La Selva Sangiovese Bianco (2022)

Nearly twenty years ago, I spent a short time in Tuscany learning about, among other things, Tuscan wines. Much of that time was spent in the Chianti region, learning how vintners and winemakers turn the Sangiovese grape into some truly special Chianti Classico wines. I got to taste some amazing wines produced by Antinori and Frescobaldi. Some of those wines were produced with grapes solely from the Chianti Classico region, while others sourced Sangiovese grapes from around Tuscany. 

When I returned home, I began to explore other Sangiovese wines. Those efforts introduced me to wines like the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano (some of which, in my humble opinion, can rival the Chianti Classico wines), as well as other wines like the Rosso Di Montalcino and what are commonly referred to as the "Super Tuscans."

Yet, I never came across a Sangiovese wine other than a red wine. This makes a certain amount of sense, because the Sangiovese grape is a red grape. One would not ordinarily expect it to produce a white wine. I certainly did not have that expectation, until I came across a bottle of a Sangiovese Bianco in a local wine store. The wine was produced by Cantina La Selva, an organic vineyard in Tuscany.

Cantina La Selva began operating back in 1980 in Tuscany's Maremma region. That is the coastal region, with shorelines that meet the waves from the Ligurian Sea. Dotted along that coastline are cities, both large (such as Livorno) and small (like Baratti). A coastal region makes sense for a white wine, as that type of wine typically gets paired with seafood. Yet, as one travels inland, they would encounter hills and mountains, areas where vineyards and winemakers like Cantina La Selva can work their trade.

To produce a white wine from a red grape, Cantina La Selva begins by harvesting the Sangiovese grapes by hand in mid-September. They then press the grapes lightly, as that is what results in the white wine (generally speaking, if the grapes are pressed harder or left with the skins for a longer period of time, that results in a red wine). The resulting liquid goes through static cold fermenting and aging in stainless steel tanks. The wine ages for six months on the lees and conditioned in the bottle for only 3 months.

The Sangiovese Bianco pours a very light, transparent golden color, which takes on pinkish hues depending upon the light. The wine makers describe the aroma as including small berries and a hint of spiciness. Others describe elements of rose water, grapefruit and citrus zest. 

The small berries come through particularly on the palate, but I have to say that I also get faint hints of rose water. (That is a good thing because, as anyone who has worked with rose water as an ingredient can tell you, that ingredient is rather "loud."). The wine has a definite sweetness to it, but that sweetness is also balanced by a fair amount of acidity, providing a dryness that really works.

A bottle of the La Selva Sangiovese Blanco costs approximately $18.99 per bottle. It is worth the price, if only to try something different. 

PEACE.