Cesanese Comune (more commonly known as just Cesanese) is a red

Italian wine Italian wine is produced in every region of Italy. Italy is the world's largest producer of wine, with an area of under vineyard cultivation, and contributing a 2013–2017 annual average of 48.3 million hl of wine. In 2018 Italy accounted fo ...

grape variety This list of grape varieties includes cultivated grapes, whether used for wine, or eating as a table grape, fresh or dried (raisin, currant, sultana). For a complete list of all grape species including those unimportant to agriculture, see Viti ...

that is grown primarily in the

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region. The grape has three ''

Denominazione di origine controllata The following four classifications of wine constitute the Italian system of labelling and legally protecting Italian wine: * ''Denominazione di origine'' (DO, rarely used; ; English: “designation of origin”), * ''Indicazione geografica tipi ...

'' (DOC) regions dedicated to it-

Cesanese di Affile DOC Cesanese Comune (more commonly known as just Cesanese) is a red Italian wine grape variety that is grown primarily in the Lazio region. The grape has three ''Denominazione di origine controllata'' (DOC) regions dedicated to it- Cesanese di Affi ...

Cesanese di Olevano DOC Cesanese Comune (more commonly known as just Cesanese) is a red Italian wine grape variety that is grown primarily in the Lazio region. The grape has three ''Denominazione di origine controllata'' (DOC) regions dedicated to it- Cesanese di Affi ...

and

Cesanese di Piglio DOC Cesanese Comune (more commonly known as just Cesanese) is a red Italian wine grape variety that is grown primarily in the Lazio region. The grape has three ''Denominazione di origine controllata'' (DOC) regions dedicated to it-Cesanese di Affil ...

. M. Ewing-Mulligan & E. McCarthy ''Italian Wines for Dummies'' pg 200 Hungry Minds 2001 ''Cesanese di Affile'' appears to be a distinct sub-variety of Cesanese Comune unique to the commune of Affile. (much like '' Brunello'' is a unique clone of

Sangiovese Sangiovese (, also , , ) is a red Italian wine grape variety that derives its name from the Latin ''sanguis Jovis'', "the blood of Jupiter". Though it is the grape of most of central Italy from Romagna down to Lazio (the most widespread grape ...

unique to commune of

Montalcino Montalcino is a hill town and ''comune'' in the province of Siena, Tuscany, central Italy. The town is located to the west of Pienza, close to the Crete Senesi in Val d'Orcia. It is from Siena, from Florence and from Pisa. Monte Amiata is ...

) There are noticeable differences between Cesanese Comune and the grapes found in Cesanese di Affile, including the size of the grape berry itself. The sub-variety Cesanese d'Affile is considered to be of superior quality of Cesanese Comune and is used as minor ingredient in the Tuscan

cult wine Cult wines are wines for which dedicated groups of committed enthusiasts will pay large sums of money. Cult wines are often seen as trophy wines to be collected or as investment wine to be held rather than consumed. Because price is often seen ...

Trinoro. J. Robinson (ed) ''"The Oxford Companion to Wine"'' Third Edition pg 148 Oxford University Press 2006 The grape has very old origins, and may have been used in Roman winemaking. Today it is rarely seen outside of the Lazio. Oz Clarke ''Encyclopedia of Grapes'' pg 59 Harcourt Books 2001

History

Cesanese Comune has had a long history in the Lazio regions with ampelographers believing the grape to be

indigenous Indigenous may refer to: *Indigenous peoples *Indigenous (ecology), presence in a region as the result of only natural processes, with no human intervention *Indigenous (band), an American blues-rock band *Indigenous (horse), a Hong Kong racehorse ...

to the region. While it may have been used in Roman winemaking, in recent centuries the grape has been on a steady decline. By 2000 there were less than 2,500 acres (1,000 hectares) of the grape planted in Italy. The grape's decline has coincided with the general decline of

viticulture Viticulture (from the Latin word for '' vine'') or winegrowing (wine growing) is the cultivation and harvesting of grapes. It is a branch of the science of horticulture. While the native territory of '' Vitis vinifera'', the common grape vine, ...

in the Lazio region as

urban sprawl Urban sprawl (also known as suburban sprawl or urban encroachment) is defined as "the spreading of urban developments (such as houses and shopping centers) on undeveloped land near a city." Urban sprawl has been described as the unrestricted growt ...

and more of the population shift from agriculture to more industrial enterprises. In the 2000s, the Cesanese variety earned publicity for being included in the debut wine

Sogno Uno ''Sogno'' ( en, Dream) is the fifth studio album by Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli. The album sold 2.5 million copies in the United States,

by American porn star Savanna Samson. For her first foray into the wine industry, Samson sampled 80 Italian wines before deciding to base her first wine primarily on the rare Lazio grape. Her 2004 Sogno Uno, which earned a favorable 91pt rating from American wine critic Robert Parker (wine), Robert Parker, was composed of 70% Cesanese, 20% Sangiovese and 10% Montepulciano (grape), Montepulciano.T. Aspler '
Curves of the Bottle - Interview with Sacanna Samson
"'' Tidings, June 9th, 2008

Wine regions

Cesanese Comune is almost exclusively planted in the Lazio region of Italy, and has long been associated with the ancient town and comune of Anagni. It is planted throughout the hills of southeast Latium in the province of Frosinone which has been sub-divided into three DOC regions. The Cesanese di Affile DOC is located around the commune of Affile in the province of Rome, though the sub-variety of ''Cesanese di Affile'' has migrated north to southern Tuscany. The Cesanese di Olevano is also located in the province of Rome around the city of Olevano Romano. The mountainous vineyards of the Cesanese di Piglio DOC, centered around the Piglio commune in the province of Frosinone, is considered by wine experts such as Master of Wine Mary Ewing-Mulligan to produce the best quality Cesanese wine but viticulture in the area has declined due to the difficulties in cultivating such mountainous terrain.

Wines

Traditionally Cesanese was used to make sweet (wine), sweet red wines that ranged from slightly sparkling ''frizzante'' to fully sparkling ''spumante'' styles. In the late 20th century more winemakers began making dry still wines from the grape variety. Under DOC regulations, any wine labeled as Cesanese must contain at least 90% of the grape variety in the wine. Among the other grape varieties permitted to fill in the remaining 10% of the blend are both red and white grapes-Sangiovese, Montepulciano, Barbera, Trebbiano Toscano and Bambino bianco. P. Saunders ''Wine Label Language'' pg 137-138 Firefly Books 2004 Wines made Cesanese are described as body (wine), light bodied and soft, often recommended to be enjoyed soon after release. Wines from the Cesanese di Affile DOC may have a slight bitter edge.

Synonyms

Among the synonyms that Cesanese is known under include Bambino, Bombino nero, Bonvino nero, Bonvino, Cesanese, Cesanese ad acino grosso, Cesanese nero, Cesanese velletrano, Cesanze nero, Ferrigno nero, Ferrigno, Mangiatoria, Nero Ferrigno, Sancinella and Sanginella. Vitis International Variety Catalogue (VIVC)
Cesanese Commune
Accessed: November 13th, 2017

References

{{reflist Red wine grape varieties