We are in San Miniato. And I'm not talking about the church San Miniato al Monte that overlooks Florence, but rather the medieval village of San Miniato, a small food and wine paradise halfway between Pisa and Florence. In the woods of San Miniato, the white truffle hides, and the estates of the area guard rare indigenous grape varieties. One of these rare "gems," the Sanforte, did not originate here but has arrived during its history.
"The first testimonies of Sanforte date back to 1773"
Let's go back nearly twenty years. In 2004, the biodynamic company of Cosimo Maria Masini began producing an IGT Tuscan Red wine “Cosimo” from grapes from vineyards over 70 years old, a typical old Tuscan vineyard where Sangiovese is accompanied by “minor” varieties. The “team” in this case includes Canaiolo, Bonamico, Malvasia Nera, some Barbera plants along with Trebbiano Toscano and Malvasia Bianca. But there’s also a variety that the company initially fails to recognize. For this reason, they call in an ampelographer, Enrico Bachechi, a specialist in rare grape varieties who discovers the presence of Sanforte in that vineyard, which at the time was called Sangiovese forte.
What is meant by strong Sangiovese? Is it perhaps one of the many clones of the Tuscan king Sangiovese? Absolutely not. The first evidence of Sanforte dates back to 1773 when Giovanni Cosimo Villifranchi, a Florentine doctor and botanist, mentioned this variety in his book "Tuscan Enology, or a Memoir on Wines, Particularly Tuscan." Nearly a century later, in 1852, Marquis Leopoldo Incisa della Rocchetta mentioned Sanforte as one of the grape varieties present in his ampelographic collection of Rocchetta Tanaro. Until the 2000s, Sanforte was considered a clone of Sangiovese with medium clusters, small berries, and great resistance. There is just one problem. The plant does not resemble Sangiovese that much, just as the aromatic profiles of the two grape varieties do not resemble each other.
Sangiovese and Sanforte are not genetically related. In 2007, the rare grape variety earned its place in the National Catalogue of Grape Varieties. As of today, Sanforte is nearly extinct. Thanks to the commitment and passion of a few companies in Tuscany, Umbria, and Upper Lazio, it has every opportunity to be reborn.
"Until the 2000s, Sanforte was considered a clone of Sangiovese"
But let's return to San Miniato, to Cosimo Maria Masini to be exact. "In 2008, while observing the plants and the grapes and experimenting with micro-vinifications, we felt that Sanforte was a very interesting grape variety," says Francesco De Filippis, the manager and agronomist of the company. At that time, the estate only had about thirty Sanforte plants. Not enough, therefore, to fully understand the potential of this grape. "In 2011 we made grafts in two plots to have more feedback in terms of quantity. Encouraged by the results obtained, we then decided to plant an entire hectare in 2018," Francesco recounts.
Why is Sanforte, as the name itself suggests, “strong”? Winemakers believe it is for various reasons. Sanforte is strong because the plant is robust, it suffers less from downy mildew or powdery mildew, the clusters are more sparse than Sangiovese, and the small berry is less prone to rot. In extreme vintages, it performs better. In the rainy 2014, it had less rot, and in the dry 2017, it had fewer sunburns thanks to its thick skin. And we, wine lovers, how can we feel the strength of Sanforte?
The Sanforte is strong due to its ability to accumulate sugars and produce more alcohol. Today, it is difficult to produce the Sanforte with less than 14 degrees while also achieving good phenolic ripeness. Moreover, the Sanforte manages to be enveloping, less sharp than Sangiovese, with soft tannins and balanced acidity.
The wonderful thing about the world of wine is that even after studying it for so many years, you can always discover something new and be suddenly surprised. The IGT Toscana Rosso Sanforte 2020 by Cosimo Maria Masini is an incredibly sensual, refined, and elegant product. It is quite difficult to compare it with other wines. The nose opens with aromas of plum, sour cherry in spirits, black pepper, sweet spices, withered violet, and coffee. The sip is full, soft, and velvety, with an extraordinarily long finish characterized by hints of chocolate.
"Sanforte is enveloping, with soft tannins and balanced acidity."
This complex and deep wine makes any day special, especially when paired with a delicious and carefully chosen dish. Tuscan cuisine offers numerous local specialties to try with such a wine; it can be delightful to pair it even with the enveloping spices of peposo or other stewed red meats. Francesco de Filippis recommends his favorite pairings, with hare in sweet and strong sauce or with mallegato sanminiatese, a salami made with blood. The medieval gastronomic tradition involves collecting pig’s blood that is quickly filtered and cooked. Once cooked, while cold, it is mixed with pork lard, cinnamon, salt, spices, pine nuts, and raisins. Such a product was a simple way for farmers to add iron and protein to their meal. Today we can taste mallegato in the butcher shops and restaurants of San Miniato.