Fontodi, `Flaccianello della Pieve`

Fontodi is one of Chianti Classico’s most impressive estates, famed for its wines of elegance, intensity and longevity. Though the Manetti family has owned Fontodi since 1968, they have lived in Chianti for centuries, producing some of Italy’s finest terracotta at their factory in Ferrone. Giovanni Manetti has run the estate since 1980. The current President of the Consorzio Vino Chianti Classico, Giovanni is a great ambassador for the denomination and was one of the driving forces behind its recent classification into 11 distinct UGAs.

Most of the estate’s 110 hectares of vineyards are located in Panzano's prime ‘Conca d‘Oro’. Translating as ‘golden shell’, this is a natural, south-facing amphitheatre. The richness and concentration derived from the ‘sun-trap’ aspect is counteracted by high elevation (between 250 to 700 metres) and a large proportion of limestone in the galestro and alberese soils, lending the wines great freshness. Respect for nature is at the heart of Giovanni’s vineyard philosophy, he drove the conversion to organic in the 1990s and also embraces some biodynamic principles to obtain the best quality fruit.

In the winery, Giovanni’s approach is non-interventionist. He ferments with indigenous yeasts and uses very low toast oak and larger casks to ensure the quality of fruit is preserved in the finished wines. He now also uses ‘orci’ (amphorae) made with clay from the vineyards at the Manetti terracotta factory to vinify a small percentage of all his red wines, believing in its ability to amplify the expression of varietal and sense of place.

The ‘Meriggio’ is 100% Sauvignon Blanc. Fermented and aged in orci, it marries citrussy vibrancy with a wonderful textural quality. The ‘Bianco’ is an intense and concentrated 100% Trebbiano, made from low yielding 50-year-old vines. The Chianti Classico, a 100% Sangiovese with a proportion of the blend coming from the same vines that make Flaccianello, always shows great depth and intensity while maintaining balance. The ‘Dino’, Giovanni’s ode to his father, is 100% Sangiovese fermented and aged for 18 months in orci. The ‘Case Via’, from a plot historically farmed by monks and famed for its quality, is a Syrah of exceptional character, with intense black fruit, spice, fine-knit tannins and a linear acidity.

The three ‘Gran Selezione’ wines, all 100% Sangiovese aged for a minimum of 30 months before release, are an interesting study on the impact of soil on wine. The ‘Vigna del Sorbo’, from a southwest-facing plot of old vines on classic galestro and alberese soils, is intensely concentrated, with brooding black fruit aromas and a powerful structure on the palate. The ‘Terrazze San Leolino’, from a five-hectare terraced vineyard on soils with a greater limestone content, is defined by its vibrancy and freshness, with crunchy cherry fruit and chalky tannins. The ‘Pastrolo’ comes from a 1.5-hectare single vineyard in the Lamole UGA. 600 metres elevation and sandy soils here result in an intensely aromatic wine with sour cherry fruit, notes of lavender, menthol and sage and a lifted acidity.

The ‘Flaccianello della Pieve’, one of the original ‘Super Tuscans’, first produced in 1981, is one of Italy’s most sought-after wines. Made from the estate’s best Sangiovese, it is powerful, fleshy and ages beautifully.

The Vin Santo, a blend of Malvasia and Sangiovese dried naturally in wooden crates and aged for nine years in small 50 to 100-litre chestnut and oak barrels, is a wonderfully voluptuous and nutty sweet wine.

The Fontodi olive oils are outstanding, produced using ultra-modern, stainless-steel continuous presses. The monovarietal Correggiolo is Giovanni’s olive oil Flaccianello equivalent, made from a selection of the estate’s best olive groves at higher elevation.