Today I am tasting the 2008 Bonizio Sangiovese di Maremma from the Tuscany region of Italy. This wine by Luigi Cecchi is a blend of 90% Sangiovese and 10% other red grapes. It was purchased for under $8. I haven’t been able to find any evidence of aging in oak, nor do I know what the other 10% red grape varieties are. Do you know?
Color
In the glass this wine is surprisingly dark purple.
Aroma
There are notes of blackberry and red currant on the nose. It also exhibits aromas of cedar and a hint of oregano. Overall it is pretty tight.
Flavor
On the attack there is a flavor of raspberry which is quickly replace by cherry and then sour cherries on the mid-palate. It finishes a tiny too hot from the alcohol, but also has some mild tannins. The finish is actually quite short. The flavors are basic and are found in many Chianti wines from Italy. This will pair well with pastas and pizzas.
Rating
I found this wine to be a bit dull. For my palate it doesn’t bring a pure fruit flavor of a new world wine, nor the green rustic flavors of the old world. It instead tends to be a combination where each is watered down. But for the price it is not offensive or flawed either so it might match your palate. I rate it 82 points.
Have you tried this wine?
