Same grape, different wine
Sangiovese around the world
Across 8 still-wine expressions, Sangiovese varies most on herbal / green character — from low in Brunello di Montalcino to medium-plus in Chianti Classico. 6 dimensions differ meaningfully between them, which is why "do you like Sangiovese?" is not really one question.
Where they differ
Only the dimensions on which these wines genuinely diverge. Anything varying by less than a scale point and a half is left out, because it would be noise.
| Dimension | Lowest | Highest | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Herbal / green character | Brunello di Montalcino | Chianti Classico | 3 points |
| Earthy character | Super Tuscan | Brunello di Montalcino | 3 points |
| Body | Chianti | Super Tuscan | 2 points |
| Tannin | Chianti | Brunello di Montalcino | 2 points |
| Oak influence | Chianti | Super Tuscan | 2 points |
| Savoury character | Super Tuscan | Brunello di Montalcino | 2 points |
The expressions
Ordered from lightest to fullest, so the page reads as a gradient rather than a list.
Chianti
Warm climateThe broad Tuscan Sangiovese appellation surrounding Chianti Classico — lighter, cheaper and much more variable.
Against its siblings: lighter, less tannic and softer, less oaky.
- Warm climate. Fuller ripening tends to raise sugar and therefore alcohol, soften acidity, and push fruit character from tart towards ripe and jammy.
Brunello di Montalcino
Warm climatePure Sangiovese from a warm Tuscan hill town, aged for years before release — Italy’s most powerful expression of the grape.
Against its siblings: riper and less green, earthier, more tannic and structured.
- Warm climate. Fuller ripening tends to raise sugar and therefore alcohol, soften acidity, and push fruit character from tart towards ripe and jammy.
- Oak ageing. Extended time in barrel adds spice and structure and slowly softens tannin.
Chianti Classico
Warm climateSangiovese from the historic hills between Florence and Siena: sour cherry, dried herbs and firm acidity, built for the table.
Against its siblings: more herbal and green.
- Warm climate. Fuller ripening tends to raise sugar and therefore alcohol, soften acidity, and push fruit character from tart towards ripe and jammy.
- Oak ageing. Extended time in barrel adds spice and structure and slowly softens tannin.
Chianti Classico Gran Selezione
Warm climateThe top tier of Chianti Classico, introduced in 2013: estate fruit only, longer ageing, and since 2023 a higher Sangiovese minimum.
Against its siblings: riper and less green, earthier, more savoury.
- Warm climate. Fuller ripening tends to raise sugar and therefore alcohol, soften acidity, and push fruit character from tart towards ripe and jammy.
- Oak ageing. Extended time in barrel adds spice and structure and slowly softens tannin.
Chianti Classico Riserva
Warm climateChianti Classico held back for longer ageing before release — denser, more structured and longer-lived.
Against its siblings: earthier, more savoury.
- Warm climate. Fuller ripening tends to raise sugar and therefore alcohol, soften acidity, and push fruit character from tart towards ripe and jammy.
- Oak ageing. Extended time in barrel adds spice and structure and slowly softens tannin.
Rosso di Montalcino
Warm climateBrunello’s younger sibling: the same grape and hill town with a far shorter ageing requirement, and often outstanding value.
Against its siblings: cleaner and more fruit-focused, less oaky.
- Warm climate. Fuller ripening tends to raise sugar and therefore alcohol, soften acidity, and push fruit character from tart towards ripe and jammy.
- Oak ageing. Extended time in barrel adds spice and structure and slowly softens tannin.
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano
Warm climateSangiovese from the Tuscan town of Montepulciano — and, confusingly, nothing to do with the Montepulciano grape.
Against its siblings: riper and less green.
- Warm climate. Fuller ripening tends to raise sugar and therefore alcohol, soften acidity, and push fruit character from tart towards ripe and jammy.
- Oak ageing. Extended time in barrel adds spice and structure and slowly softens tannin.
Super Tuscan
Warm climateA commercial category rather than an appellation: ambitious Tuscan reds that fell outside the DOC rules, usually built on Bordeaux varieties.
Against its siblings: cleaner and more fruit-focused, more fruit-driven, more oaky.
- Warm climate. Fuller ripening tends to raise sugar and therefore alcohol, soften acidity, and push fruit character from tart towards ripe and jammy.
- Prominent oak. Barrel ageing adds vanilla, toast and spice, and rounds the texture.
- Oak ageing. Extended time in barrel adds spice and structure and slowly softens tannin.
Nothing here is written by hand. The comparison is computed from the taste profiles held for each style, and the drivers listed under each wine are read off structured data — the region’s climate, the style’s recorded production methods, its oak and sweetness bands. That means this page cannot drift out of step with the style pages it describes, and it also means it says less than a wine writer would: a cause is only listed when the catalogue actually records it. See the taste model.