Sangiovese

Sangiovese and clones thereof are primarily grown .  Its key flavors are cold tea, herbs, and black cherry.  It has a moderate color, is medium-bodied, has high tannins, and is often blended.  When aged, it develops an orange rim. Italian wines in general are known for having higher acidity so that they taste tarter, and a bitter finish. 

Sangiovese is excellent with sheep's milk cheeses, Asiago, Ricotta, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and Dry Jack.

Altesino, Rosso di Altesino 2001  (Tasted in 2004) $17.99 at Grapevine. They were demo-ing this wine and it went well with Tuscan salami. 12.5% alcohol. www.winebow.com This wine is 95% Sangiovese and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Both varieties are harvested from estate vineyards in the period September/October. Dark, ruby color with an amber rim. I think it's very smooth. It definitely tastes of wood. Oddly enough, the wine is vinified in stainless steel tanks where it remains until it is bottled 6-8 months after harvest. As a result of stainless steel fermentation and aging, this rosso exhibits vibrant ruby red color and a fresh bouquet that is ripe with scents of forest fruit. Dry on the palate with excellent body and sound structure. The tannins come out strong in the finish. Cherry. Definitely rustic wood, though it's not aged in wood. Steve says, "Definitely like an old, wet, moldy wood, but the good kind." It's fruity, but the dry tannins make it a little difficult for just sipping. It's still very smooth. At first I wasn't into this for a sipping wine, but once it opened up a little bit, it was nice. It had a light nutty, light chocolate flavor along with the cherries. 

Altesino, Rosso di Altesino with Parmigiano-Reggiano with Irish Dubliner Cheddar. Not good. 

Altesino, Rosso di Altesino with Parmigiano-Reggiano and Salame Toscano from Molinari. This is good. The wine takes a little of the sweet edge off the Parmigiano-Reggiano. I like the meat backdrop. I also like the way the cherry flavors come out against the salt. Excellent.

Avignonesi Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2001 (Tasted in 2004) About $20. The 2000 It is a dark and solid ruby/garnet. Aromas and flavors of plum, tar, and chocolate. Light tannins which add density and texture. Ripe fruit. 13.5% alcohol. http://www.classica.it and http://www.dallaterra.com This definitely has a thick, full, chocolate taste. I like this wine a lot. I have received two bottles of it as gifts. It is thick and lush, but also tart.

Avignonesi Vino Nobile di Montepulciano with Montasio. Delicious! I usually do sheep's milk cheese with a Sangiovese, but I tried this because it was sitting in front of me. It was really good. I liked the nutty, chocolate flavors that the wine and cheese created together. The textures were also good -- thick wine with a mountain cheese.

Avignonesi Vino Nobile di Montepulciano with Pecorino di Pienza. This Pecorino is more rustic than many. The rind looks like a tree bark. It has a slightly more assertive flavor. It was bitter with the wine. I tried it with a California Sangiovese, and it was bitter with that one as well.

Aziano Chianti Classico (Tasted in 2005) $12.50 at Austin Wine Merchant. $15.79 at Grapevine Market. Ruby red color with a light, delicate taste. Light, tart cherries, light tannins, and some tea. It is a very pretty wine. I drink this way too fast.

Aziano with Pecorino Toscano, 12 month. Very good. This cheese was too salty or something to go with the Molise Sangiovese, Di Majo Norante. It turned out to be perfect with this wine, and at a decent price. Even though the cheese tastes very salty and rustic, and the wine seems light on the palate, they blend well. The sweetness of the sheep's milk comes through.

Badiola, Foggio alla Badiola 2001 (Tasted in 2003)  Toscana, Mazzei in Fonterutoli dal 1435.  $15 at Central Market.  13% alcohol.  It is made by the Mazzei family in the Castello di Fonterutoli.  It is Sangiovese (80%), Cabernet Sauvignon (10%), and Merlot (10%) and is aged 9 months in barriques.  I think this is a Super Tuscan -- Sangiovese mixed with Cabernet Sauvignon.  It says on the bottle that it has excellent structure, soft texture, and complex bouquet.  It is ruby colored with some clarity.  It smells a little earthy, kind of like mold.  It smells like dark fruit, maybe blackberries.  When I taste it, I do get the astringent tea flavor.  In the finish, I get almost a syrupy fruit taste.  It is dry.  I think I am getting a little bit of minty flavor.  I guess that is the herb aspect of it.  It is good.  It is almost like drinking a cup of tea.

Badiola, Foggio alla Badiola, with Pecorino Toscano, 1 month.  Great cheese.  It is olivey, sheepy, tangy, and salty.  This is a great match!  I like how the cheese really takes away some of the astringency in the wine and brings out a very lush, round fruit that tastes a little sweet and almost like a nutty chocolate.  By the same token, the wine adds an herby aspect to the cheese.  They work really well together. 

Badiola, Foggio alla Badiola, with Pecorino Toscano, 3 month.  This cheese is delicious!  It is more pungent.  It actually tastes a little past 3 months.  It is robust, has some crystallized protein, nutty, a little sweet and floral.  I don't think these two compliment each other quite as well.  The cheese seems to overpower the light fruit in the wine, and after I drink the wine, when I eat the cheese, it tastes like vomit a little bit, and then sweetness.  And then it makes bitterness when I drink the wine again.  It's not so great, but not the end of the world. 

Badiola, Foggio alla Badiola, with Pecorino Antico Mugello.  This is definitely a grassy type of sheep cheese.  It is aged probably about a month, but it is smaller than the others, so it has advanced more.  This is pretty good, but I think I like the 1 month Pecorino Toscano with this wine the best.  The cheese brings out some nice fruit in the wine, but also some bitterness.  I feel like this cheese may be a little weedy for the wine, though it seems like the herbs in the wine would go well with it.  It's ok, though.  It's definitely a wilder taste.  Brad said that it's like licking the lawnmower blade.

Il Bastardo Sangiovese di Toscana  $6.99 at Grapevine. 12.5% alcohol. This wine is prodused at the Il Bastardo winery east of Firenze (Rufina). It is described as "rich, fat, and luscious!" On the lable, there is a drawing of a fat guy drinking red wine. He doesn't look like a Bastardo, but I love the name of this wine. I bought some of this for my friend after her boyfriend blew her off. It is dark and thick. It doesn't have a very long finish, but it is very drinkable. It feels a little spicy on the tongue, but it is light. It tastes like cherries and tart berries. It is very tart. The wood is not too strong. Not much in the way of tannins.  

Il Bastardo with Montasio. Excellent cheese. It tastes herbaceous, tangy, fresh, floral, grassy, and exciting. It is ok with the Sangiovese, but not as good as the Sangiovese with Pecorino. It's still very good. I feel like the big fruit in the wine washes out the cheese a little, but the cheese does last. It's ok. I probably wouldn't serve this at a tasting, but I wouldn't not recommend it. They go well together, but don't really bring out anything especially interesting in one another. They're just kind of there. Then again, I had a lot of garlic for supper. 

Il Bastardo with Pecorino di Fossa. Mild, salty, smooth sheep cheese from Tuscany. Very good together. I like the tangy cheese with the tingly wine. The nuts really shine through. The cheese is longer-lasting than the wine, but I like the cherry raspberry flavors in the wine with the salt and nuts of the cheese. It is very pleasant and just makes you want to eat more and more. They really blend well together.  

Brunello di Montalcino Sassetti Livio Pertimali 1998 (Tasted in 2004) $60 at Grapevine. 13.5% alcohol. This is the most expensive wine I have ever bought for myself, and it was in the mid-low end of the Brunellos, too. I am figuring if we get four good glasses out of it, then that's $15 a glass -- at home. It is dark and a little tawny. I can't tell what it smells like. It smells a little like anise and tea, and then also sometimes like smoke and chocolate. I get a smell of very tart, wild, dark fruit, like some sort of blackberry. This is excellent. I taste a lot of spice and herbs. It is very complex. Dry finish with a little bit of a floral/tea taste right before the end. Dry and smooth. It is nice and tart, but also dark and warm-tasting. It is subtle and not too fruit-forward. When I first opened the bottle, I had to drink some before it breathed and I got a lot of chocolate and smoke. Then I started getting more herbs after it had been decanted. This is so yummy (and expensive) that I don't want to waste it by tinkering around with cheeses. What if I mess up its flavor? It is really an interesting wine because it seems different every time I take a sip. There are so many flavors that come out. Sometimes the flavor unfolds all at once, and sometimes it unfolds in two distinct segments. No matter what, it is good!

Brunello di Montalcino Sassetti Livio 1998 with soft Farmer's cheese from Lifeway. I don't even know why I tried these two together except that they were both sitting on my desk. This farmer's cheese is low-fat, sourish, and tangier than cottage cheese, but with a lot of the same consistency. I kind of like these together, though the cheese makes the wine taste too dry. I think I like the acidities together. 

Brunello di Montalcino Sassetti Livio 1998 with Smoked Scamorza from Mozzarella Company. It's not bad. They don't fight, but they are both so tangy, it is crazy together. The cheese is herby in places, especially near the piece of straw that is inside of it. They kind of bore me together, though. Maybe this wine goes better with a meat. I think I don't like that the wine tastes so herby, and the cheese is kind of plain, but smoked. If it weren't smoked, it would be kind of bland. The cheese does last through the wine. I can still taste the smoke afterwards. This wine is pretty versatile, though. It doesn't fight with the cheeses. 

Brunello di Montalcino Sassetti Livio 1998 with Pecorino Toscano 12 month. Hmm. Oddly enough, I think the wine overpowers the cheese a little. The cheese brings out a lot of fruit and spice in the wine, so that at the end, it's like a big wine bomb. The cheese doesn't last through like I hoped. They are good together and definitely don't clash. I still feel like I lose all the nuances of the cheese with this wine. I was hoping that since the cheese was more aged, it would glide on through with the wine. This cheese is rustic, but it is also kind of quiet and subtle for a wine. 

Brunello di Montalcino Sassetti Livio 1998 with Vella Dry Jack. I was hoping these would go together since I got some smoky chocolatey flavor from the wine at one point, and this cheese is rubbed in cocoa, pepper, and olive oil. These are better together, in spite of the bitterness in the finish. I like the chocolate of the cheese with the spices of the wine. I feel like this is better than the super-aged cheese possibly because the Dry Jack, although dry, coats the tongue so that the cheese lasts longer through the wine. I really like these together. The cheese still gets a little overpowered, though. 

Caparzo Sangiovese 2001 (Tasted in 2004) $13.99 at Tuscany. 13.5% alcohol. 100% sangiovese from Montalcino. This wine is aged for a few months in oak barrels. "Young, soft and with body, it can be served with all dishes." Imported by Vineyard Brands in Birmingham, AL. It smells like bright, spicy cherries -- spices like cinnamon. The color is dar garnet with an orange rim. Tastes like cherries, light anise, spice. Nice acidity. Firm tannins. It is really good. It is tart and fruity, but also lush. It is a little too easy to drink.

Caparzo Sangiovese with Fontina Val d'Aosta. Fruity, sometimes spicy cow's milk cheese. Awful!!! This was disgusting together. It tastes like the garbage dumpster, kind of fruity and rotten, and then there is some ammonia. It's bad.

Caparzo with Humboldt Fog. Interesting. This soft-ripened goat's milk cheese seemed like a sure foul ball, but it was alright. The salty goat lasted through the tart, spicy wine. Weird aftertaste, almost like something chemical. On second thought, this was not so great.

Caparzo Sangiovese with Provolone, aged. Salty, tangy, sharp, and burning -- crumbly Provolone. This Provolone has a good herbaceous quality. Not good. It seems like this would be good together, but no. The cheese makes the wine lose all its yummy fruit, and the wine robs the cheese of its yummy herbs and flowers.

Caparzo Sangiovese with Robiola. Delicious cheese. Delicious wine. Not so great together. There is bitterness. This cheese is so at its peak, though. I like this cheese with a lighter, fruiter Sangiovese. 

Caparzo Sangiovese with Taleggio. Mild, tangy, soft-ripened Italian cheese. OK. The cheese is spicy, and so is the wine. Then something tastes like how dog food smells. The wine overpowers the onset and the cheese overpowers the finish. It's ok together. This is not bad together, though. I like the textures together -- soft, creamy cheese and tingly wine. The wine takes away some of the creaminess of the cheese. I lose the lushness of the cheese. Still, it's an ok match. This cheese is supposed to go with Sangiovese types like Chianti and Brunello. 

Caparzo Sangiovese with Toma al Tartufo. Fresh, soft-ripened truffle cheese from Italy. Some bitterness, but good together. The wine overpowers the cheese, but the spices are nice with the truffles. They are ok together, but this cheese needs a lighter Sangiovese.  

Chianti Formulae/Ricasoli with 3 month Pecorino Toscano.  The salty olive taste in the pecorino really brings out the fruit in the Chianti.  Really a perfect match.  They are mild together, very smooth.  They are both from Tuscany.  

Chianti Formulae/Ricasoli with Gorgonzola Montagna.  This was really good, but a little weird in the finish.  I really like how the fruitiness of the wine brings out the salty, thick mold in the cheese.  It burns your mouth a little, but is interesting.  They also both had some good spiciness that complimented each other.  The mold in the gorgonzola is so salty and peppery, and put that with the fancy fruit, and it's perfect.  It just bubbles in your mouth.  I like the gorgonzola montagna with the chianti a whole lot more than the gorgonzola dolce.  The dolce is too sweet and makes the wine taste bitter. 

Chianti Formulae/Ricasoli with Gorgonzola Dolce.  These two did not get along so well, but they were not horrible together.  The wine is so fruity, and the cheese is actually sweet.  They ended up cancelling each other out and making a bitter taste in my mouth.  It just didn't bring out the best in either one, but it was not horrible.            

I Casciani Chianti DOCG   $11  Bottled by  Fattoria I Casciani in Montespertoli, Italy. 2000.  13% alcohol.  Organically grown grapes.  Dark ruby red, but a little clear.  I smell anise, like in biscotti. It smells like black fruit, maybe raisins.  This is excellent!  I definitely taste anise and liqorice.  Light spices.  It is smooth and medium-bodied.  I like it, but my husband doesn't.  In the finish, I get more fruit, almost like candied fruit, and then I get light astringency.  It doesn't seem to have a lot of tannins in it.  It tastes very juicy. 

I Casciani Chianti with Pecorino Toscano, 1 month.  This is such a sweet, creamy-tasting cheese.  Patrick thinks the cheese makes the wine taste better.  I think it makes it taste worse -- a little more astringent.  The cheese takes away some of the thick fruit from the wine.  Maybe the cheese is too sweet to go with the sweet wine.  The wine is bringing out a grassy taste in this young cheese that I didn't taste before.  It's interesting.  It's not bad.  They blend well together, but they seem to sort of fade away without saying much.

I Casciani Chianti with Pecorino Toscano, 3 month. Makes it taste like vanilla.  I think it's really good.  I love this salty kind of aged cheese with this thick, anise, dark fruit wine.  I think it's great, but nobody else does.  I felt like this wine was bold and fruity, and the cheese is robust.    

I Casciani Chianti with Pecorino Antico Mugello.  This cheese is nice and salty, and it has that grassy taste.  I really like it with this wine.  It makes the fruit burst at the beginning.  I like the way the herbs in the cheese mix with the weird anise in the wine.  I also like the salt and the fruit together.  It's a nice contrast.  The wine is also not too astringent.  I think this is great, but my husband hates it. 

Chianti Riserva, Renzo Masi Rufina 2002 (Tasted in 2006) $9.99 at Austin Wine Merchant. 13.5% alcohol. The Rufina vineyards lie just east of Florence in Tuscany. This Chianti is composed of 93% Sangiovese, 5% Canaiolo, and 2% Colorino. It is released after a minimum of 30 months of aging. It has the typical cherry nose and is a nice garnet color. It tastes spicy and floral, almost like violets. Rufina is a region in Chianti that produces wines without always bearing the Chianti name. On the mid-palate, I get some tangy orange peel. It isn't as full-bodied as some Chiantis, but it's only $10 and has great complexity and acidity with light, bright spices. It would be a great accompaniment to tomato-based dishes. The Renzo Masi estate in the heart of Chianti Rufina owns 10 hectares of vineyards, under the direction of Dr. Paolo Masi. Renzo Masi Chianti Rufina is a deep ruby/garnet in color, with medium body and moderate acidity--mellow for Chianti. It offers plums and berries on the nose and flavors of plums, black currants, blackberries and spice, with no oak. The wine is full and round with soft tannins and a long, fruity, peppery finish. It was aged for 30 months before release. Chianti is one of the best-known Italian wine-producing areas that runs from the Florence area south to the Siena region in Central Italy’s Tuscany region. The Chianti zone expanded over the years, so a new designation inside the zone called Chianti Classico was named. The rest of Chianti is included in the Chianti DOCG , but is divided into seven subzones, Chianti Rufina being one.

Rufina Chianti with Pecorino Toscano, 9-12 month. Very good. The wine could be heavier, but that earthy cherry flavor and the tangy orange zest goes well with the unique flavors of sheep's milk cheese.

Rufina Chianti with Piave. I don't like this so much. The wine makes the cheese taste too musty. This Chianti is too light for the Piave.

Chianti Rufina, Colognole

Aged in wood for 12 months and in the bottle for 5 months. Imported by Vin Divino in Chicago.

Very smoky and earthy, but still has that vibrant cherry flavor, lots of berries, but then it’s all balanced out at the end with some light spice and woody flavors. This wine was good because it held up over three days. It didn’t turn into just a bunch of fruit juice, but kept its balance. I like the smoky, spicy finish with lingering tannins and fruit. This is delicious.

 Pecorino Toscano

OK with the cheese, though not perfect. They clash a little. Maybe I should have gone with a less smoky Chianti, but I loved this bottle. Nevertheless, the pairing tastes very Italian.

Chianti, Tiziano 2002  (Tasted in 2004) $8.50 or so at Grapevine. 12.5% alcohol. Made in the Tuscan hills, this wine is smooth and pleasant. It can be served at room temperature or slightly chilled. It should complement most Mediterranean cuisine, including grilled meats. I retasted it. It was a dark ruby color. It tasted like ripe cherries and light wood. It was a little harsh and dry, definitely cherry. I had this alongside a blend and liked the blend a little better. It definitely needs food. 

Tiziano with Pecorino di Fossa. Lush, crumbly, salty, nutty pecorino. Very good together. The cheese smooths out the wine, which seemed harsh at first. 

Le Mura Sangiovese di Toscana 2002  (Tasted in 2004) $9.99 at Grapevine. 12% alcohol. This was demoed at Grapevine one Sat. I liked it ok, though it was really light, like a Beaujolais. It would be good with a little bit of a chill on it. I thought it would be a good summer wine. It has a really pretty picture of a sort of herby flower on the front. The picture looked like an illustration from an Encyclopedia from the 1500's. "Le Mura" means "the walls." I am not sure what that signifies. The label says that it displays fresh, floral aromas and bright cherryish fruit in the mouth. It is supposed to be good with antipastos like Parma ham (prosciutto), sheep's milk cheeses (Pecorino), and sausages like coppa, soppressata, and salame, grilled vegetables or Portabella mushrooms. It is imported by Matt Brothers in NY. I tasted it with Raven, Phoenix and Patrick. Everybody loved it and they were all shocked that it only cost $10. At first, I got a metallic smell from it, but that dissipated. It is ruby red in color and medium-clear. I taste cherries, herbs, very light spices, and maybe some wood. It is a delicate little Sangiovese. The finish is definitely bright, tart cherries. 

Le Mura Sangiovese di Toscana with Pecorino Toscano, aged. Delicious together, though I thought the wine was a little too light for this cheese. The cheese really brought a sweetness in the wine, and vice versa. I thought that the wine overpowered the cheese since the cheese was so aged, but everybody else loved it. They loved the salt, nuts, and fruit. It is actually quite nice. Maybe I should do more of these fruity light Sangioveses with Pecorino rather than the bold, dry ones that I enjoy so much.

Le Mura Sangiovese di Toscana with Robiola Bosina. Just like with the other Sangiovese, nobody really liked these two together. They didn't dislike it, but they thought that there was a weird taste at times, and that they didn't do anything for each other, didn't bring anything out in each other. I, on the other hand, really liked the fresh tart cherry flavors with the earthy cream in the cheese. The mold was so light and tender that it didn't interfere with the wine, especially since this wine was low in tannins. 

Pèppoli  $19.99 at Austin Wine Merchant. Fruity smell, like wild cherry. Astringent tea taste, but not too strong. My friends said it tasted like Necco wafers -- powdery, creamy, sweet and minty -- like an Alka Seltzer, but not fizzy. It tastes soft, soft tannins, but still astringent. Tart, like  a sour plum. Soft and dry. According to the Wine Spectator, it tastes like..."Blackberry, with hints of dried herb and lightly polished wood. Medium-bodied, with fine tannins and a twist of vanilla on the finish. A bit subdued. Needs time. Best after 2003." Very good. A good balance between the fruity Beaujolais-ish Sangioveses and the more tannic Brunello clones.

Pèppoli with Pecorino Toscano. Perfect cheese. Full-flavored, nutty, salty, tangy, sheepy, and fresh. It brings out a nice chocolate flavor. It blends perfectly -- perfectly balanced wine and cheese. The cheese is sturdy. It is like a thick firm sponge that just seems to soak up all the flavors of the wine. They are both so equal in intensity, but in different ways, and instead of just doing interesting things by themselves, they seem to work well together.  

Rèmole Toscana Frescobaldi 2001  (Tasted in 2004) $8.75 at Austin Wine Merchant. 12.5% alcohol. This is from Tuscany. It is a blend of Sangiovese (93%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (7%). I think they said this would be dry or acidic enough to go with cheese. The color is a vivacious purple. The bouquet offers a combination of fruit fragrances, where cherries mingle perfectly with black currants, enhanced by the delicate aroma of violets. The impact on the palate is very pleasant, and the tannins are well-balanced by the alcoholic component. The finish is long and satisfying. Frescobaldi is one of Italy’s oldest wineries, with a history dating to the 1300s. The family has included medieval knights, bankers, lawyers and patrons of the arts. The family was given a number of paintings by Michaelangelo in exchange for wine. The winery owns much of the best land in Tuscany and is known for making classically styled, high-quality red and white wines. Frescobaldi has earned the designation of Winery of the Year from Wine & Spirits magazine eight of the last ten years. This wine smells burning and fruity. Light, lots of fruit, not much in the way of tannins. The finish doesn't do much. It just drops off. It tastes a little thin to me, but maybe I have gotten used to some more potent wines. I get some light wood, cherries, and flowers. It is very light and young-tasting, even though it's 3 years old. Once it breathes some, more of the tannins and wood come out. It's very nice, but maybe too light for what I'm looking for. 

Rèmole Toscana Frescobaldi with Cravanzina fresh cow/sheep blend. Maybe this will work since this wine is so light. It's ok at first. Then it tastes really bad. Then it is ok again. It might work together if I ate this soft cheese with some bread, which most people would. This is not bad. I would consider this down the line, but it may need more tasting work. I think this cheese may be past its prime, judging from the toughness of the rind.  

Rèmole Toscana Frescobaldi with Roasted Ricotta. Tangy, light, spongy whey sheep cheese. One of my favorite cheeses. It is not very interesting together. This is not bad, but not such a great pairing. They taste sour together. The cheese ends up being mostly texture. The wine is just there. It is passable, but they don't complement each other at all.

*Rèmole Toscana Frescobaldi with Robiola Bosina, fresh cow/sheep blend. Delicious cheese. This is at its peak with such a wonderful milky, salty flavor. Wow, this is wonderful. This is really nice together. This cheese really coats the tongue and the wine acts accordingly. There is some bitterness as there almost always is with red wine/white mold, but it's good. It really brings out a beautiful light spice in the wine. The weights are perfect together. Also good is the tart wine with the cream. There is some chocolate (probably more like wood) on the finish, and then more cheese taste. This is that "strawberries and cream" blend that I like so much. Tart fruit and fresh cream. Also, light spice in the wine that goes well with the inherent spice in the mold. Boy is this good. Even with the rind, it's good. The rind is so perfect right now -- tender, yet flavorful. Both of these are very smooth, but with a slightly rustic edge to them, so they work together well. I think that since this cheese is part sheep, it liked the Sangiovese better than an all-cow cheese would have. Sometimes I get a Robiola that is not so light and tender, but this one is perfect. They have been coming in really good lately at two different stores. I loved this pairing, but nobody else did.

Rèmole Toscana Frescobaldi with Pecorino Toscano. This Pecorino is much harder than I am used to buying. It is practically a grating cheese. In fact, I think it's harder than a Parmigiano-Reggiano. Fully, sheepy, nutty, salty, and smooth-tasting. Good together, but I feel like this cheese needs a slightly dryer wine, or the wine needs a younger cheese. The wine flavor just kind of drops off and all I am left with is cheese. It doesn't clash at all. It blends very well, but I lose the wine in the presence of this sturdy, dry cheese. 

Rosso di Montalcino, Il Poggione 2002  (Tasted in 2004) $22.50 at Austin Wine Merchant. 13.5% alcohol. This is supposed to be like the little Brunello. It is made in the same area of Tuscany -- Montalcino. This is a relatively new wine. This type has only existed since 1984. This category has given winemakers an outlet for Brunello wines that they don't want to age for too long. Baby Brunello. 100% Sangiovese clone, grown in the same territory, but aged less. It is aged for a minimum of 1 year instead of 4 years for Brunello. It is similar to Brunello in its aromas and flavors, but is fresher, lighter-bodied, and easier to enjoy young. If a vintage is less than ideal, grape growers may designate the grapes for Rosso instead of Brunello, or the grapes can be grown specifically for Rosso. It is dark amber/red and pretty dense. Tart tasting. Ripe, thick burning in smell. A little woody and chocolate. Very smooth, yet spicy. Nice longish finish. It tapers off nicely. Earth, but light. Very spicy. Heavier than the Burgundy I just tasted. It is also a little piney and definitely woody. Cold tea! I taste a little cherry, too, but a darker, heavier cherry. It's not a light cherry like the Burgundy. Vague anise flavor. Very spicy.

*Rosso di Montalcino 2002 by Il Poggione with Pecorino di Fossa. Perfect! Alone, this cheese can be a little salty, but with the sine, I get a perfect fruit, salt, and sheep blend. The cheese really brings out the fruit -- especially cherry -- in the wine. It is very mellow. The cheese cuts down on the tea flavor in the wine. 

Rosso di Montalcino 2002 by Il Poggione with Pecorino Fi Anno. Excellent cheese! This is hard and grainy, nutty, salty, with lots of character. It is a very oily, hard cheese. It could be used for grating. It has a light olive flavor. Delicious together! They blend perfectly. The cheese becomes really nutty. The spices in the wine show off. The woody flavors in the cheese and the wine complement each other well. They really just blend together with the tangy sheep flavor and the bright spices. I tried this again and the wine way overpowered the cheese. It was ok together, but not so great. It wasn't very interesting.

Rosso di Montalcino 2002 by Il Poggione with Pecorino Re Nero. This wine has nice body, but it felt a little overpowering with the cheese. This pairing is ok, but they don't do a lot for each other. The cheese need to be nuttier and older. It tastes a little like chocolate together. Not bad at all, but not interesting compared to some pairings. 

Rosso di Montalcino 2002 by Il Poggione with Pecorino Toscano (18 month, maybe a little younger) The cheese is very sheepy and a little vomity. It is full of character. They are good together, but a little bitter. This cheese melts in my mouth and makes the wine tart. Unfortunately, the flavors die quickly. There is also a bitter flavor in the finish. 

Rosso di Montalcino 2002 by Il Poggione with Pecorino in Walnut Leaves. These aren't so interesting together. They aren't bad, but they just seem mismatched with the fresh, leafy flavor of the cheese and the dark, dry tannins of the wine. The cheese is a little too grassy.

Rosso di Montalcino 2002 with Redwood Hill 3 Peppercorn Chèvre. I pretty much stuck my hand in the fridge and pulled this cheese out to taste with this wine. I am tired of limiting myself to only Pecorinos. This is a very bitter little fresh goat's milk. It has a light pepper flavor. It actually works ok with the wine, but the aftertaste is scattered. I like this together. The wine overpowers the cheese somewhat, but not too bad. The spices in the wine are nice with the pepper. Afterwards, my mouth dries up a good bit. 

Sangiovese di Majo Norante 2001  (Tasted in 2003) This was probably about $10 or so.  12.5% alcohol.  It is 100% Sangiovese.  It has a great picture of a knight on a horse on the label.  This winery is located located to the north of the Gargano in Molise on the estate of the, Marquis Norante of Santa Cristina. Because Molise is not as well known as Chianti, incredible bargains are found. This estate has been dedicated to the cultivation of vines since the 1800's. Optimal exposure, constant breezes during the summer, and excellent soil composition blend perfectly together to create an optimal environment for the production of superb Sangiovese. It is a vivid ruby color and has a fresh bouquet of violets and woodland berries. On the palate the wine is smooth and refreshing with loads of ripe fruit. An excellent accompaniment to antipasto, first courses and grilled white meats.  It is supposed to be good with the Drunken Goat cheese and olives. I tried this again later and it was good. It was only $7.99 at Austin Wine Merchant.

Sangiovese di Majo Norante and Gorgonzola Naturale.  Good/decent.  Sharp with some sweetness in the wine.

Sangiovese di Majo Norante with Taleggio.  The Taleggio was not too ripe.  It is very good together.  The cheese wasn't too strong and the wine mixed well.  

Sangiovese di Majo Norante with Pecorino Toscano.  Bad bitterness.  Awful. I tried it in 2005 and it still didn't go with the Pecorino Toscano. It was too bitter.

Vigna dello Sperone Tre Rè Sangiovese di Romagna, Superiore, DOC, 2001  $12-13 at Central Market, cheaper at Grapevine.  13% alcohol.  It is from Casale di Faenza in Romagna just north of Tuscany.  Intense ruby red.  It smells like red fruit, like maybe cherries and violets. It does have a floral smell, and a floral taste. It definitely has a cherry flavor -- a lot of cherry in the finish, and then tannins.  It is dry, light, warm, and a little spicy.  It is medium-bodied.  It makes my teeth squeak.  I like it.  It is supposed to be good with pasta sauce with meat in it and white meats.  

Vigna dello Sperone with Mozzarella Company Ricotta, cow's milk.  Nice, sweet, mild, milky whey cheese, almost watery.  The wine really overpowers this cheese, but it doesn't fight at all.  The cheese, being a whey cheese, doesn't coat the tongue quite enough to deal with this wine.  Still, I think this is a success -- having a fresh cheese get along with a red wine.  I like the milk and cherries together.

Vigna dello Sperone with Central Market fresh Mozzarella.  Very good.  I like this better than the first time I tasted a Sangiovese with fresh Mozzarella.  This is cow's milk, so maybe that's the difference.  This cheese is so mild that the wine definitely overpowers it, but, just like with the Ricotta, I like the light, milky flavor with the tart cherries.  

Vigna dello Sperone with Pecorino di Fossa. Crumbly sheep cheese, fairly mild for an aged cheese, and salty. Delicious! The cheese makes the wine taste so smooth. The fruit flavors really come out, and it is almost cooling compared to the cheese. The cheese is maybe a little stronger than the wine, but it still goes really well together. The sheepy flavor shines through. The cheese is nice and tangy with the tartness of the wine.

Vigna dello Sperone with Old Chatham Ricotta, sheep/cow blend.  This cheese almost tastes like shrimp.  It is a little gamey and has a weird texture, but good.  I like these together.  The cheese is a little weird.  It really stands up to the wine.  I would like this cheese, some nuts and berries, and this wine together.  

Vigna dello Sperone with Stravecchio.  This Parmigiano style of cheese goes fairly well with the Sangiovese.  I like the nuttiness and salt with the pretty fruit.  I think this would go well with Parmigiano, especially since that cheese comes from the same area of Italy. 

Vigna dello Sperone with Vella Dry Jack.  This is good.  The cheese is has flavors of cocoa, which do well with the tannins in the wine.  The cheese really brings out the fruit in the wine, and the tart, cherry wine is a nice foil for the dense cheese.  Even though they pair well, I feel like the cheese is a little too heavy for the wine.  

Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and Pecorino.  The three month Pecorino  made the wine taste less sour, but the wine tastes a little harsh after the older (six month) Pecorino.   

Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and Sbrinz.  It was good because the cheese was salty and nutty.  

Zaccagnini Sangiovese Around $10. 12% alcohol. From the Marche in Central Italy. Not much aroma. Very light, light tannins, raspberry. Raspberry. Good and fruity, but I can't tell what fruit. Tart and not too smoky.

Zaccagnini Sangiovese with Pecorino Re Nero. Great! Salty cheese and light fruit. The cheese brings out a lot of fruit in the wine. I served this in a wine/cheese class and one student made a face and said, "The cheese helps out the wine." I guess she didn't like the wine.

Zaccagnini Sangiovese with Pecorino Toscano. A little bitterness. Not a good match. The cheese is too milky for the tannins, even though they are light. Grassy flavors. 

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