2018 | Fontodi | Flaccianello delle Pieve

This Sangiovese is bright, ruby red in colour. On the nose, aromas of ripe dark cherries, violets and plums, complemented by a hint of spice. This wine has wonderful structure and the palate is typically rich and full complemented by racy acidity and characteristically fine, supple tannins. The finish is flavourful and persistent.

Reviews:

• Vinous: The 2018 Flaccianello della Pieve is another stellar wine from Fontodi. It is the richest Flaccianello ever made (in terms of dry extract), with elevated acidity that trails the 2016 by just a touch, but it does not taste like that at all. Dark cherry, violet, lavender, spice, mocha and graphite build with a bit of time in the glass. Like the Sorbo, the 2018 Flaccianello is not a wine of size, as in most previous years, but rather a wine that exudes vibrancy, energy and class from start to finish. I absolutely loved it.

• Wine Advocate: Generally speaking, I have reservations concerning the 2018 vintage that saw intermittent periods of hot and cold with some rain thrown in at the end of the growing cycle. The 2018 Flaccianello della Pieve blasted straight through any lingering doubt and is the result of a deft winemaking hand. This is a phenomenal and proudly confident vintage of the estate's top Sangiovese, which represents a blend of organic fruit from the best parcels. The wine's personality reveals brooding darkness and austerity, and these impressions are reinforced by savory tones of cigar smoke and earthy leather. The core of the wine is tight and richly concentrated with generous blackberry and plum. The velvety tannins are integrated but still youthful and grippy. You'll definitely need to give this elegant wine more time in the bottle. Production is an ample 60,000 bottles.

Producer Information

Fontodi is a wine producer in the Chianti Classico region of Tuscany. It is known particularly for its Super Tuscan wine, Flaccianello delle Pieve, a full-bodied varietal Sangiovese. The estate is located in the heart of the Classico zone, south of Panzano, in the valley known as the Conca d'Oro, (or golden shell) due to its sun-catching amphitheatre shape. The microclaimte here is warm and dry with a large diurnal temperature variation to ensure that the grapes reach full maturity without compromising the acidity level. The soils of the 70 hectare (173 acre) vineyard are a combination of chalk, clay and schist. The Flaccianello della Pieve wine comes from a selection of the best plots of Sangiovese, but other varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah are also cultivated. Fontodi ferments all of its red wines in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks, except for the Pinot Nero which uses conical wooden vats. French oak from the Troncais and Allier forests is used for aging, the top wines in 225 litre barriques. As well as the Flaccianello della Pieve, the Fontodi portfolio includes the Chianti Classico Riserva wine Vigna del Sorbo, which is a blend of Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon. The generic Chianti Classico represents the core of production, and there are a range of varietal wines made from Syrah, Pinot Nero (Pinot Noir) and Sauvignon Blanc.

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