The Many Faces of Sangiovese
- Rebecca Gouttenoire
- Jul 27
- 4 min read
Why Brunello, Prugnolo Gentile and Sangioveto aren't actually different grapes
"Wait… I thought Brunello was a grape?"
One of the most common misconceptions about Tuscan wine has its roots in something Italians know very well: campanilismo—the proud belief that what's under your church bell tower is a little bit better, a little bit more special, than what's under everyone else's.
That fierce local pride has shaped Tuscany's food, traditions... and even the names of its grapes.
Travel through the region and you'll quickly discover that Sangiovese seems to change identity from one hill to the next. In Montalcino, locals proudly call it Brunello. Around Montepulciano, it becomes Prugnolo Gentile. In Chianti Classico, you'll often hear the traditional name Sangioveto.
It's easy to come away thinking that each region has its own distinct grape variety.
They haven't.
Well...
Not exactly.
A grape with many names
Before scientists began studying grape DNA, vines were identified by observation.
Growers noticed that Sangiovese looked and behaved a little differently from one valley to another. Some vines had slightly larger berries, others ripened a little later, while some produced wines with more structure or brighter acidity.
Over centuries, each region gave "its" Sangiovese a local nickname.
In Montalcino, it became known as Brunello or Sangiovese Grosso.
Around Montepulciano, it became Prugnolo Gentile.
Across much of Chianti, the traditional name was Sangioveto (an actual official synonym for Sangiovese) or Sangiovese Piccolo.
These names are deeply rooted in local history and culture, but they don't represent different grape varieties.
They are traditional regional names for local populations of the same grape: Sangiovese.
Then things became wonderfully complicated...
Just when you think you've understood the story, another word appears:
Clone.
A clone isn't a cross between grapes, and it isn't something created in a laboratory.
Every grapevine grown today is propagated from cuttings rather than seeds. Occasionally, one vine naturally develops characteristics that growers really like: perhaps it produces smaller berries, ripens more evenly, withstands drought better, or gives wines with greater colour or elegance.
That vine can be propagated again and again.
The result is a clone.
There aren't three Sangioveses.
There are 132.
As of 2026, Italy officially recognizes 132 registered Sangiovese clones (source national catalogue of vine varieties).
Each one has been selected because it offers something slightly different.
Some produce looser bunches that are less susceptible to rot.
Others maintain acidity in warmer vintages.
Some yield naturally smaller berries with more concentrated flavours.
Others are chosen because they're better adapted to drought, certain soils, or particular vineyard exposures.
The goal isn't to find the "best" clone.
It's to find the right clone - or, more often, the right combination of clones - for a specific vineyard.
Why producers rarely plant just one clone
Imagine if every musician in an orchestra played the violin.
You'd have beautiful violins...
…but no orchestra.
And here's the thing: It's the same in the vineyard!
Many top producers intentionally plant several Sangiovese clones together.
One contributes perfume.
Another structure.
Another acidity.
Another consistency in difficult vintages.
Together, they create wines that are more balanced, more complex and often more resilient to changing conditions.
So what happened to Sangiovese Grosso?
This is where many books unintentionally oversimplify the story.
Historically, Sangiovese Grosso referred to the local Sangiovese population selected in the Montalcino area—plants that were generally considered to have larger berries than what was traditionally called Sangiovese Piccolo elsewhere.
Modern research has shown that the picture is far more nuanced.
Today's Brunello vineyards aren't planted with one single "Sangiovese Grosso clone." Instead, they contain carefully selected Sangiovese clones, many originating from historical Brunello material, chosen according to the vineyard's soils, altitude and growing conditions.
The same principle applies in Montepulciano and Chianti.
The traditional names remain.
The vineyards themselves are genetically much more diverse.
🍷 Rebecca's Take
One of the things I love most about Tuscany is that everyone is right… and everyone is wrong.
Spend the morning in Montalcino and people will proudly tell you their grape is Brunello. Drive an hour east and suddenly it's Prugnolo Gentile. Stop for lunch in Chianti Classico and you'll hear Sangioveto.
Nobody is trying to confuse you.
They're simply speaking the language of their own territory.
To me, those names are part of what makes Tuscany so fascinating. They're reminders that wine isn't just botany—it's history, identity and centuries of local pride.
🐇 There's always a Rabbit Hole
Think of Sangiovese like the English language.
People in London, New York, Sydney and Edinburgh all speak English.
The accents are different.
Some words change.
The expressions evolve.
But nobody would argue they're speaking different languages.
Sangiovese is much the same.
Brunello, Prugnolo Gentile and Sangioveto are local accents of the same grape, while the 132 officially registered clones are more like individual voices—each with its own personality, each chosen for a particular role in the vineyard.
The takeaway
Next time someone tells you that Brunello is a different grape from Sangiovese, you can smile and answer:
"Not quite."
Brunello, Prugnolo Gentile and Sangioveto are traditional local names for Sangiovese, while modern vineyards are planted with carefully selected combinations of 132 officially registered Sangiovese clones, each chosen to suit the land, the climate and the style of wine the producer hopes to create.
That's part of what makes Tuscany so endlessly fascinating.
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