Fontodi Chianti Classico

Tasting Notes

Deep ruby red in colour, this wine has aromas of ripe plum and sour cherry, with notes of tobacco and leather from oak ageing. On the palate, it has great depth of flavour, with juicy fruit and supple tannins giving way to a silky-smooth texture. This Chianti Classico has superb structure and finishes with a fine mineral note.

Producer

The Manetti family has owned Fontodi since 1968 but has been in Chianti for centuries, producing the finest terracotta at their factory in Ferrone. The same attention to detail on their terracotta has been brought to bear on Fontodi over the past 50 years, transforming a crumbling farmhouse with a few hectares of vineyard into one of Chianti Classico’s most impressive estates.

Giovanni Manetti has run the property since 1980 and ensures the wines are as meticulously made as the vineyards and cellar are both immaculately tended. Giovanni’s 90 hectares of vineyard, 90% of which are Sangiovese, are situated in the prime ‘conca d‘oro’ (golden shell) of Panzano, giving wines of supreme elegance, intensity and longevity. The south-facing vineyards and natural amphitheatre allow the grapes to ripen fully, while the altitude ensures cool nights for good acidity retention and lovely aromatics. Soils here allow for excellent drainage, encouraging the vines to reach deep with their roots. Giovanni has converted to organic viticulture and is now following biodynamic principles to obtain the best quality fruit.

In the winery, his approach is similarly non-interventionist (very low toast oak, for example) to ensure that the quality of the fruit is preserved in the finished wine. Giovanni’s Chianti Classico always shows great depth and intensity, while maintaining balance. 

Vineyards

Fontodi's 99 hectares of south-facing vineyards sit at 450 metres above sea level in the Conca d'Oro, an amphitheatre-shaped valley to the south of Panzano. Well-draining 'Scaglia Toscana' soils are made up of a mixture of Galestro (clay schist) and Alberese (limestone) and encourage the vines to grow deep roots. The Sangiovese used for the Fontodi Chianti Classico comes predominantly from 10-year-old, guyot-trained vines, with a proportion of fruit from the same 25-year-old vines that produce 'Flaccianello'. The quality of the Sangiovese grapes from the Fontodi vineyards obviates the need for Merlot or other varieties as a remedial blender.