The softer side of Tuscan reds
Sangiovese is Italy's — and Tuscany's — dominant red-wine grape, but value wines made with it tend to be high-pitched. Enter blends, like this Carpineto “Dogajolo” Toscano, which is a touch softer.
Carpineto “Dogajolo” Toscano
Tuscany, Italy
$12.99 13.2% alcohol
PLCB Item #9095
Sale price through Aug. 31; regularly $13.99
Tuscany is not Italy’s largest producer of wine, but its offerings dominate the selection of Italian reds in most American stores. Tuscan reds are generally either pure sangioveses, like the legendary wines known as Brunello di Montalcino, or sangiovese-based blends, as with the more plentiful and affordable reds named for one of the many subdistricts of the Chianti zone. Nowadays, there are almost as many wines that forgo these traditional hyper-specific appellations and are instead offered under the more generic regional designation of Toscano. These can range from easy-drinking value wines like today’s example up to pricey collectibles, but most are variations on the Chianti model — dry red wines based on the Sangiovese grape.
Sangiovese is Italy’s number one red-wine grape and the dominant variety grown in Tuscany. On a sensory level, pure sangiovese wines are quite distinctive, with high-pitched flavors of sour red cherries or cranberries and an astringent aftertaste like that of unsweetened black tea. The traditional Italian approach to winemaking aims for most reds to be tart, earthy, and dry so they partner well with Mediterranean foods. This is a style at which sangiovese excels, but the grape’s thin skins can result in pale red wines that have a tendency to brown prematurely through oxidation, especially in the value tier below $25.
As a result, Tuscan red wines are often blends where a small amount of a darker, fruitier grape is added to a base of Sangiovese to add color and flavor. This bargain bottling from Carpineto, one of the region’s most innovative producers, hits a sweet spot by incorporating 20% cabernet sauvignon into its core of sangiovese, deepening its color and flavor. Dogajolo features the recognizable red-fruited framing of a classic dry and midweight sangiovese, but tastes a touch softer and more mellow when compared to more old-fashioned Tuscan reds, with dark accents of coffee and vanilla.
Also available at:
Total Wine & More in Wilmington and Claymont, $9.99
Super Buy Rite in Moorestown and Pennington, $11.49
Canal’s Liquors in Pennsauken, $11.91