What's your favorite Sangiovese blend?

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Siwash

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Hey folks,

What do you like to blend with your Sangiovese and what ratios do you work with?

Im planning on trying one this fall (from fresh fruit) - 80% Sangiovese, 20% Cab Sauv. or Merlot.

Any other interesting combinations you've had success with?

Thanks
 
Sangiovese is one of my two favorite grapes (along with Cabernet Sauvignon) and I have blended it a number of ways. I currently have a 1:1 blend of Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon and a 2:1:1 of Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and Merlot in my cellar. Of the two, I prefer the latter but both are very good.

Sangiovese is a great grape and is the only one used to make two of my all time favorite wines: Brunello di Montalcino (DOCG) and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano (DOCG). Of course, it is the primary grape in Chianti, also. My point is, it makes a very good wine all by itself.
 
I find that san gio can be a little light at times. I like to blend it with merlot (10%) or even better, Petit Sarah..
 
Color and body. I have found that it benefits from a mild blending with a darker, more full bodied grape (like Merlot, petit sarah, or even cab franc).

It seems that I do better in competition when blended with Merlot, but I personally prefer a 10% of Petit Sarah.
 
Sangiovese is a great grape and is the only one used to make two of my all time favorite wines: Brunello di Montalcino (DOCG) and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano (DOCG). Of course, it is the primary grape in Chianti, also. My point is, it makes a very good wine all by itself.

Rocky,

I could not agree more with you on those wines!! I first had Brunello in Tuscany and it has been one of my all time favorites ever since.

I know that those wine are made from 100% san gio grapes. The curious thing is that they are WAY more full bodied than what I can achieve using San Gio grapes from California. After several batches, I took to blending and found that the wine was much closer to a real brunello in look, flavor, and body.

Have you have the same experience with American grown san gio grapes?


DOCG - always look for the stamp, and (even better) the rooster as well!
 
I have placed an order for 10 pails of frozen Sangiovese from Sonoma, so it will be 100%. I thought about blending, but decided to see what 100% Sangiovese would taste like. I made an 80% Sangiovese 20% Nebbiolo back in 2004, also from Sonoma, which was very good, but haven't made any since then.
 
Rocky,

I could not agree more with you on those wines!! I first had Brunello in Tuscany and it has been one of my all time favorites ever since.

I know that those wine are made from 100% san gio grapes. The curious thing is that they are WAY more full bodied than what I can achieve using San Gio grapes from California. After several batches, I took to blending and found that the wine was much closer to a real brunello in look, flavor, and body.

Have you have the same experience with American grown san gio grapes?


DOCG - always look for the stamp, and (even better) the rooster as well!

John, I have only made Sangiovese from Italian Juice and none from California and none from fresh grapes. I know that even in Montalcino, there is both Brunello di Montalcino and Rosso di Montalcino. Only the best Sangiovese grapes go into the Brunello and the rest go into Rosso. I suspect that the juice we get over here from Italy would have been Rosso in Italy. I don't see my paisani sending the "good stuff" to us.
 
So adding about 10% if you're going to blend should do the trick? Seems like such a small amount. I might make a small batch of 100% and then another batch that is blended with something like merlot or Cab Sauv

thanks
 
So adding about 10% if you're going to blend should do the trick? Seems like such a small amount. I might make a small batch of 100% and then another batch that is blended with something like merlot or Cab Sauv

thanks

10% works for me and (to me) it makes quite a difference. It is really just a matter of what you like...
 
I just bottled a sangiovese merlot blend that was 67/33. it was from California juice. Aged is a 54 liter demi. I am VERY happy with the flavor. They were blended after a 10 day primary fermentation and aged together for over 11 months.
 
I just bottled a sangiovese merlot blend that was 67/33. it was from California juice. Aged is a 54 liter demi. I am VERY happy with the flavor. They were blended after a 10 day primary fermentation and aged together for over 11 months.

Good to hear. Did you oak? If so, with chips? Barrel?
 
Don't have a barrel folks, unfortunately. What is your favourite barrel laking alternative?
 
IMHO, When it comes to oak, the bigger the oak, the better...

In other words,

Take a barrel over staves,
Take Staves over cubes,
Take cubes over chips,
and take chips over powder.

To be honest, I have not used the wood spirals that are on the market, so I am not sure where they would fit in my list..

With oak, the characteristics I desire are extracted from the caramelization layer (just below the wood's char). The bigger the oak, the more of this exposure.

Now, barrels can be a bit steep in price so I normally go with staves (or sticks). My preferred additive is OXV mini staves.
 

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