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Producer profile: Sensi

12 July 2021 By db staff writer

Tuscany’s Sensi family has been making wine for more than 120 years, to critical acclaim.

The Sensi family’s Tuscan winemaking dynasty stretches back to 1890, when Pietro Sensi began taking the wine he made from his vines to nearby markets. Pietro’s sons, Vittorio and Armido, continued their father’s business venture and founded Fratelli Sensi. Armed with a horse and cart, the brothers delivered their Chianti to the houses in the surrounding countryside and to Florence.

During the third-generation ownership, Vittorio’s sons, Pietro and Giovanni, placed greater focus on the winemaking side of the business, and the Fratelli Sensi wines became well known throughout Tuscany. With the fourth generation, led by Massimo, Marco and Roberta, who joined the company in 1987, the Sensi name became known around the world, and the company fine-tuned its approach to grape growing and winemaking.

Massimo took over the business and continued his brother’s work in growing the company and improving the quality of the Sensi range. The firm’s mission is to communicate a production philosophy of elegance and balance through its wines, which are known for their clean flavours and consistent quality. Among its estates is the 80-hectare Fattoria di Calappiano in Vinci, which is surrounded by olive groves, and includes 60 hectares of organic vines. Sensi’s headquarters is at its new Lamporecchio winery, where the company’s wines are made and stored.

Massimo Sensi says: “Sensi has been a family-run winery since 1890 that has grown its reputation worldwide, becoming a leading representative of Tuscany, producing a large variety of Chianti expressions, plus many other high-quality wines including sparkling offerings.

“Having been in international market for 50 years, with consistency, quality and full retail services, we are expanding and spreading the authentic flavour of Italian wines.”

Below is a snapshot of how some of Sensi’s wines performed at our recent Spring Tasting and 2021 Prosecco Masters, including tasting notes by Patrick Schmitt MW, and the medal each wine won in the tastings.

SENSI VIGNE E VINI, PROSECCO DOC BRUT 18K, 2020 – 95 points – Master

This clean and bright wine begins with inviting lime zest, pear and melon aromatics. The delicious palate is zesty and peachy, with ripe melon and pear flavours. It is long, creamy, layered and smooth-textured, but bright and dry. A very good wine that’s hard not to drink, with a gently bitter lift on finish.

SENSI VIGNE E VINI, TUA ROSA IGT TOSCANA, 2019 – 92 points – Gold
This pale salmon-pink wine has a delicate nose of red apple and peach. The palate is open, with peach and apricot flavours, and some apple and grapefruit on the finish. It is nicely textured, peachy and persistent with a salty lift.

FATTORIA DI CALAPPIANO, LUNGARNO IGT TOSCANA, 2017 – 94 points – Gold
This ruby-hued wine has an intense nose of cherry, prune, balsamic and cedar. The palate is fleshy, with dark cherry, blackcurrant, cedar and cigar box flavours, and lots of tannin. It has a dry finish with some cherry stone and plum notes, and some sweet balsamic and prune flavours. A lovely layered red, it’s structured and fresh despite its ripe sweet fruit. It’s a big wine, but with lovely tannin-acid structure.

FATTORIA DI CALAPPIANO, CHIANTI RISERVA VINCIANO DOCG, 2017 – 91 points – Silver

Ruby with a brick-red rim, the nose of this wine shows some oxidative notes and a touch of stewed red fruit, prunes, balsamic, and cedar wood. On the palate are sweet balsamic flavours, along with sweet dark cherry and prune, followed by a fresh finish with high tannins.