Tenuta Il Poggione 2020 Lo Sbrancato Rosé - 89pts

Tenuta Il Poggione 2020 Lo Sbrancato Rosé (Montalcino) Tuscany - Italy

Availability: Marquis Wine Cellars in Vancouver
Cost: $21-28 + taxes
Alcohol: 12.5%
Date Tasted: May 15th, 2022

Tasting Notes: A juicier, fuller blush when compared to the light and lean, minimalist style which dominates most restaurant menus. Made from 100% Sangiovese grapes, this is robust rosé without ever feeling heavy and one that can pair with fresh pasta and white meats. Typical blush characters of red fruit, floral and citrus throughout, with just a hint of Sangiovese' unique tomato stock on the nose and a touch of fleshy, cumquat on the palate. Drink now-2024.

 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2022 IconWines.ca

Mt. Boucherie Estate Winery 2019 Modest Wines Sangiovese - 88pts

Mt. Boucherie Estate Winery 2019 Modest Wines The Elder Vicar (Black Sage Bench) Okanagan Valley

Availability: Direct from winery here 
Cost: $29.99 + taxes
Alcohol: 13.5%
Date Tasted: May 23rd, 2021

Tasting Notes: Fresh and lively, this Sangiovese (with 5% of Merlot and Cabernet Franc blended in) is sourced from the Black Sage Bench and that region's signature, wild sage aroma is prominent on the savoury, tomato stock nose. Red fruit shows on the palate adding complexity and balance to the savoury profile of herbs'n'spice and refreshing, tomato acidity.

Think Italian with your food pairing ideas and you won't go wrong, though, special attention to spicy capicola, thin-crust pizza should be considered. Ready to go now. Drink 2021-2023.

- Liam Carrier ©copyright 2021 IconWines.ca 

Castello di Bossi 2008 Chianti Classico - 89pts

Castello di Bossi 2008 Chianti Classico (Chianti Classico DOCG) Tuscany - Italy

Availability: Limited availability. Private wine shops like Everything Wine
Cost: $20-30
Alcohol: 14%
Date Tasted: August 4th, 2013

Tasting Notes: Gorgeous, feminine nose of sweet licorice, violets, cherry, warm earth and spiced plum aromas. The round, berry and tobacco-infused palate has aged well but may have peaked showing signs of frailty on the short finish. Drink 2013-2015.
  - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2013 IconWines.ca

Silverback Vineyards 2010 Sangiovese - 92pts

Silverback Vineyards 2010 Sangiovese (Desert Hills Vineyard) Columbia Valley AVA - Washington State

Availability: Not yet available in BC. Contact winery direct here
Cost: $55 (USD)
Alcohol: 14.2%
Production: 200 cases
Date Tasted: August 12th, 2012
Re-tasted: March 21st, 2013

Tasting Notes: From a barrel sample. What Washington State Sangiovese wines have over their Italian counterparts is an inherent joie de vivre. They are fun to drink and the life of the party while their Old World cousins can come across a tad serious at times. Silverback's version continues the trend with vibrant acidity, wild berry aromas and captures the essence of biting into a freshly picked green tomato - pure joy.

Aged in 500L American oak puncheons and sourced from the Desert Hills Vineyard near Grandview, Washington, this Sangiovese also shows depth of character with layers of crayon, boysenberry, huckleberry and churchwood (worn, yet cared-for old wood). May not age as long as the fuller-bodied and finely structured Silverback Syrahs and blends, but some further evolution is possible, if not probable. Drink 2013-2017.
 - Liam Carrier (with Jordan Carrier) ©copyright 2012 IconWines.ca

Re-tasting Notes: Now bottled and soon to be released, the Silverback Sangiovese remains a joy to drink; balanced, lively and bursting with wild berry flavours on the palate, while the nose offers layers of deep, red fruit aromas. Drinking beautifully now and should hold for another 3-4 years.
 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2013 IconWines.ca

Sandhill 2008 Small Lots Program Three - 88pts

Sandhill 2008 Small Lots Program Three (Oliver) Okanagan Valley - BC

Availability: Limited. 2009 vintage now available here
Cost: $35
Alcohol: 14.5%
Production: 7 barrels
Date Tasted: July 3rd, 2012

Tasting Notes: A unique blend of 43% Sangiovese, 29% Barbera, Merlot 14% and 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, this Sandhill offering reminds me of a cross between a Washington State Super Tuscan and a British Columbia Carmenere. Plenty of tomato stock and black pepper notes mixed in with the red fruits and plum flavours and aromas. Finishes a bit tannic and acidic after a more cheerful start of warm, spicy plum flavours on the dry, medium+ bodied, ever-so-slightly under ripe palate.

Tastes like nothing else being made in BC presently. Whether that's a good thing or not is open for debate. Drink now-2014.
 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2012 IconWines.ca

Brancaia 2008 Tre - 90pts

Brancaia 2008 Tre (Rosso) Tuscany - Italy

Availability: BCLDB Signature stores
Cost: $32
Alcohol: 13.5%
Date Tasted: November 26th, 2011

Tasting Notes: For Tuscany powerhouse Brancaia, the name of the winery's third label is actually a reference to the trio of grapes used for this elegant, New World leaning charmer. Sangiovese, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon were blended to create a complex wine that that evokes both serious, cellar-dwelling savers and laid-back, food-friendly sippers.

The nose offers a wide spectrum of aromas from candied raspberry to savoury earth and seductive smoke. The palate is dry but an abundance of ripe fruit flavours hovering above classic Italian vegetal notes creates the perception of sweetness at first sip. Strong mineral and scorched earth flavours are also present.

Ready to drink now and will hold for another 3-5 years due to the mouth watering acidity and medium, soft tannins. Drink 2011-2016.
 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2011 IconWines.ca

Altesino 2007 Rosso Tuscana - 90pts

Altesino 2007 Rosso Tuscana (Montalcino) Tuscany - Italy

Availability: BCLDB stores
Cost: $22.99
Alcohol: 13.5%
Date Tasted: December 10th, 2010

Tasting Notes: This charming wine from Tuscany is a blend of 80% Sangiovese with the remaining 20% a mixture of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. It's a successful blend that delivers an impressively complex wine for the price. At times meaty and earthy, whilst offering a sweet fruity character that makes you forget its origin. Light cured meats, tomato stock, mushrooms, bell pepper, smoke, red berries and a touch of cranberry tartness make up the flavour profile.

The oak treatment is more prominent on the dry, light-to-medium bodied palate and grounds the juicy texture nicely. This is a well balanced wine with structured tannins and good acidity. Pair this wine with braised meat dished like Osso Buco. Drinking beautifully now, don't cellar for long. Drink 2010-2012.
 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2010 IconWines.ca