In its Tuscan heartland it produces some of the finest medium-bodied wines in the world

Sangiovese’s distinctive, almost briny acidity is what makes it one of the most food-friendly wines known to hungry humanity.

Three great local Sangioveses.

Murmurs that sangiovese might become the next big thing in Australian wine began to emerge around the same time as pundits speculated that Peter Costello was ready to become Prime Minister. The political and viticultural predictions both proved to be over-estimations. You can see why so many had high hopes for sangiovese, though. In its Tuscan heartland it produces some of the finest and most food-friendly medium-bodied wines in the world (think Chianti Classico), and some of Italy’s serious heavy hitters in Brunello di Montalcino. But in Australia sangiovese’s journey had been mostly missteps.

Early promise was shown in the wines Carlo Corino made at Montrose in Mudgee in the ’70s, and Mark Lloyd established benchmarks at Coriole in McLaren Vale. But inferior planting material was a problem – second-rate sangiovese clones mostly, or cuttings believed to be sangiovese but actually the lesser variety carnelian. And its tendency to turn triffid in the vineyard didn’t help, either. It’s a variety of enormous abundance, both in canopy and crop, which proved challenging.

But the perseverance of a hardy few, greater understanding of how the variety might show its best in Australian conditions and greater availability of high-quality vine material has started to pay off, and the quality of Australian sangiovese is accelerating at a rapid rate. The best examples are deftly weighted and scattered with dry herbs, hum with bright cherry fruit and are shaped with fine tannins that the malleable mind can compare to crushed terracotta. And then there’s the acidity. Sangiovese’s distinctive, almost briny acidity is what makes it one of the most food-friendly wines known to hungry humanity.

I predict 2025 will be the year Australian sangiovese finally gets the attention it deserves.

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Three great Aussie sangioveses

The Other Wine Co Sangiovese 2024

$28

Very primary; still needs storytime and a nap after lunch. Tamarillo and sage, some sour cherry and blood orange, a whiff of wax. Starts out in party mode, vibrant and juicy up front, but a wave of briny acid brings seriousness and powdered concrete tannins emphasise the point. 14% alcohol, 91 points

Freeman ‘Altura’ Vineyard Sangiovese 2022

$40

Dry dark cherries, fennel seed, chinotto bitterness lurking at its shadowy edges. It’s the framework that really impresses here, an Italianate sensibility, an open-knit transparency that really appeals. Beautiful bone structure. No doughy density, just clarity. A breaking wave of briny acid, a fine framing of terracotta tannins. 14% alcohol, 95 points

Pizzini ‘Forza di Ferro’ 2022

$65

Fennel fronds and wild sage, dark cherries and pickled quince. It’s a ballerina with a baseball bat – there’s a fine, almost delicate grace at first but then its serious structure begins to build. A precise, honed acidity scythes across the palate, tight and coiled; ferrous-edged tannins shape a long, driving finish. 14.2% alcohol, 95 points