh, a little whole bunchy quality, savoury, red over black fruit is quite meaty as well, touch of peppery spice. Medium plus intensity acidity, chalky tannins, fruit plays 2nd fiddle but is vying for attention, slight minerality on the finish. Simple. Nice.

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• 2019 Querciabella Chianti Classico

  Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG

  Meaty, savoury, a little sweet spice, cherry, slight tobacco leaf. Medium plus intensity acidity, chalk textured tannins lend a little cedary note to the palate to accompany the cherry fruit. Simple, well made, nice.

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• 2018 Le Cinciole Chianti Classico

  Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Chianti Classico DOCG

  Smidge of wood glue initially on the nose, savoury spice, a little ripe cherry. Juicy, tends to fresh and fleshy, tannins are chalky and tug at the palate with a little woody underpin, fruit as per the nose but less ripe. Okay.

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• 2020 Baricci Rosso di Montalcino

  Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Rosso di Montalcino

  Savoury, meaty, a little spice underpin, red hued fruit, with time a little tobacco leaf, and cream. Juicy, tannins are floury textured and persistent, fruit just about competes, there is a sense of breadth here as well. Nice.

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• 2020 San Filippo Rosso di Montalcino Lo Scorno

  Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Rosso di Montalcino

  Meaty, charcuterie, tending to funky notes, dominate the fruit and a fair amount of herbaceous underpin. The palate is equally meaty and quite sour with a smidge of bitterness on the finish. Nah

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• 2017 San Filippo Brunello di Montalcino

  Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino

  Wild cherry, tobacco leaf, slight cedar and sweet spice in support. Nice nose. Medium plus intensity acidity, wild cherry, tobacco leaf, fleshy, fresh, coarse sandpaper textured woody tannins persist beneath this long. Yum.

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• 2017 Siro Pacenti Brunello di Montalcino Pelagrilli

  Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino

  Meaty, savoury, concentrated and slightly brooding note, touches of maraschino cherry but everything in the savoury spectrum except a rather intrusive caramel oak underpin. Juicy, wooden tannins are drying, white pepper, fruit hidden beneath this, oak lends caramel. There is too much oak for the fruit for me and I’m not convinced it will be able to get back in balance.

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I did enjoy the Montefalco in this bracket

• 2019 Balia di Zola Sangiovese di Romagna Balitore

  Italy, Emilia-Romagna, Sangiovese di Romagna

  Whole bunch again, light cherry fruit, a little earthy underpin, touch of savoury spice. Sourly juicy, wet cherry, drying slightly green tannins, fruit doesn’t really persist. Meh.

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• 2016 Vinea Marson Sangiovese

  Australia, Victoria, Central Victoria, Heathcote

  Off, smells a little dirty, funky savoury, caramel oak, wild ferment, bruised apple, the meaty notes rather dominate the nose. The palate initially shows a little dark hued fruit, chalky tannins are drying but then the meaty note takes over. Fair whack of yeast extract here as well.

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• 2018 Antonelli San Marco Montefalco Rosso

  Italy, Umbria, Montefalco, Montefalco Rosso

  Savoury red and black hued fruit, very slight Bretty notes, a little rocky minerality, slightly meaty underpin here as well as a touch of tobacco leaf. In the mouth it’s juicy, fleshy, red over black fruit, touch of fruit tea, emery paper tannins persist very long hand in hand with the fruit, pretty good, complex, interesting.

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• 2019 Talenti Rosso di Toscana Toscana IGT

  Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT

  Red cherry, fruit forward, a little sweet spice, clean. Softly engaging on the palate, again fruit forward, cherry and plum, soft tannic burr.

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• 2017 Talenti Brunello di Montalcino

  Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino

  Caramel oak, sweet spice, red cherry, slightly meaty notes, a little tobacco leaf. Medium pus intensity acidity, flesh, savoury, slightly bitter cherry, drying tight woody tannins are chalky. Hmm

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• 2017 Podere Poggio Scalette Il Carbonaione Alta Valle della Greve IGT

  Italy, Tuscany, Alta Valle della Greve IGT

  Medium minus intensity aromas prove meaty and savoury, very slight Brett again, gamey red hued fruits smells ‘dense, fruit tea notes as well. Juicy tending to medium plus intensity acidity, fleshy, smidge of white pepper, drying tannins, finishes fresh with juicy fruit travelling long. Nice.

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Interesting tasting and a few more wines that I would normally like at this kind of event…Fortunately not all of them were prohibitively expensive which was an added bonus!