Citra Sangiovese, Terre di Chieti, 2002 vintage
price: $7-$9 per magnum (1.5 liter bottle)
suggested food pairings: pizza, pasta with red sauce, wood-grilled vegetables, beef and pork

They’ve done it again. This wine cooperative in Italy’s coastal Abruzzi region pumps more than 20 million bottles of inexpensive wine into the marketplace each year. They sell magnums at an average of eight bucks a whack and are making money at that price. What’s more—it tastes great. I tried their Chardonnay several months ago and found it good enough to be featured in this space. When my wife brought home a bottle of the Sangiovese, I was almost afraid that the Chardonnay was an anomaly and my regard for Citra would be diminished, but I was wrong.

Sangiovese is Italy’s noble grape. Most famous for providing the backbone in the blends from Tuscany’s Chianti neighborhood, Sangiovese has become a stand-alone grape with both American and Italian growers.  Its flavors are especially coincidental with where it is grown; they range from round and fruity to tight and herbaceous. This example leans toward the softer side.

The dark color shows some prolonged extraction, or that fermentation was not rushed in its first stages. It smells of dried rose petals, dusty leather and a hint of cherry tobacco. Tart cherry and plum skip merrily on the tongue in a fruity acid style that winds all the way through the flavor profile. A muted tannin aspect stays in the shadows, but at the finish you notice it’s been there all along. With the possible exception of my favorite Russian River zinfandel, this may just be the most perfect have-with-pizza wine I’ve tasted.

Craig Pierce can be reached at This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it