Six excellent bottles of Sangiovese under 13 euros

Six everyday bottles that offer an unbeatable value for money. We chose snappy, enjoyable and very drinkable Sangiovese that bring out the best in youth, so do not expect vins de garde, but rather small amazing bottles that, due to their remarkable roundness, excel in improvised matches, whether they are Ginger Chicken with Almonds or a crunchy homemade Pizza or a thirty minutes ready Moussaka.

Ghiaccio Forte, Morellino di Scansano 2009, Castello Romitorio

Let’s start with the cream of this Sangiovese inside job, directly from the homonymous cru, here we have a warm, bursting Morellino—85% Sangiovese, 15% Syrah—that offers earthy aromas just to reach the freshness of the sky in a while. Still amazingly salty and juicy, despite three years aging. The fruit stream—mulberry, currants, sour cherries—emerges brightly, it’s in the middle of the caramelizing process and it’s supported by a sweet spiced chorus that accompany the wine step by step, underling this mighty saltiness made of pine resin and moss, in which blossom seaweeds and violet candy. The tannins are ripe enough to support cold cuts of Cinta Senese, but also more subtle dishes like Ping Gai (ປິງໄກ່), a delicious recipe from Laos: chicken marinated in fish sauce, coriander, garlic and turmeric to highlight the spicy and salty similarities between the food and the wine. € 13

Morellino di Scansano 2010, Castello Romitorio

Slightly simpler than the older brother, anyway delightful because of the abundance of salty fruitiness and above all for an intriguing, leafy undertone, mottled with cinnamon, that keeps coming back and makes this Morellino a perfect, pulsing fit for a Beef Wellington or a Fassona’s Tartare. € 9.

Morellino di Scansano 2009, Fattoria dei Barbi

A flushing and floral wine that won’t disappoint you: every time you need of steady, but round, tannin to be paired with a Double Cheese Burger or a Brie and Porcini Pizza or a huge Tacos with grilled fish, cilantro and lime dressing to play with the citrus flavors of the wine. Straight and clean, it evokes pine syrup, smoked currant and mashed cherries with a hint of mint that gives icing persistence to this elegant wine. € 9.

Sangiovese Paterno 2008, Trappolini

At first it’s mysteriously dark, a little closed: it needs ten minutes to open up in all its fruity magniloquence. Plum jelly, blackberry juice streaked with vanilla and lemony custard, are there to open the way for a earthy, zesty structure that lays in a wet bed of leaves and dried wild flowers. There are some edges to cut, but this bottles has a remarkably personality, warm, supple, luscious, well crafted and with a lot to offer. The final hangs in the balance between spices and licorice and it leaves the mouth clean. Aggressive: to pair with Beef tenderloin with licorice sauce. € 12

Chianti Classico 2009, Tenuta di Arceno

Cherries in syrup, backed figs and black currants emerge from the glass with fury, but perfectly mixed, embedded in mineral and spicy texture that makes the wine subtle, compact as well as perky. The tannins are pleasantly juicy and accompany step by step a marine background note that intrigues and makes this Sangiovese a perfect companion for any Chinese Street Food, Jiaozi and Dumpling soup with ginger and scallions. Amazing drinkability and fair price for a wine of great substance. € 10.

Rosso di Montalcino 2009, Tenuta di Sesta

A cutting red, dangerously seductive. It’s a pleasure to gaze the wine, seen how much brilliance it spreads around. The nose is gentle and fruit oriented, young but far from trivial, with a sumptuous bouquet of cherry and blackberry jam, in which blossoms a chewy potpourri that gradually leaves the place to rhubarb, flint, tea and wood shadows, culminating with a musky saltiness that rises to the top this simple Rosso di Montalcino. The end is straight and smooth, highlighted by a balanced tannin, which can be admirably combined with Larded Saddle of Deer with Truffles or a Tenderloin with Porcini, both great with the earthy notes of the wine. € 11.

Alfredo Ravanetti