$91.90
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Region: Chianti Classico, Tuscany, Italy
Grape: Sangiovese
First Glance: Dense and full-flavoured Chianti
Acclaim: 94 points
The Fontodi estate is based in the Panzano commune, at the very heart of the Chianti Classico region. Vineyards are situated on the "Conca d'oro" a natural amphitheater with south facing exposure and shelter from harsh winds. This prime situation allows the Sangiovese to ripen handily, even in cooler years.
Fontodi is well known for their flag-ship Flaccianello wine, a 100% Sangiovese labelled as IGT Toscana to signify the rather atypical richness and pungent use of new French oak. Indeed across the range, Fontodi's wines are turned up a notch in intensity and density, compared to many other producers in the region.
The core of the range of course is the Chianti Classico, a 100% Sangiovese wine which sees mainly used French Troncais and Allier barriques for 18 months before bottling, and which always delivers a weighty but not overdone expression of Sangio.
The Review:
95 Points, Gary Walsh, The Wine Front
In terms of Chianti Classico, this is what you might call the more modern face of that, and something of a big boy. Aside that, there’s no denying the impact of this wine, and its lush hedonistic character. Black cherry, new leather, liquorice and mocha, baking spice, even something of a storming Braulio amaro tang. It’s plush, loaded with tarry and silty tannin, thickness and intense flavour, firm acidity, plenty of cedar oak, blackberry freshness, orange peel zest, all the dried herbs, and a mouth-coating suede-like tannic finish of super length. It’s large scale, but still lively and energetic. It’s quite the thing.
