Sangiovese (Chianti Classico and Brunello)

Sangiovese is native to central Italy — its genetic parents appear to be Ciliegiolo (cherry-sweet) and Calabrese Montenuovo (an ancient Campanian variety). The name 'Sangiovese' appears in documents from 1590. Brunello di Montalcino was essentially invented by Ferruccio Biondi-Santi in the late 19th century as a 100% Sangiovese wine aged for decades — a wine style that did not exist before his family's intervention.

Sangiovese is the soul of Tuscany — the red grape of Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Morellino di Scansano, and dozens of other central Italian appellations. Its name derives from sanguis Jovis (blood of Jupiter), suggesting ancient origins, and it is the most planted red variety in Italy. The contrast between Chianti Classico and Brunello di Montalcino illustrates Sangiovese's range: Chianti Classico from the central Chianti zone (between Florence and Siena) is a medium-bodied, high-acidity wine of cherry, dried herbs, and iron complexity; Brunello from the hilltown of Montalcino is Italy's most serious red wine — 100% Sangiovese Grosso (Brunello), aged minimum 5 years before release, capable of 50+ years of aging in exceptional vintages.

FOOD PAIRING: Sangiovese's sour cherry, dried herbs, and iron mineral profile pairs with Central Italian cuisine. Provenance 1000 pairings: bistecca alla Fiorentina (the definitive Tuscan pairing — the wine's tannin cuts through the rich dry-aged beef), pappardelle al ragù di cinghiale (wild boar ragù with the wine's earthy notes), ribollita (the bread-kale-bean Tuscan soup), cacio e pepe (Sangiovese is one of the few reds that works with simple pasta), and aged Pecorino Toscano.