Irish Monkey Cellars
2006 Sangiovese - Amador
$18 / 750 ml.

Note the decidely red hue on the grapes shown to the left. The Sangiovese varietal generously produces heavy clusters of sweet red-purple grapes, that in turn go on to make a brilliant blood-red wine having no 'purple' or 'blueish' tones.

Our Sangiovese in kind is a clear ruby red, without the garnet tone that typifies the other reds. It is fresh and light, with a mid-palate mouth feel, easily enjoyed nearly chilled and accompanying almost any tomato simmered dish. "Uncle Dave" describes our Sangiovese as his favorite "session wine", to be opened well before dinner in the mid afternoon, then poured glass after glass as the afternoon develops.

Winemaker Bob has also found that this is almost the only wine that actually benefits from a single chip of ice per glass. It seems that the slight cooling and dilution rapidly changes the balance of flavors to a bursting Bing cherry profile. Just amazing!

 
Serving
Temperature Cool with single chip of ice(!) It is an extraordinary experience: pour two glasses into identical stemware. Into one, add a single modest sized ice cube. The other leave be. Swirl until the ice has melted entirely. Now taste side by side. Two completely enjoyable, absolutely different wines!
Glass Wide & Tall A large balloon bowl is best for Sangiovese (or for the Italian purists, a large-mouth short jelly jar.) Sangiovese doesn't need to be treated with gloves. It is meant to be poured, quaffed, enjoyed, and poured some more.
Transition to

Merlot
Light Syrah
Delicate Zin
Sauternes

Since the lightness and balance of flavor in a Sangiovese edges out similar competition for follow-on wines, you should choose varieties that aren't overly strong and are also not overly complex. Kind of hard, but Merlot is a great counterpoint wine to Sangiovese!