Sangiovese can be a challenging wine to taste blind, but it is able to be identified with careful attention to its component parts.
In theory
In theory, sangiovese presents as a pale to medium coloured wine, with moderate to high levels of tannins, high acidity and may or may not be oaked. The alcohol can range from moderate through to the 14s and even 15s in the case of Brunello. Typical flavours include sour red cherries, liquorice and earth. Its pale, but not very pale, colour narrows the field in terms of possible laterals. Laterals include nebbiolo (which is typically finer) and Montelpulciano d’Abruzzo which is riper and richer. The aromas can sometimes resemble pinot noir, but the palate structure does not.
In practice
For the practical test, my sole clue was “these wines are from the same wine region, but of different qualities”. The first wine was the Ganzo Chianti DOCG and the second the Isole e Olena Chianti Classico DOCG 2018.
The Ganzo Chianti is a $15 wine and from the 2019 vintage. Wines at this price can be difficult in blind tastings, as they may not exhibit their character in a way that is sufficiently distinctive. In this case, the wine is distinctive. It has aromas of cherry, spice, vanilla and tobacco. The tannins are medium to pronounced and are fine. It has a moderate depth of ruby red colour, a fullish body and minimal oak. The overall impression in a sentence is:
an earthy, savoury, tannic wine of sound to good quality, with a moderate colour.
The wine in fact punches above its weight and provides enjoyable drinking at $15. The lack of colour pointed away from Bordeaux varieties and syrah, and the tannins were too firm for tempranillo. The earthy, savoury cherry character pointed to Italy and this combination to Chianti. It lacked the richness of a Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, and the poise of a Chianti Classico. Tasted next to the Isole e Olena Chianti Classico, it was clear that this was the more modest wine. Rating: Good (★★★).
The Isole e Olena is immediately the more serious of the two wines. It has aromas that are muted of vanilla, cedar, roast meat, cherry and earth. It is oaked, with perhaps a small portion new. The palate is full bodied, the length on the finish long and the tannins very similar to the Ganzo, that is medium to pronounced and fine. The overall impression in a sentence is:
a serious, oaked, earthy, savoury, tannic wine of very good quality, with some fruit ripeness
This wine I thought was a clear expression of Chianti Classico, and I did not think seriously that it could be otherwise. It maps more or less to the theoretical descrption, with the exception of the vanilla and roasted meat characters which may come from the oak regimen and a 3% syrah contribution. The wine is ready to drink now, but should improve with a further 3 to 5 years in bottle. Rating: Very Good (★★★★).
