Los Angeles Times
Rod Smith
March 13, 2002

My vote for the most agreeable all-around table wine grape generally goes to 
Sangiovese, especially as expressed in the top three wines of Tuscany: 
Chianti Classico, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and Brunello di Montalcino. 
Not only do they go with all kinds of food, they make all kinds of food taste 
better.

The initial appeal of Tuscan wines is largely in juicy fruit with bright 
acidity, succulent berry flavors that have a distinctive note of dried sour 
cherries and a slightly raspy, palate-cleansing texture. But there's more to 
it than that. Beyond their sunny Italian charm, the best wines of Tuscany 
demonstrate the capacity of Sangiovese, Italy's most widely-planted red 
grape, to express a dazzling array of nuances depending on where it's grown. 
Sangiovese is one of the world's great terroir-talking wines.

That makes the annual tasting of new vintages in Tuscany an especially 
exciting event. In the last few years, it's been even more so, because 
vintages in the late 1990s were very, very good to Sangiovese. They were good 
for Merlot, too. And believe it or not, that's increasingly important in 
Tuscany, now that producers in Chianti Classico and Montepulciano are allowed 
to include nonnative grapes such as Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon in their 
blends.

Until recently, most producers have remained staunchly committed to 
Sangiovese and the other Tuscan homies, Canaiolo and Colorino. But the ranks 
have been swaying lately in the direction of prospective profits from an 
expanding global wine market that wants nothing more than rich wines with 
forward fruit.

Chianti currently exports two-thirds of its annual production, which means 
fierce competition from fruity Californian, Chilean and Australian renditions 
of international varietals. Montepulciano's rapidly expanding production is 
also increasingly aimed at export. So more and more producers in both areas 
are succumbing to the charms of international varieties such as Merlot in 
their blends--but not always with an easy conscience.

Thus an air of controversy surrounded this year's spring tastings in Tuscany. 
Even as the newly released wines were being presented, producers were 
debating their character and authenticity.

Should Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot become part of Tuscan wine character? 
Should modern techniques such as irrigation, with the higher yields and 
blurring of vintage distinctions that are among the likely results, be 
allowed? Are regional character and globalization necessarily opposed? Those 
were among the issues raised at a conference hosted by the Chianti Classico 
Consortium in Sienna.

The progressive view in this heated debate was championed by Angelo Gaja, who 
is known as a modernist in his native Barbaresco and has recently begun 
producing wines in Tuscany's Montalcino and seaside Maremma districts. "Why 
should vines stay in one place?" he asked passionately. "Why should Cabernet 
Sauvignon stay in Bordeaux? We have a wealth of geographical conditions in 
Italy, which gives us the opportunity to produce wines of character and 
quality from many different grapes--our native varieties, blends of native 
and international varieties, and the international varieties alone."

Gaja was expressing a popular viewpoint in Tuscany. Why be limited to the 
so-called authentic varieties when the region offers superb locations for 
international varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay?

Traditionalists argue that the region can be modern without losing its 
regional character, which derives largely from the Sangiovese grape. In fact, 
they say, tying their image to native grapes and terroir is increasingly 
necessary as international wines become more homogeneous.

Riccardo Ricci Curbastro, enologist at his family's Capriolo estate in 
Franciacorta (Lombardy), insisted on the importance of maintaining 
distinctive regional character. "We can only compete in quality linked to 
terroir," he said. "The ancient Romans already loved to classify wines 
according to the production site. They knew wines from different areas had 
different characteristics. Thanks to this rich historical past, we have one 
of the richest plant banks in the world. Every Italian village has different 
wines, different beans, different agricultural products."

Ironically, it was California winemaker Paul Draper of Ridge Vineyards who 
spoke most eloquently on behalf of tradition. Pointing out the danger 
inherent in the leveling effect of industrial winemaking and mass marketing 
on wine quality, he said, "Diversity, distinctiveness and the highest quality 
are sacrificed as the connection to terroir and the natural process is lost. 
Wine has been the central symbol for transformation in the Western world from 
the dawn of civilization. For many people living in the modern world of 
glass, concrete, and conditioned air, it is consciously or unconsciously a 
connection to the earth and the seasons, to nature. As wine becomes just 
another industrial product, we risk losing that vital connection."

There was no debate about the general quality of the wines currently on the 
table. The recent Sangiovese-based wines of Chianti Classico, Montepulciano 
and Montalcino are, collectively, the best ever. They reflect not only the 
excellent 1997-2000 growing seasons in west-central Italy but an evolution 
that has been in progress since the introduction of quality-oriented wine 
production laws in 1966.

Most of the evolution has been a straightforward, if extremely challenging, 
upgrading of vineyards and wineries to bring them into the front rank of the 
world's top wine-producing regions. Every aspect of Tuscan wine, from clones 
and rootstocks to fermentation and aging technology, has been scrutinized. 
Every aspect of production has been upgraded.

In effect, one of the oldest wine regions on the planet has reinvented itself 
in the dawn of the 21st century. As panelist Curbastro pointed out, "Yes, 
Sangiovese could be considered a local variety. But it has become interesting 
on a worldwide level, so it's an international variety too."

In a sense, the most important part of evolution is just getting started. All 
the significant practical matters have been addressed. Now, it's time to 
debate the philosophy and metaphysics of wine, an activity in which the 
Italian soul rejoices.

As Gaja noted, "The state of confusion that reigns in Italy at the moment is 
not terribly negative. Italians manage to find pearls in confusion."

I, for one, hope that the Tuscan pearls continue to be dark red and hang in 
tight little bunches on Sangiovese vines.
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Smith is writer-at-large for Wine & Spirits magazine.