Sangiovese Fantini Farnese 2024

The Abruzzo region is across the Appenines from Chianti, on the Adriatic coast, and it is most famous for red wines made from the Montepulciano grape.  However, Sangiovese (the main variety of Chianti) also grows well here, and in the case of this wine it is trained high on pergolas on high quality clay-limestone soil.

A Chianti-like approach is employed in making the wine: very little oak, with the wines made to be approachable when young.  I regularly use this wine to demonstrate exactly what good Sangiovese tastes like.

A youthful and appealing wine, garnet red in colour and intense on the nose with vibrant red fruit, cherries and herbal characters. On the palate, it has bright fruity notes of strawberry and morello cherry, with subtle vanilla characters from the oak. It is really well-balanced, medium-bodied, with ripe tannins and fresh acidity.

This wine cries out for food…and I cry back: pizza!  Fontina, a cheese from the Val d’Aosta made from cow’s milk is a good match – a bit like a Gruyre.