One of the most unusual wines in the Capanna portfolio, SanGioBì 2024 is a white wine made entirely from red Sangiovese grapes grown around the estate in the Montosoli area of Montalcino.
By immediately separating the juice from the red grape skins through gentle pressing, Capanna produces a blanc de noirs interpretation of Tuscany’s most famous red variety. The result is remarkably distinctive: green apple, pear, white flowers and subtle orchard fruit, with vibrant acidity, a lightly textured palate and an intriguing savory quality that reveals its Sangiovese origins.
Producer: Capanna – Cencioni Family
Region: Tuscany, Italy
Area: Montalcino – Montosoli
Classification: Bianco Toscana IGT
Grape: 100% Sangiovese
Vintage: 2024
Alcohol: 12.5%
Style: Dry · Fresh · Savory · Blanc de Noirs
Production: White Wine from Red Sangiovese Grapes
Capanna’s vineyards are concentrated within approximately two kilometres of the winery in Montosoli, north of Montalcino, at elevations of roughly 250–300 metres. The soils are predominantly clay-based galestro with abundant rocky material, and the estate notes that the combination of soils and significant day-to-night temperature variation contributes acidity, elegance and fruit character to its wines.
Nose:
Fresh and distinctive, led by green apple, crisp pear and yellow apple, followed by white flowers and subtle meadow herbs. Capanna itself emphasizes the wine’s intense green-apple character, while recent reviews of the 2024 also identify pear, white blossom and herbal nuances.
Palate:
Vibrant and refreshing, with crisp apple and pear fruit supported by bright acidity. There is more texture and savory character than one might expect from its pale appearance, with a subtle grip through the mid-palate that gives the wine personality and makes it particularly food-friendly.
Structure:
Medium-bodied, energetic and beautifully balanced. Sangiovese’s naturally high acidity gives SanGioBì impressive freshness, while several months in oak contribute additional texture and complexity without turning it into an overtly oaky white wine.
Finish:
Clean, persistent and savory, with lingering apple, pear, delicate herbs and subtle mineral notes, carried by refreshing acidity. Falstaff describes the 2024 as showing crisp fruit and racy acidity with a delicate finish.
This is what makes SanGioBì particularly interesting.
Although Sangiovese is a red grape, most of the pigment responsible for its color is contained in the grape skins rather than the juice itself.
Capanna destems and crushes the grapes immediately, followed by very gentle pressing, minimizing contact between the juice and the skins. The pale juice is then fermented as a white wine.
Fermentation takes place in stainless steel at a cool 12–14°C for approximately one month, preserving the wine’s fresh fruit and aromatic character. It is subsequently matured for several months in 10-hectolitre oak barrels before release around six to eight months after harvest.
The result is essentially a Tuscan Blanc de Noirs—white Sangiovese.
Capanna has been owned by the Cencioni family since 1957 and is located in the highly regarded Montosoli area north of Montalcino.
The family began bottling its wines during the 1960s, and founder Giuseppe Cencioni was one of the 25 founders of the Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino following Brunello’s DOC recognition in 1966. Today, the estate remains family-run under the third and fourth generations.
While Capanna is best known for Brunello, SanGioBì demonstrates a much more experimental side of the estate—taking the grape at the heart of Brunello and expressing it as a white wine.
The 2024 SanGioBì is particularly successful in emphasizing freshness and drinkability.
Falstaff awarded the vintage 89 points, noting yellow apple, meadow herbs, crisp fruit and lively acidity. James Suckling also rated it 89 points, highlighting fresh apple, pear and white blossom with a juicy, refreshing palate.
At 12.5% alcohol, the wine retains an appealing sense of lightness and energy.
Capanna SanGioBì 2024 is one of those wines that has a great story behind it—and that makes it particularly appealing for a wine boutique.
It is 100% Sangiovese from Montalcino, vinified completely as a white wine.
The result combines green apple, pear and white flowers with crisp acidity, subtle texture and an intriguing savory finish. Several months of oak maturation give it more substance than a simple fresh white, while the naturally energetic character of Sangiovese keeps everything lively.
For customers accustomed to drinking Sangiovese exclusively as Chianti, Rosso di Montalcino or Brunello, SanGioBì provides an opportunity to experience the grape from an entirely different perspective.
2025–2029
SanGioBì is primarily about freshness, and I would enjoy the 2024 over the next three years while its apple, pear and floral characteristics remain vibrant.
Serve around 10–12°C. I would avoid serving it excessively cold—the subtle texture and savory character become much more apparent as the wine warms slightly in the glass.
Capanna recommends SanGioBì with antipasti, vegetable pasta and rice dishes, seafood and white meats.
Its combination of acidity, texture and subtle grip makes it more versatile than a very light white. I particularly like it with grilled seafood, seafood risotto, pasta with pesto, roast chicken, burrata and grilled vegetables.
For something particularly Italian, try it with Burrata, heirloom tomatoes, basil and extra virgin olive oil.
PAIR WITH:
Burrata · Grilled Seafood · Seafood Risotto · Pasta al Pesto · Roast Chicken · Grilled Vegetables · Soft Cheeses
