Montidori Sangiovese

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6 March 2026

This one comes from Emilia-Romagna in Italy. It’s made from Sangiovese, the grape behind Chianti, with a touch of appassimento, that dried-grape technique that brings extra mid-taste richness. It has a high 4.1 scrore on Vivino and this is the 2024 vintage.

You get red fruit and caramel on the aroma straight away. Full bodied, with ripe fruit, then that caramel-tinged, gently spicy, long finish that hangs around in a very satisfying way. I happened to taste it alongside a Chianti Classico and it felt much rounder, but also less oaky than the Chianti, which made it really easy to keep coming back to.

I found it great with cheese and tomato pasta, it goes well with those savoury, tangy flavours. The fullness feels like more than its 13%. I measured it and it sits right on the border between dry and off-dry, soft and round, with some low to medium tannins that keep it structured.

It was consumed quickly in our house even though there were many other wines to try. I’m really impressed with this wine, appassimento style without tipping into over-sweetness. Available from Waitrose for £10.50.

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