Collina dei Lecci Sangiovese di Romagna Riserva (2004)

Collina dei Lecci is a farmhouse near San Gimignano, in Tuscany, Italy.  The city is just off the beaten path between Florence and Siena.  The farmhouse is an "agri-tourist" spot where vacationers can relax and experience all that is great about Tuscany.

There is also wine that shares the Collina de Lecci name.  I had the opportunity to try a bottle of the Collina de Lecci Sangiovese di Romagna Riserva 2004.  The bottle caught my attention because the name -- Sangiovese di Romagna.  Sangiovese grapes make some great wines -- like Chianto Classico or Brunello di Montalcino.  And all of those wines are from Tuscany, not Emilia Romagna.

However, growers have vineyards of Sangiovese grapes in the provinces of Bologna, Forli-Cesena, Ravenna and Rimini.  According to the rules of the AC (Appellation Controllee), they can grow Sangiovese grapes in fields with, at most, fifteen percent of other grapes. 

Presumably, all of the grapes used in this wine are grown in Emilia-Romagna, but the wine is made in Montalcino, Tuscany.  The wine poured a ruby red, and, at more than six years old, the wine has definitely aged well.  The wine has a tangy flavor, with cherries and raspberries coming through as you drink the wine.

I think this wine would match well with the pastas and sauces that epitomize the cooking of Emilia Romagna.  It also goes well with pizza, which is what Clare and I had when we ate this pizza. 

But, I don't remember where I got this wine.  More than likely, it was one of the different wines that I bought from VinoMatique, a great little wine store that unfortunately closed its doors recently.  I will truly miss that store.  But, at least the memories will live on with wines like this one.

ENJOY

For more about Sangiovese di Romagna, check out Wine & Food.