2021 Riporta Small Batch Old Vines Sangiovese, Abruzzo

Riporta Small Batch Old Vines Sangiovese is a characterful, food loving red that shows a more savoury, authentic side of central Italian Sangiovese. Grown in Abruzzo, where rolling hills rise from the Adriatic coast toward the Apennines, the old vines benefit from warm days, cooling mountain breezes and long ripening. The soils here are a mix of clay and limestone, helping the vines dig deep and produce fruit with natural balance, freshness and earthy detail rather than simple ripeness.

Riporta focuses on small batch wines that highlight vine age and regional character, and this Sangiovese is very much about honesty and restraint. Old vines naturally limit yields, concentrating flavour while retaining acidity. Winemaking is kept straightforward, aiming to preserve varietal purity and savoury nuance rather than layering on oak or extraction. The result feels genuinely Italian in spirit, rustic in the best sense, but polished enough to drink with ease.

In the glass, the wine is vibrant and expressive. Sour cherry, red plum and cranberry sit at the core, joined by dried herbs, tomato leaf and a hint of earth. There is a subtle spice note and a faint dusty character that speaks clearly of Abruzzo rather than Tuscany, giving the wine its own identity.

On the palate, Riporta Small Batch Old Vines Sangiovese is medium bodied, bright and mouthwatering. Red fruit flavours are driven by lively acidity, with fine, slightly rustic tannins providing grip and shape. The texture is dry and savoury, finishing clean with lingering cherry skin, herbs and a gentle mineral edge that makes it incredibly food friendly.

This is a natural partner for the table. It shines with tomato based pasta, pizza, grilled meats, sausages, roast vegetables or anything Mediterranean and uncomplicated. Drinking beautifully now for its freshness and charm, it will also hold comfortably over the next three to five years, developing more earthy complexity.

Riporta Small Batch Old Vines Sangiovese is honest, expressive and deeply satisfying. A soulful Abruzzo red that delivers classic Sangiovese character with old vine depth and everyday drinkability.