Sangiovese

HandCraft Inspiration Red 2011

The 2011 HandCraft Inspiration Red Wine is a blend of Syrah, Zinfandel, Merlot, Malbec and Sangiovese (basically the greatest hits of value priced Red wine) sourced from vineyards located in more than one California grape growing AVA (a good portion was from Lodi). HandCraft is one of Delicato Family Vineyards labels (Gnarly Head, Twisted, etc),…

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HandCraft Cabernet Sauvignon 2011

The 2011 HandCraft Cabernet Sauvignon, with a small amount of Sangiovese added in, is sourced from vineyards located in more than one California grape growing AVA. HandCraft is one of DFV Wines many labels, Gnarly Head, Bota Box, Twisted, {Noble Vines}, Twisted and Brazin along with several others. HandCraft is a project run by Cheryl…

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Perticaia Montefalco Rosso 2009

The 2009 Perticaia Montefalco Rosso DOC is a blend of 60% Sangiovese, 15% Sagrantino and 15% Colorino (an Italian Red grape grown in Tuscany and Umbria) and a splash of Merlot sourced from Estate vineyards located in the Montefalco region of Umbria, Italy. The Montefalco region is best known for Sagrantino, a unique indigenous Red…

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Kenwood Sonoma County Zinfandel 2008

The 2008 Kenwood Sonoma County Zinfandel is 87% Zinfandel, 10% Petite Sirah, 2% Sangiovese and 1% Barbera sourced from vineyards in Sonoma, Alexander Valley and Dry Creek. Kenwood has been in business since 1970 and are currently owned by F. Korbel, the California Sparkling wine company. The different lots of grapes from each vineyard were…

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Handcraft Petite Sirah 2010

The 2010 HandCraft Petite Sirah is 82% Petite Sirah, 7% Petit Verdot, 5% Sangiovese, 3% Syrah and 3% Zinfandel sourced from vineyards in more than one California grape growing AVA. HandCraft is one of DFV Wines (makers of Gnarly Head, Brazin, {noble vines} and several others), owned by the Indelicato Family (in business since 1924).  The…

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Mazzoni Toscana Rosso 2009

The 2009 Mazzoni Toscana Rosso is a Super Tuscan blend of 72% Sangiovese and 28% Merlot grown on the Francechi Estate in the Brunello region of Montalcino in Tuscany, Italy. The Brunello region is the prime growing region for the Sangiovese grape and Brunello’s are among the best of Italian wines. Super Tuscan wines came…

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Roccalta Sangiovese 2010

The 2010 Roccalta Sangiovese is a $3.99 Trader Joe’s import exclusive sourced from Sangiovese grapes grown in the Puglia (the heel of Italy’s boot) region in southeastern Italy. Sangiovese is the main grape used in Chianti and the lead grape in Super Tuscan blends. This is an IGT designated wine which means that the wine…

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NV Rare Red 4 Grape Blend

The Rare Red 4 Grape Blend is 43% Syrah, 37% Barbera, 11% Zinfandel and 9% Sangiovese sourced from vineyards in more than one California grape growing AVA. This is a non-vintage wine, often winemakers use grapes in their blends from more than one vintage, to allow the blend and the flavor profile to be consistent…

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2010 Frescobaldi Remole Toscana

The 2010 Frescobaldi Remole Toscana is a blend of 85% Sangiovese and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from several vineyards of Tuscany in Central Italy. Frescobaldi is a family owned winery that has been operating for 700 years and 30 generations. This is a Super Tuscan wine, which is Sangiovese blended with French varietal grapes. Super…

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2010 Maryhill Rose’ Of Sangiovese

The 2010 Maryhill Rose’ of Sangiovese is sourced from the Tudor Hills Vineyard in the Yakima Valley AVA  inside the Columbia Valley AVA in Washington. In Tuscany, Sangiovese is the grape used to create Chianti, to be called a Chianti, the wine must contain a minimum of 80% Sangiovese grapes. To describe it in simple terms, a…

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2010 friends.red

The 2010 friends.red is a blend of Merlot, Syrah and Sangiovese sourced from vineyards located in Sonoma County, California. This wine is produced by Pedroncelli Winery, a family owned and operated facility dating back to 1927. The grapes used in the blend seem to change from vintage to vintage, so don’t expect it to be…

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2010 Rocca di Montemassi Lefocie Sangiovese

The 2010 Rocca di Montemassi Lefocie Sangiovese is sourced from Estate vineyards located in the Maremma district of southern Tuscany.  This is a young wine and is aged in 1,500 gallon French oak barrels for a few months to mature. In the past, some Sangiovese and Chianti were aged in oak barrels for so long…

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Il Tarocco 2008 Chianti Classico

This is a very smooth, medium bodied, and traditional Tuscan wine. I say traditional because Chianti Classico falls within the original Chianti designation they drew up back in the 1700s. This small sub-region of Chianti has more restrictive wine laws and more traditional winemaking practices than the rest of Chianti. Il Tarocco bears the black…

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2007 Arcante Super Tuscan

I have been on an Italian wine kick recently, and Trader Joe’s has a fantasic selection of good but inexpensive wines. In my latest haul, I picked up a 2007 Arcante for $14.99 – I’d been looking for a balanced Super Tuscan, so I was pleased to have found this wine. Super Tuscans are wines…

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2008 Grifone Toscana 1967

The 2008 Grifone Toscana 1967 is a Trader Joe’s ($5.99) exclusive blend of 85% Sangiovese, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Syrah (known as a Super Tuscan blend, usually Bordeaux grapes are blended with the Sangiovese, but Syrah is not a Bordeaux grape) sourced from grapes grown in coastal vineyards in Tuscany, Italy. This blend is classified…

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