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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 88.8 pts. and median of 89 pts. in 52 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by pgb67 on 4/21/2020 & rated 91 points: Spring 2020 Memorial (Golf, Illinois): I discovered Fontodi almost 20 years ago on a visit to Binny's with my Dad, where the experienced sales associate explained that top notch Chianti Classicos are comparable to some Brunellos and that in the chianti department, stick with the “Fs” including Fontodi, Felsina etc. And I’ve been buying them ever since, and drinking them with my Dad. This bottle was buried in my cellar for years, and once I noticed it a few years back, I decided it should be saved for a special occasion. Amazingly this wine had good life left in it. Mushrooms, leather, cedar, faint cherry are the main characteristics I’m picking up, and they make up a delicious buffet of flavors. The bottle held on for hours and provided an interesting adventure. (1717 views) | | | Tasted by ttholst on 3/30/2018 & rated 86 points: Moden men fortsatt god frukt. Lite tannin igjen (2232 views) | | | Tasted by Helenachuck on 12/2/2015 & rated 89 points: This wine is holding up well. Mature red color, brick rim, very clear. Nose has bottle aged complexity, roasted meats, lead pencil, woody notes and ripe fruit. On the palate the wine shows a light to medium body, ripe turning to raisined fruit, balance that is leaning toward the acidic side, and a lingering finish of dried flowers. The wine shows better with food than by itself. Cleansing acidity with food, but seems a bit thin after the food is gone. (3340 views) | | | Tasted by Neecies on 7/6/2014 & rated 91 points: Gav lunch. Earthy red fruit, tea and little bandaid, good acids. Seems about peak. (4198 views) | | | Tasted by eboracum on 6/4/2014 & rated 92 points: How does one rate a wine like this numerically? This entry level Chianti is certainly in decline technically with browning colour at the rim, hints of VA and old lace but it was harmonious and complex and gave me far more pleasure than a spectacular youngster in the same way as good 30+ year old claret. The nose was well developed with notes mature red fruit, varnish and forest floor. The linear shaped, long and medium bodied palate was singing out firmly and was perfectly integrated with still lively acidity and soft old lace texture providing the scene for development of the aromas from the nose. Lovely but drink up soon to profit from this present state of grace. (4157 views) | | | Tasted by MindMuse on 8/28/2013: Well here's another drinking beautifully. (4033 views) | | | Tasted by bwillia on 5/23/2013 & rated 95 points: This is a seriously beautiful bottle of Chianti. (3867 views) | | | Tasted by Nanda on 4/14/2013 & rated 92 points: Best bottle yet - perhaps waiting 10+ years is the right window. Beautiful nose of red fruits, tar notes, earth and spice. Palate is medium bodied with dark red fruits and earth notes with great cut and lift across the palate. Really enjoyed how the fruit was earthy almost rustic in nature while still staying bright and "fruity" -- an interesting interplay. Good, long finish filled with earth, spice and black cherry. An excellent 'basic' Chianti. (2781 views) | | | Tasted by Milos on 10/22/2012 & rated 90 points: This was my last bottle. Still very enjoyable but it is time to drink up. Brick on the rim. Subdued strawberry with mushroom complexity; tannins completely resolved. Balanced, almost sweet on the palate. Good finish but it has seen its best time. (90) (2396 views) | | | Tasted by JBVino on 7/22/2011: Solid aged chianti...good funk on the nose and palate; nice structure, acidity and mouthfeel. (3155 views) | | | Tasted by BonnieM on 7/20/2011: Classic style chianti with the perfect blend of leather and dark fruit. Drinking beautifully now. For $20 this was worth putting aside and waiting 7 years. (2775 views) | | | Tasted by beachbum on 6/21/2010 & rated 91 points: yum, drink em (3521 views) | | | Tasted by Milos on 3/26/2010 & rated 91 points: This wine is so easy to enjoy. Touch of brick on the rim. Dark red fruit with forest floor and mushroom complexity; tannins, if noticeable, are ripe. Good balance. Pretty long finish. I paired this with a simple pasta dish with mushrooms, chicken, lots of garlic and olive oil. Could not ask for anything better. At its best right now, maybe another year. (3506 views) | | | Tasted by beachbum on 12/20/2009 & rated 92 points: drank t at pam and dougs, at the top now, this was wow for a cc (3389 views) | | | Tasted by beachbum on 5/3/2009 & rated 90 points: bit cold, but nice tobacco mature chianti flavor (3639 views) | | | Tasted by beachbum on 1/25/2009 & rated 89 points: friday noght dinner, wine was too cold, but fully mature now (3671 views) | | | Tasted by JBVino on 12/23/2008: drinking well...good balance, solid fruit, grit and dry tainnins. great personality (3600 views) | | | Tasted by beachbum on 8/7/2008 & rated 93 points: this was absolutely rocking, after opening too many of them (sandra found the case), this is in a great spot now.
it had serious tobacco black fruit, silky mouthfeel and enough acids to support the pasta we enjoyed with it. Great CC, glad I got them back from storage. (3684 views) | | | Tasted by Nanda on 5/24/2008 & rated 87 points: Similar to my earlier note. Medium body with some complexity (with tar, earth and dark fruit). Good racy acidity - medium intensity fruit. Good Chianti - but not special. (3795 views) | | | Tasted by Vino Me on 12/25/2007 & rated 88 points: Drank on Christmas Eve with similar notes as before. 88 points. (4228 views) | | | Tasted by Sterling Minor on 8/31/2007 & rated 89 points: Ellen really liked it. (4556 views) | | | Tasted by Ombibulous on 8/16/2007 & rated 87 points: Another half bottle. Cost $12.80. Decanted and allowed to breathe about a half hour. The cork is natural but in good condition. This wine was paired with a surf 'n' turf dinner of strip steak, fresh pan-fried Bass, and a goblet of fresh stew broth made with red wines. Excellent therewith. Dry character. Some complexity. Very old-world style, not surprisingly. Still very good. Not past its prime; indeed there is enough tannic dryness to age your bottle a year or two more. Excellent. (4464 views) | | | Tasted by cellar2303 on 4/18/2007 & rated 91 points: from a 750 this time. dec31,2006 from a 1.5. Still beautifull notes of earth and dark cherry fruit. acidity is still there making it better with food. I think it's time to drink up - i don't believe it's getting any better at this point. (4589 views) | | | Tasted by RomanKJ on 3/21/2007 & rated 92 points: in its prime. Delicious. Medium bodied- cherry flavor, w/ earth and herbal traces. Some leather. Buy again if I can find. (4861 views) | | | Tasted by kmack on 2/23/2007: This is more like the Fontodi I remembered. Very nice earthy nose. Medium-bodied with beautiful juicy sour cherry and blackberry fruit with nice acidity. Similar flavor profile to the last bottle but definitely kicked up a notch. The last bottle seemed a bit past peak but this one seems really in its prime. (4758 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Chris Kissack
Winedoctor, September 2005
(Fontodi Chianti Classico) Subscribe to see review text. | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (2/14/2004)
(Fontodi Chianti Classico) Dark red violet color; licorice and black fruit nose; tasty, black fruit, medium acidity; short-medium finish 91 points |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Winedoctor and RJonWine.com. (manage subscription channels) |
| Fontodi Producer website
Producer Location
Source: VinConnect (VinConnect.com)
One of the most admired and dynamic estates in the Chianti Classico area, Fontodi is located in the acclaimed “Conca d’Oro” (Golden Shell), an amphitheatre of vineyards just south of the hilltop town of Panzano in Chianti. The area’s particular terroir has been highly regarded for centuries for its quality wine production, thanks to a unique combination of altitude, soil composition, sunny exposure and ideal microclimate (warm and dry with a significant difference in day and nighttime temperatures). In 1968, the Fontodi property was purchased by the Manetti family, historically renowned for centuries in the Chianti area for its production of characteristic terracotta tiles. Since that time, the Manetti family has been continuously dedicated to the improvement and development of the entire estate, today under the guidance of Giovanni Manetti, from the state of the art production facilities to the meticulously tended vineyards.
The estate is certified organic and extends over about 130 hectares (320 acres), of which 80 (200 acres) are planted to vine. The property also farms about 40 hectares (100 acres) of olive trees, for the production of organic olive oil, and raises its own herd of Chianina cattle, utilizing the manure, mixed with vine cuttings, for organic compost. Every aspect of the activities carried out in the winery and vineyard are based on the principles of respect for nature and sustainability, essentially allowing the estate to operate autonomously by maximizing internal resources. The result is a wine that is a truer and more pure expression of the grape variety and the territory.
A new and modern cellar has recently been added to the property, constructed on descending levels to take advantage of gravity, a much softer process for the grapes, guaranteeing the utmost respect for the natural integrity of each berry. Vinification is carried out in stainless steel tanks or large wooden casks and ageing takes place in a combination of oak casks and French oak barriques, depending on the particular wine. Sangiovese-based wines make up the majority of the production with celebrated labels such as the Flaccianello della Pieve, Chianti Classico Riserva Vigna del Sorbo and Chianti Classico. Fontodi also produces several wines from international grape varieties including Case Via Syrah, Case Via Pinot Nero, and Meriggio Sauvignon Blanc.
Antonio Galloni of The Wine Advocate recently said of Manetti: “A maniacal attention to detail in both the vineyards and cellar sets Fontodi apart as one of Italy’s most inspired producers.”SangioveseSANGIOVESE: (Pronounced "sahn-joh-vhe-se").
Sangiovese - Italy's claim to fame, the pride of Tuscany. Traditionally made, the wines are full of cherry fruit, earth, and cedar. It produces Chianti (Classico), Rosso di Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino, Rosso di Montepulciano, Montefalco Rosso, and many others. Sangiovese is also the backbone in many of the acclaimed, modern-styled "Super-Tuscans", where it is blended with Bordeaux varietals (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc) and typically aged in French oak barrels, resulting a wine primed for the international market in the style of a typical California cabernet: oaky, high-alcohol, and a ripe, jammy, fruit-forward profile.[16]
Semi-classic grape grown in the Tuscany region of Italy. Used to produce the Chianti and other Tuscan red wines. Has many clonal versions, two of which seem to predominate. The Sangiovese Grosso clone Brunello variety is used for the dark red, traditionally powerful and slow-maturing "Brunello di Montalcino" wine. The other is the Sangiovese Piccolo, also known under the historical synonym name Sangioveto, used for standard Chianti Classico DOC wines. Old vine derived wine is often used in the better versions, needing several years ageing to reach peak. A third clone, Morellino, is used in a popular wine blend with the same name found in the southern part of the province. Recent efforts in California with clones of this variety are very promising, producing medium-bodied reds with rich cherry or plumlike flavors and aromas. Among the available clonal versions are R6 and R7, derived from the Montalcino region of Italy, having average productivity/ripening and producing small berries on medium size clusters. R10 and R24 are well-recommended. R23, listed as deriving from the Emilia-Romagna region, has good vigor with medium-small clusters with earlier ripening. R102 derives from the Montepulciano region and reported to have average vigor with moderate productivity that results in higher sugar levels and good acidity from medium-small berries on medium-small clusters. Has synonym name of Nielluccio where grown in Corsica.Italy Italian Wines (ItalianMade.com, The Italian Trade Commission) | Italian Wine Guide on the WineDoctorTuscany Tuscany (ItalianMade.com) | TuscanytChianti Consorzio Vino Chianti | Chianti (wikipedia) |
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