Pope Valley Winery, Napa Valley (California) Sangiovese 2018

 In years past, I might have overlooked this wine because I judged varieties by reference to their European counterparts from their ancestral regions of origin, but the rise of Sauvignon from Oregon and Malbec from Argentina have shown that to be a hidebound approach.  This is far riper and richer than its Tuscan cousins, but it still shows Sangiovese’s tang as well as a pleasant leathery undertone, so it rings true enough in Italian terms while also being true to its actual point of origin.  A Platinum Award winner at the 2021 Critics Challenge International Wine and Spirits Competition.