The Mother of invention: Sangiovese Bianco
I just love stumbling across something familiar that is presented in a new way, like a cover of a classic song, played with entirely different instrumentation. It's at once foreign and also familiar, and the novelty of the new perspective is what makes it so intriguing.
It's not often you see that happen with wine, especially not something as classic as Sangiovese - one of the standard bearers of Italian wine. Whether in Chianti or Brunello, it is undoubtedly great. Beautiful floral aromatics, a dense mid- palate of ripe red fruit, and silky tannins...without a doubt, one of the great red grapes. But what if it could also be a white wine?
That's the question that Johannes Davaz of Poggio al Sole asked himself to solve a bit of a conundrum he was having. With a small agrotourismo on their property, there were always plenty of guests there to enjoy the rolling hills of Tuscany, the epic sunsets from the patio, and a refreshing pool to cool off in. And while there was plenty of Poggio al Sole red wines for the guests to imbibe, they lacked any white wines for their guests to slurp down poolside, so they would bring in other brands for their poolside libations... and it drove him crazy. It also drove him to look at Sangeovese from a different angle.
Over 6 years of experimentation, vintage after vintage, Johannes developed a new approach to making Sangiovese. Instead of a light rosé, he was after an expressive, yet delicate white wine. Something easy to drink, yet still compelling and evocative. After lots of trial and error, he found the right approach with an extremely gentle pressing of their estate-grown Sangiovese, yielding a clear and pure juice that sill retained all the beautiful aromas of the grape.
Last week, we offered the Poggio al Sole Chianti Classico and sang the praises of the estate leading the way in revitalizing the tradition of quality in the DOC. This week, we want to highlight the innovation and creativity of the Davaz family. This is something truly unique and unseen anywhere else in all of Chianti - who knows if it will catch on - but it's a dynamite wine, and we just have to share it with you.
POGGIO AL SOLE SANGIOVESE BIANCO 2024
Poggio al Sole Sangiovese Bianco 2024 Just like their Chianti Classico, this is 100% estate-grown Sangiovese, only made for the ice bucket! This one grabs you right away, bursting with aromas of fresh fruit salad, and follows through with crisp citrus flavors on the palate. A lighter-bodied wine perfect for the aperitivo hour on the patio (or poolside!), with a salad from the garden or even some fresh fish. Like all of Poggio al Sole's wines, this one is energetic, precise, and reliably delicious.