People often ask me, “what’s your favorite wine?” And that’s an impossible question to answer because I really don’t have a singular favorite. There are so many options and the differences between them can be so vast that I have different preferences for different occasions. Now if someone asked me, “what’s your favorite wine to have with spaghetti?” it would be easier to answer, but I still couldn’t give just one. I’d say, Chianti or sangiovese, but I still wouldn’t have a specific brand. Anyway, that’s a long way of saying, “I love sangiovese.” So I was glad to give this one a try.
The thing I like about sangiovese is that it has depth. Its a medium-bodied wine with plenty of fruit flavors, some spice to make it interesting and, if it’s made well, good structure. It’s not too big or jammy, which makes it a good food wine. Yet it can be good on its own as well. When ordering a wine for a meal, I’ve often gone with the philosophy that you can’t go wrong with a good sangiovese.
The Rocca di Montemassi estate is located in the Monterigio zone in Tuscany. Sangiovese is one of the main varietals they produce. The area has a long history of wine production, and the estate has been owned by the Zonin family since 1998.
This wine has a very pleasant nose, with aromas of cedar, spices, cherries and raspberries. In the mouth it offers plenty of plum and cherry flavors with a touch of spice. The tannins add a touch of black tea to the flavor and a dryness to the mouth feel. Vibrant acidity keeps this wine bright. While it has plenty of structure, it’s not overly acidic or tannic, making this is a very approachable wine. While many people would just think of this as an old world wine, I think it has the best of both worlds.
Wine: Rocca di Montemassi Le Focaie
Variety: Sangiovese
Vintage: 2008
Alcohol: 13.5%
Rating: 87
Price: $14.00
Find Rocca di Montemassi Le Focaie Sangiovese with Snooth
Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.