Red Wine

Sangiovese

It’s grown throughout Tuscany in the sub-regions that make up the Chianti DOCG, where the Sangiovese Piccolo is the dominant version. Plantings in Montalcino making Brunello are typically of the Sangiovese Grosso version. We use the term version as there is some funky DNA floating around that doesn’t neatly fit into Variety or Clone. It’s a case of same same but different. You’ll find it in Sicily, Calbria and splashes around the world.

Where is it grown?

What does it taste like?

Generally lighter in colour, although as always there are exceptions. There’s a transparency to good Sangiovese.

There is an incredibly diverse array of flavours and aromas across the wines made from Sangiovese. This is true across both Chianti and Brunello wines. In Chianti this is influenced by blending with the native Canaiolo, and French varietes like Syrah and Merlot  You’ll find fresh flavours like sour cherry, shifting to dark fruits, earthy characters, florals, rich chocolate, spices and beyond. The perceived density certainly differs across the wine. Like most varieties the styles that can be made are incredibly diverse.

The tannins and texture of Sangiovese are a signature element. In Chianti, in general, expect long fine tannin. In Montalcino the can be a little broader and more robust.

You’ll typically find higher perceived acidity in good Sangiovese.

Italian varieties are growing in popularity in Australia. It’s still early days, but, we are seeing wines of considerable promise coming out of the King Valley and Heathcote amongst others. Paolo de Marchi’s discussion of achieving balance in Sangiovese gives further insight into the variety.


Castell'in Villa's Fairytale Chiantis


Captivating Stuff from the Principessa!

Current Release

Castell’In Villa Chianti Classico Riserva 2013

Sangiovese | Castelnuovo Berardenga, Italy

A Level Up from the Incredibly Good Chianti Classico! No wonder Walter Speller has it in his Top 5 Chianti Wines! There's a big difference between the mouthfeel of Sangiovese for Montalcino and Chianti. Just like this one Sangio from Chianti tends to have line and length of tannin similar to that of varietals like Cabernet, all the way along your palate. Sangio from Montalcino tends to have broader mouther filling tannins, not necessarily bigger or more tannic, just covering the width of your to
$147
$140ea in any 3+
$133ea in any 6+

Museum Release

Filters & Sorting

Poggio di Sotto Rosso di Montalcino 2021

Sangiovese | Tuscany, Italy

The 2021 Rosso di Montalcino is dark and intense, smoldering up with masses of smoky black cherries, sage and incense. This possesses a core of ripe wild berry fruit underscored by saline minerals and savory spice, all guided by zesty acidity. The 2021 finishes structured and long, with a concentration that reminds me more of Brunello than Rosso, leaving grippy tannins and hints of sour citrus that keep me looking back to the glass for more. There will be a 10% reduction in quantity for 2021 due
$283
$268ea in any 3+
$253ea in any 6+

Gorelli Brunello di Montalcino 2019

Sangiovese | Tuscany, Italy

Gorelli's 2018 put them on them firmly on our radar! If that's what they can do in 2018 imagine how the 2019 will drink! Brunello di Montalcino comes in a vast array of guises from the super bold structured ones with oak (not my cuppa), the dark rich yet mid-weight with a line of substantial yet refined tannins, & the perfumed, poised, delicate Brunellos with plush fine tannins. At this, Burgundian end, we see Poggio di Sotto and Soldera. Today we add one more to that list Gorelli. It's not
$285
$270ea in any 3+
$255ea in any 6+
"The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Piero is impossible to ignore, slowly blossoming with an enticing blend of spice-dusted blackberries, violet pastille and orange zest. This impresses further with its vividly ripe wild berry fruits and juicy acidity. Tactile mineral tones add contrast, and rosy inner florals form toward the close. The 2019 lingers impossibly long, taking on a spicy edge, as the palate is left reverberating with zesty tension, even as fine-grained tannins grip the senses. The Pier
$325
$310ea in any 3+
$295ea in any 6+
Conti Costanti Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2015
Intoxicating! 🌹
It just invites you in! This is what wine is about! Costanti's 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva takes a good amount of time to blossom in the glass. It’s dusty and floral in character, blowing off notes of white smoke and crushed stone before showing a delightful mix of ripe plums, cherries and sweet spice balanced by hints of leather and flowery undergrowth. There’s a wonderful purity to its red berry fruits, guided by juicy acids and salty minerals, which creates a refreshing yet tactil
$425
$405ea in any 3+
$385ea in any 6+
It just invites you in! This is what wine is about! A deeply sensual bouquet of freshly sliced plums, crushed violets, mentholated herbs and Tuscan dust rises up from the 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva. This is deeply textural while also cool-toned and refined, with mineral-tinged red and black berries cascading across a core of brisk acidity. Tension builds throughout, as grippy tannins mount toward the close, nicely contrasted by a burst of sour citrus. There’s a crystalline structure t
$495
$480ea in any 3+
$465ea in any 6+

Montevertine ‘Le Pergole Torte’ 2022

Sangiovese | Tuscany, Chianti Classico

The 2022 Le Pergole Torte is every bit as magnificent as it was last year. Deep and expansive in the glass, with stunning depth, the 2022 stains the palate with layers of dark fruit, mocha, new leather and cedar. The 2022 starts to blossom with just a bit of time in the glass, leading to a finish that explodes on the back end. As has been the case for some time, the differences between Montevertine and Pergole Torte are increasingly mostly about style. The 2022 spent a year in Damy French oak
$495
$475ea in any 3+
$455ea in any 6+
Fuligni Brunello di Montalcino MAGNUM 2017
Comes in Wooden Box

Fuligni Brunello di Montalcino MAGNUM 2017

Sangiovese | Montalcino, Italy

The Fuligni 2017 Brunello di Montalcino is a beautiful wine, and it shines a much-deserved spotlight on one of the most consistent estates in Montalcino. It is bright and luminous with a dark ruby shine. The bouquet reveals deeply layered tones of red cherry, wild berry, rose, earth and candied violets. Give the wine an extra twirl or two, and you get some rosemary and lavender. Soft dusty mineral and limestone also appear. I'd definitely put this bottle on a short list of the most recommended b
$570
$550ea in any 3+
$530ea in any 6+
Conti Costanti Brunello di Montalcino MAGNUM 2017
Comes in Wooden Box
It just invites you in! This is what wine is about! There’s a sensuality to Costanti's 2016 Brunello di Montalcino. It’s something about the way it draws you in and warms the soul. Its bouquet straddles both the light and dark sides of Sangiovese, rising up with alluring flowery perfumes, cedar dust and crushed cherry, yet then swaying toward rich brown spices and clove. The textures are velvety-smooth and elegant, ushering in a dense core of fleshy red berry fruits, which leave a coating of
$570
$550ea in any 3+
$530ea in any 6+
Lustrous ruby. Concentrated fruit with minerally notes and grows increasingly complex in the glass. Full yet elegant on the palate with finely chiselled tannins. Breathtaking balance. Simply gorgeous, but far from ready. Montalcino nobility.Walter Speller, Jancis Robinson 18+ PointsKO 100 DC 100 EG 96 ML 94
$575
$555ea in any 3+
$535ea in any 6+

Poggio di Sotto Brunello di Montalcino 2017

Sangiovese | Tuscany, Italy

There is something here that takes Sangiovese to a special place, the perfume, the lovely linear shape of fruit, that deceptive depth and length that builds! A captivating mix of ripe plums, strawberries, cloves, violet pastille, balsam herbs and white smoke emanates from the 2017 Brunello di Montalcino. This is undeniably elegant in feel, showing a weight unexpected from a young Poggio di Sotto, yet working in perfect harmony, with tart cherries and wild berries drenching the palate in primary
$650
$630ea in any 3+
$610ea in any 6+

Poggio di Sotto Brunello di Montalcino 2018

Sangiovese | Tuscany, Italy

There is something here that takes Sangiovese to a special place, the perfume, the lovely linear shape of fruit, that deceptive depth and length that builds! Poggio di Sotto hits it out the ballpark once again with an extremely elegant interpretation that shows the incredible depth and nuance Sangiovese can achieve, even in an uneven vintage such as this. The certified organic 2018 Brunello di Montalcino reveals a dark ruby hue and mid-weight concentration. Indeed, the wine is lighter and bright
$650
$630ea in any 3+
$610ea in any 6+
The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino Bacia is deep and complex, mixing black cherries with cedar box, autumnal spice, mentholated herbs and a dusting of cocoa. This speaks in bass tones, with dark, saturating red fruit and minerals excited by a core of brisk acidity and a balsamic tinge that defines the close. It finishes with tremendous length, staining and intense, leaving a primary concentration of cranberry and blackberry to mingle with sweet tannins. The 2019 Bacia is a bombshell beauty. Of not
$810
$790ea in any 3+
$770ea in any 6+