Sangiovese

A red wine grape widely grown in Central Italy and the main component of Chianti and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano as well as being the sole permitted grape for the famed Brunello di Montalcino.

It is a high yielding, late ripening grape that performs best on well-drained calcareous soils on sunny hillsides. For years it was blighted by poor clonal selection and massive overcropping - however since the 1980s the quality of Sangiovese-based wines has rocketed upwards and they are now some of the most sought-after in the world.

It produces wines with pronounced tannins and acidity, though not always with great depth of colour, and its character can vary from straw/leather nuances through to essence of red cherries and plums.