Cesanese is a group of two distinct native Italian red wine grape varieties, Cesanese Comune and Cesanese d’Affile. A recently discovered third member is the Cesanese di Castelfranco. The name derives from a small town outside of Rome called Cesano.

Wine style: Ian D’Agata cites both dry and air-dried sweet passito styles in wines of deep colour. Exuberant red fruit with red rose, cinnamon, white pepper. Low tannins, so potentially populist.

Wines: Cesanese del Piglio or Piglio DOCG (Lazio). | Cesanese di Olevano Romano or Olevano Romano DOC (Lazio). | Cesanese d’Affile or Affile DOC (Lazio). Cori DOC (Lazio). | Velletri DOC (Lazio).

Bibliography

Ian D’Agata, Native Wine Grapes of Italy (University of California Press, 2014), p.244-6.