Fèlsina Berardenga, `Fontalloro`

Grapes for Fontalloro are grown on Fontalloro and Poggio al Sole vineyards situated inside the Chianti Classico zone, and the Casalino and Arcidossino vineyards in the Chianti Colli Senesi zone. The overall 6 hectares vineyards are over 50 years old, situated at an altitude of 400 metres above sea level. The vines are Guyot trained, with a maximum of 5-8 buds per vine. Soils here are calcareous in the Chianti Classico area and predominantly loamy and sandy on the borders of the Colli Senesi. Planting density is 5,400 vines per hectare.

2018 winter was characterized by heavy rainfall that filled the 2017 water deficit and by a wave of intense frost (up to - 13C °) between 26 and 28 February. This phenomenon did not cause damage to the vines as they were all still in vegetative rest. During spring, temperatures were above the seasonal average, with abundant rainfall. Unlike 2017, many early defoliation have been done and a more intense mowing and control of the weeds, while the working of the land has been reduced. High temperatures in summer with storms that have maintained water reserves in the soil and thus balance for the vine. The month of September was beautiful, with sunny days until the 10th of October. This allowed a double or even triple selection of grapes on all the vineyards, increasing the already excellent quality.

The grapes went through a thorough selection process, both in the vineyard and upon arrival at the winery. After destemming and crushing, fermentation took place at 28-30°C with daily punch downs of the cap, followed by an extended 16 to 20 day post-fermentation maceration. The wine was then racked into barriques (a mixture of first and second use) in the spring and aged in those for 18 to 22 months. Before bottling the final blend was assembled and left to marry in stainless-steel tanks. Finally, the wine was aged in bottle in the Fèlsina cellars for 8 to 12 months before release.