Cesanese is a grape variety used to make red wines in Italys Lazio wine region. It is used mostly in the production of still red wines with bright fruit characters and some earthy overtones, and is considered by many to be one of Lazios most interesting grape varieties.
Cesanese covers a lot of the hilly land to the south of Rome, on high hillsides that overlook the Sacco and Aniene river valleys below.
The variety comes in two distinct types – the large-berried Cesanese Comune and the less widespread Cesanese di Affile. The two are united in both Cesanese del Piglio DOCG wines and Cesanese di Olevano Romano DOC wines, and Cesanese di Affile – considered the superior of the two – has its own Cesanese di Affile DOC title.
