Sangiovese

A decade ago, fresh young reds were rare, and rarely taken seriously. These days they are more common, and critics pay much more attention! Hugh Hamilton are not after attention per se; their aim is to take the best of Sangiovese – always the core of ‘The Mongrel’ – and build on it, in a perfumed, savoury, unchallenging style: fresh, bright and lively!

85% Sangiovese 13.5% Grenache 1.5% Sauvignon Blanc – Sangiovese is a grape that has a lot going for it. Think savoury, meaning it’s great with food; it has a cherry flavour which is a contrast to most other grapes we grow and it holds very good tannin structure. Its natural acidity means it always has an interesting and lively palate. However, if you really want to make this wine ‘sing’ it needs a little touching up with something else and in this vintage, that is a splash of Grenache and Sauvignon Blanc.

With a nose that is a fruity-earthy mix of tar, raspberry, and maple syrup and a palate of supple textured, muscular palate of length and mid-weight. The intense perfume ‘blooms’ across the palate. Crunchy. Shiny polished leather.

The Mongrel is best matched with a simple pasta e polpette (meat-balls) dish with grated parmesan and fresh parsley. In fact any rich, tomato-based dish will be a perfect match!