The 2010 Rocca di Montemassi Lefocie Sangiovese is sourced from Estate vineyards located in the Maremma district of southern Tuscany.  This is a young wine and is aged in 1,500 gallon French oak barrels for a few months to mature. In the past, some Sangiovese and Chianti were aged in oak barrels for so long that you could get cotton mouth after a few sips, if you drank the wine with pasta in a heavy sauce the oaky sensation went away. Today, they use a lighter hand with the oak, especially on wines exported to America, because Americans do not always use wine as an accompaniment to a meal, here wine has to be versatile. The alcohol content is 13.5%.

The color is cherry red with black highlights. The nose is dark berries, a little vanilla and the slight scent brewing coffee. This  Sangiovese starts with ripe raspberry followed by Dr.Pepper. The mid palate shows strawberry, pepper and a little curry spice. A very well balanced wine, sometimes balanced wines lack fruit, but not here, the acidity is also balanced, is wine would do well paired with food. The finish is fairly strong and lasts a respectable amount of time.

The Rocca di Montemassi Lefocie Sangiovese is a pleasing mixture of an Old World Italian wine and a modern New World wine. Balance and nuance coupled with lush fruit flavor.