All the medallists and 6 of the best bottles from the Global Sangiovese Masters 2024

The King of Italian grapes, Sangiovese relished its time to shine in our annual Global Masters competition, wowing the judges. Patricia Stefanowicz MW reports.

Italy is the kingdom of Sangiovese. It is the country’s most planted wine grape, with around 70,000 hectares. The expressions are variable in terms of quality, but this variety can provide some exquisite wines – as judges found in our annual Global Sangiovese Masters.

Today in Tuscany, partly due to the rise of international varieties (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah) and the success of Super Tuscan wines, Sangiovese is often blended. This is permitted for Chianti zones, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Morellino and others, but not for Brunello di Montalcino or its younger sibling, Rosso di Montalcino. Sometimes these other varieties are used to fill the midpalate, to add complexity and, when carefully made, the blends are beguiling.

This judging day was an exciting snapshot of what is being produced from Sangiovese (and its partners). The majority of wines were from Tuscany, with a couple from Romagna and a few from elsewhere, including Australia and the Americas, where Italophiles have long been experimenting with Sangiovese. The judges discovered a few expressive and crowd-pleasing unoaked wines under £15. Tenute Piccini’s Oro Chianti Superiore, a Sangiovese with some Merlot, garnered a Gold award for its juicy fruit and sappy character.

Sangiovese, however, seems to benefit from some level of wood ageing, usually with older oak, to add complexity. At under £20 there were a number of very good Silver and Gold awards. Prugneto Romagna Sangiovese Superiore DOC from Poderi dal Nespoli is a stand-out at just over £10, and Fattoria Villa Saletta produces a Chianti Superiore Sangiovese dominant blend at just under £15 that is a superb entry-level wine.

Blends

At £20–£30, Chianti shows very well, with the wines having intensity, texture and elegance. Excellent wines come from both Sangiovese alone and from blends. Fattoria di Calappiano’s Collezione IGT and, perhaps unsurprisingly, Ruffino’s Riserva Ducale, together with Villa Saletta’s Master-awarded Chiave di Saletta, are all wines to search out.

Chianti sub-zones and Brunello di Montalcino are delicious above £30. At £30–£50, the judges found excellent wines: Santa Caterina Chianti from Castello di Albola, Macchie from Caciorgna, Ruffino’s Romitorio di Santedame Gran Selezione and the lovely Sicomoro Morellina from the top-quality Cantina Sociale Vignaioli del Morellino di Scansano. There is also Camigliano’s classy Brunello.

Above £50, Brunello di Montalcino dominated the awards, with some sensational wines from Banfi: Castello Banfi’s Vigna Marrucheto and Poggio alle Mura were joined by Camigliano’s Paessagio Inatteso. Other first-class wines included Saletta Riccardi and Ruffino Greppone Mazzi.

Global reach

Although not really a surprise, the judges were nonetheless pleased to find that large producers with extensive global reach, such as Ruffino and Banfi, are making wines that achieve the heights of Gold and Master awards just as often as the hand-crafted wines of lesser-known, smaller producers. And, as ever, it is fantastic to see some great wines coming from co-operatives.

The judges found the tasting a joy. This Global Masters confirms that Sangiovese is not only alive, but absolutely thriving, and growing to ever greater heights of quality. At every price point the wines deliver a gastronomic delight, with beautiful fruit and flavour supported by savoury structure.

Red Unoaked Sangiovese

Red Oaked 100% Sangiovese

Red Oaked 100% Sangiovese (continued)

Red Unoaked Sangiovese Blend

Red Oaked Sangiovese Blend

CAMIGLIANO BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO DOCG 2019

Producer: Camigliano SrL Region: Montalcino, Tuscany Country: Italy Grape variety: 100% Sangiovese ABV: 14.5%

Approx. retail price: £40

Committed to organic viticulture and biodiversity, Camigliano is using a mixed cover crop between alternate vine rows to reduce vigour in the vines, a technique that seems to work well in the sometimes overly fertile soils of this area of Brunello. This wine, a classic expression of Brunello, is beautiful. Deepish ruby in the core with a hint of garnet on the rim, showing just a touch of age, the wine exudes blackberry, strawberry, cranberry and dark plum fruit, overlaid with smoky, almost flinty, notes. Dry, the palate is sweet-fruited and quite full-bodied, with crisp acidity and dense, silky-textured tannins supporting the flavours. Nicely integrated and with a good, mouthwatering finish, this wine is still ‘adolescent’, but can be enjoyed now with casseroled venison made with onions, prunes, pickled walnuts, thyme, bay leaves and a half-pint of Guinness. (Patricia Stefanowicz MW)

RUFFINO GREPPONE MAZZI BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO DOCG 2019

Producer: Ruffino Region: Montalcino, Tuscany Country: Italy Grape variety: 100% Sangiovese ABV: 14.5%

Approx. retail price: £60

‘Greppi’ means ‘uneven’, and on the steep rugged hills at 250-450m Ruffino’s Sangiovese Grosso (Brunello clone) is grown on clay and loam soils in the shadow of the 18thcentury villa. With a deep ruby hue, the aromatics exude morello cherry and blackberry fruit, accented by tobacco and a violet lift. Dry, richly fruited, the palate structure shows brisk acidity and linen tannins, well-integrated into an elegant wine with a lengthy finish. An excellent choice to match roast duck with Puy lentils, shallots and Portobello mushrooms. (Patricia Stefanowicz MW)

RUFFINO ROMITORIO DI SANTEDAME CHIANTI CLASSICO GRAN SELEZIONE DOCG 2020

Producer: Ruffino, Region: Chianti, Tuscany, Country: Italy Grape varieties: 90% Sangiovese, 10% Colorino, ABV: 15.5% Approx. retail price: £48

Located in Castellina-di-Chianti, the Santedame parcels are named after the fresco painting of the virgin Mary in the small family church, attributed to Ghirlandaio’s group of artists. This wine, the Romitorio, ‘Hermitage’ in Italian, is a selection of grape bunches from exclusive parcels high in the hills. A Hermitage-type indeed, this wine has deep ruby-purple colour and cassis, blackberry and sweet, dark cherry fruit, with coconut, roasted coffee and cedar wood accents. Dry, the wine’s flavours are powerful and rich, supported by fine-grained tannins and good freshness. Youthful, concentrated and succulent, this is a wine to match velvet-textured beef and black bean chilli with only a gentle red chilli spice note, served with a freshly-made, creamy guacamole. (Patricia Stefanowicz MW)

CAMIGLIANO PAESAGGIO INATTESO BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO DOCG 2019

Producer: Camigliano SrL, Region: Montalcino, Tuscany, Country: Italy Grape variety: 100% Sangiovese, ABV: 15%, Approx. retail price: £65

Pasesaggio Inatteso comes from Camigliano’s best site of about 2ha with decomposed clay and sandy soils. From organically-grown grapes, the wine has a quite deep ruby hue and vibrant red cherry and cranberry fruit, accented by hints of smooth leather and smoke. Medium-bodied and discreet, the palate is supported by lively acidity and velvet-textured tannins. Very pretty wine, nicely integrated and enjoyable now, but will easily age for another 10 years. The orange zest lift on the finish suggests duck à l’orange as a pairing. (Patricia Stefanowicz MW)

CASTELLO BANFI VIGNA MARRUCHETO BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO DOCG 2019

Producer: Banfi, Region: Montalcino, Tuscany, Country: Italy Grape variety: 100% Sangiovese, ABV: 15%, Approx. retail price: £80

From three plots of the Marrucheto vineyard with soils of marine origin, with colours ranging from yellowish-brown to reddish-brown, the wine is a revelation of how good single-vineyard Brunello can be. Clean and fresh, with vibrant dark forest fruits and hints of strawberry and blackberry coulis, the full-bodied, sweetfruited palate is framed by lively acidity and corduroy-textured tannins, and accented by tobacco, with black pepper and allspice adding interest. Still youthful, the wine can be paired now with spicy South American bavette of beef, finished with Worcestershire sauce and strong ale. (Patricia Stefanowicz MW)

CASTELLO BANFI POGGIO ALLE MURA BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO RISERVA DOCG 2018

Producer: Banfi, Region: Montalcino, Tuscany, Country: Italy Grape variety: 100% Sangiovese, ABV: 16%, Approx. retail price: £90

From estate-selected Brunello clones (some indicated by older research into Sangiovese clones throughout Tuscany) and planted on the most suitable soils of the estate, this is the pinnacle of Banfi’s Brunello wines. Deep ruby-purple in hue, the wine displays jammy black cherry and wild bramble fruit, with cigarbox and aromatic spices, white pepper and juniper. Ripe and intense, the palate is bolstered by dense, linen-textured tannins and vibrant acidity. Complex, rich and long, the wine has a long life ahead, but can be paired now with red rice risotto, Montalcino-style, or sipped as with aged cheese. (Patricia Stefanowicz MW).

About the competition

With high-quality judges and a unique sampling process, The Global Sangiovese Masters provides a chance for your wines to shine. The 2024 competition was judged on 16 May at Bar Rioja in London, employing experienced judges. The top wines were awarded Gold, Silver or Bronze medals according to their result, and those expressions that stood out as being outstanding received the ultimate accolade – the title of Sangiovese Master. This report features the medal winners only. Please visit the Global Masters website for more information or, to enter future competitions – giving you the chance to feature online and in print – please call: +44 (0) 20 7803 2420 or email Sophie Raichura at: sophie@thedrinksbusiness.com

This year’s Global Sangiovese Masters was sponsored by: