Sangiovese

Also: Brunello · Prugnolo Gentile · Morellino

Sangiovese is Italy's most planted grape and the backbone of Tuscany's greatest wines: Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Each zone gives it a different name and style, but all share the same spine: high acidity, firm tannins, medium body, and a very recognizable sour cherry profile. It's a grape that mutates easily — there are many clones (Sangiovese Grosso, Piccolo) — and expresses itself very differently depending on terroir. Brunello di Montalcino, made 100% from Sangiovese Grosso, is one of the world's longest-lived and most prestigious Italian wines. The Supertuscans (Tignanello, Sassicaia) blend it with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, breaking traditional rules. In Argentina, Sangiovese was planted massively by Italian immigrants in Mendoza but failed to define its own standout profile. There are good examples, especially in wineries with Italian identity, but it remains more a curiosity than a pillar of the Argentine catalog.