Sangiovese vines were first mentioned in Central Italy in 1590, but are probably much older. The qualitative upswing to the top wines came on a large scale however only in the 1980's. Through measures such as the selection of high-quality clones or a closer plant density, the quality of the wines could be significantly increased. In Tuscany and also in many adjoining areas such as Emilia-Romagna or Umbria, Sangiovese is the most important red grape. Traditionally, the wine blands of Tuscany were mostly dominated by the Sangiovese, complemented with some Cannaiolo, Ciligiolo or Colorino, today more and more often with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, which for some years officially, for example, in the Chianti have been approved. All great traditional wines of Tuscany are based on a high percentage of Sangiovese, like the Brunello di Montalcino (here the vine is called "Sangiovese Grosso"), Chianti, Chianti Classico, Morellino di Scansano and the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano.