▻ Sangiovese with David Gleave MW
In conversation with David Gleave MW
Episode Summary:-
David Gleave MW takes a look at Sangiovese, Italy’s most widely planted grape. He explains how Sangiovese was thought to originate in Tuscany, but the latest DNA research shows it comes from Sicily or Calabria. There are 102 registered clones, the most of any grape variety, and there are even more clones which have not been registered. For decades, there were two types, Sangiovese Grosso and Sangiovese Piccolo (the latter was considered inferior), but now those terms have well and truly been put in the dustbin of history.
Sangiovese accounts for 8 per cent of Italy’s area under vine, with 54,000 hectares planted, down from 70,000 hectares 15 years ago. It is planted in Tuscany, Umbria, Sicily, Puglia, and the Marche, as well as California, Australia and Corsica, where it is known as Nielluccio. David reveals that it is generally not deep in colour – mid-ruby – and has slightly higher acidity than Merlot. When asked if Sangiovese ages well, he explains that the Tuscan Sangiovese wines from the 1960s and 1970s didn’t, as the vines were often planted in the wrong places. Since the replanting, the wines from the 1980s and 1990s will age well. It’s not an easy grape, he adds: “I think it is a variety that makes Pinot Noir look like a walk in the park.”
Some of the famous places where you will find Sangiovese are in Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile de Montepulciano, Carmignano and Chianti Rufina, but David warns not to go looking on the Tuscan coast around Bolgheri, which is better suited to Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Merlot. He believes it grows best in the central Tuscan hills, but adds that he has seen some great Sangiovese in California, Australia and Corsica.
Climate change is impacting Sangiovese, as it is for all grapes. “Wine producers are the canaries down the mine,” David believes. Producers are now planting higher up in the hills, where it is cooler--in the past, producers planted in the southern part of Montalcino, today they look to the higher areas in the north. He is optimistic about Sangiovese’s future. A lot of today’s great wines only started to be made in the 1970s and 1980s. “The Chiantis that producers are making today are better than the Super Tuscans were 30 or 40 years ago.” Producers are choosing clones from their own vineyards, looking for later-ripening vines, matching the clones to the area. “I think Sangiovese has a bright, bright future,” he concludes.
Running Order:-
-
0.00 – 6.08
“I think it is a variety which makes Pinot Noir look like a walk in the park.”
– Where Sangiovese originated.
– The clones of Sangiovese.
– Where Sangiovese is planted in Italy and around the world.
– What it tastes like.
– Ageing ability of Sangiovese. -
6.08 – 10.59
“It is Italy’s most planted grape variety.”
– The famous places where Sangiovese is grown.
– David’s choice of where it grows best.
– The impact of climate change on Sangiovese.
– Assessing the future for Sangiovese.
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