Sangiovese is the most Italian of grapes, planted in almost every region and showing up in scores of classified wines, either on its own or in highly coveted (and high priced!) blends. It would be hard to find lovers of Italian wines who haven’t sampled its rustic, food friendly pleasures.

Many people associate the varietal solely with Tuscany, or more exactly, with Chianti in all its manifestations. Grown elsewhere on the peninsula and depending on which of its hundreds of site specific variations are vinified, this adaptable grape produces a wide array of styles.

Cardeto’s Sangioivese is blended with Canaiolo, Ciliegiolo and Montepulciano. The result is a full bodied and dry wine with an aromatic, intense nose that is all Italy. Loads of dark fruit fill the mouth, smooth layers of savory berries, herbs and earth…all the things we’ve come to expect from a Tuscan Sangiovese but are surprised to encounter in one from the hills near Orvieto, more known for white wines made from Trebbiano.