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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 92.7 pts. and median of 93 pts. in 28 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by bugdoced on 1/15/2024 & rated 90 points: a wee bit early to be drinking this one
so there is some upside potential (1983 views) | | | Tasted by theusualsuspect on 3/6/2023 & rated 95 points: Very very precise like no other gran selezione I've had and on the red fruit side. What I mean by precise is right down Broadway as opposed to mouth filling. Great precision reflects great structure/balance to me. In wine tastings, I find that precise pretty much always beats out mouth filling. Terrific purity of fruit; wood is there but subtle. That said....pricey in context. (3867 views) | | | Tasted by dream on 2/16/2023 & rated 94 points: Had a bottle last night at Sistina, NYC. Ditto on my previous note. In the right vintages like 2013 & 2016, this wine is so good after 5-10 years of age and even longer. I buy and drink this over any Super Tuscan out there. (3440 views) | | | Tasted by Jason Wu on 1/27/2023 & rated 93 points: Red cherry, tomato leaf, tomato paste, dusty, earthy, bright acidity, a little tannic at this stage, but the fruit is concentrated. Too early to drink. (3304 views) | | | Tasted by dream on 12/26/2022 & rated 94 points: This is showing beautifully already with rich dark cherry fruit, tangy Tuscan acids and great intensity. Smooth yet crisp with superb depth and freshness. This is drinking quite early for this wine but the balance is perfect so it should continue to age well. The finish is so succulently taut and complex with notes of dried herbs, fresh minerals and eucalyptus. This is a "wow" wine at the moment. (3324 views) | | | Tasted by Larre on 5/25/2022 & rated 95 points: Classy Chianti, with lots of potential for further development. Solid body with dark cherrie fruit, prunes, chocolate and espresso. Elegant finish with delicate tannins. There is a nerve and personality hinting that this wine might evolve into something extraordinary. 95+ for now..;) Wow! (4259 views) | | | Tasted by JordVW on 2/4/2022 & rated 98 points: Very young still, and needed every hour of the 5h decant, but what a wine this is. Incredibly aromatic, with a mix of blue and red fruits. Dark cherry, leather and hints of licorice and marzipan. Mouthwatering acids, grippy but very elegant tannins. Very long finish. Loved it. (3730 views) | | | Tasted by Matt Scott on 8/28/2021 & rated 97 points: Decanted for three hours. Better on day two as the oak melds and this mere infant starts to strut. Baked cherries, cherry wood, pesto, plum sauce, black lava and blonde coffee. Exceptionally long finish that echoes the red fruit, with a little welcomed brown spice. Fine, grainy tannins with this ultra-polished physique. The body is full and there is not a lack of concentration, yet this is almost like a barrel sample on day one - showing how primary this amazing vino is. Cellar for many, many years and study with enjoyment. Drink 2026 -. (5124 views) | | | Tasted by om42 on 2/21/2021 & rated 92 points: Needs a long decant or more time in the cellar. Was pretty tight until a couple hour later. Great structure and quality is evident. (5766 views) | | | Tasted by OmiyaDrinker on 2/16/2021 & rated 91 points: Dark cherry, red cherry, milk chocolate, plum, tobacco leaf, peppercorn, sage. Felt a little simple on day one but really nice on day two. Ripe but controlled fruit up front, dark liqorice, dark fruits, high tannin but lifted by vibrant acidity. I have’t had a Sorbo for some years, but I think I still hold the same opinion that trading down for the Chianti Classico and up for the Flaccianello are the optimal Fontodi buying strategies. (5322 views) | | | Tasted by stevetallon on 11/28/2020 & rated 90 points: December 2020. Fruity cherry flavours initially, with deeper cigar and spice developing as it opened up. Probably enjoyed too young but still delicious. Will keep another bottle and try again in 10 years! (5028 views) | | | Tasted by Waedi on 10/24/2020 & rated 91 points: Very modern, ripe, concentrated and lot‘s of (new) wood. Not my style. (4789 views) | | | Tasted by NickA on 9/17/2020 & rated 93 points: Giovanni Manetti on Fontodi (Zoom!): A gorgeous deep garnet colour. Fresh, mentholated nose. Floral and herbal. Really massive and concentrated, and stony, with lift towards the end and a spicy finish. Tannins coat the whole mouth, but are so stylish that you almost don't notice them. Delicious now but loads of potential.
Giovanni Manetti notes that Sorbo can age for decades - the 1990 is drinking well now, for example. (4485 views) | | | Tasted by MAXIMUM SATISFACTION on 9/5/2020 & rated 94 points: Drank from a magnum. This really came together after 8 plus hours open. Juicy yet rustic black fruit, wood, mineral, cassis, and red licorice. Took some time to come together and still clearly a baby. Plenty of upside over the next 5, 10, 15 years... Still drinkable now and by no means too rustic or primal. (3686 views) | | | Tasted by Tim Heaton on 2/18/2020: Chianti Classico, Riserva, Gran Selezione, etc., new releases; 2/17/2020-2/18/2020 (Stazione Leopalda, Firenze): Anteprima Chianti Classico Collection, Florence
Woodsy, herbal spice, ripe red fruits, lovely. Already offering a long finish, avg+ complexity, and a round, sweet tannin finish. However, I'm finding this a bit foursquare. Highly enjoyable for most, not something I gravitate toward. For the style, structure, it's highly recommended. Drink now thru 2042.
Full report here https://wp.me/p7fulH-2ai
https://www.ItalianWine.blog (7263 views) | | | Tasted by SteveN100 on 2/10/2020 & rated 94 points: Everything about it is fantastic (except the price). (4218 views) | | | Tasted by RussK on 1/25/2020 & rated 92 points: Russk. Had at the Suckling Great Wines of the World 2020 tasting. 92+pts. Still one of my favorite ChC.
98pts Suckling (4163 views) | | | Tasted by rdma on 12/31/2019 & rated 93 points: 2016 is considered one of the best Chianti vintages ever, so this Fontodi has a lot up with which to live (a nod to Churchill on that sentence structure). Anyway, the pro reviews put this in the 97-98 range and that might happen, but the wine needs another year or two to get its legs (good now, maybe great later). We popped one bottle, let it breath for a couple of hours and got very good aromatic, sweet floral and spice. Really nice color that was almost blue/purple. Others tasted lavender, leather and licorice. Conclusion: very promising, give this one time to mature. (3995 views) | | | Tasted by Andre Brattland on 10/31/2019 & rated 95 points: Really tight and wonderfully classic aromas with darker berry fruit, deep salts, wet leaves, mushrooms, licorice and wood. Pretty full bodied wine with great structure. Classic feel and tighter than usual, but this is a Vigna del Sorbo meant for your early retirement. Fantastic dark red currant fruit, lightly perfumed forest and wonderful salts. Perfect tannin structure and acidity. Long and beautiful finish. Excellent Potential! 95 points. (5206 views) | | | Tasted by Eric Guido on 4/16/2019 & rated 96 points: The nose was savory, showing Tuscan spice and dark herbal tones up front, hints of dried orange, cedar, dusty earth, sweet minerality and tart cherry. On the palate, I found silky textures, yet lifted by bright acidity, as mineral-infused cherry and spice tones washed across the senses, leaving mounting tannin in their wake, yet still so remarkably fresh. The finish was long and structured, with lingering tart cherry, savory spice, cedar and resonating fine tannin. (5797 views) | | | Tasted by "Rhône Rider" on 2/5/2019 & rated 90 points: Floral nese. Litt krydder og kirsebær i munn. Litt hardere enn classico. Mere kjerne frukt. Trenger tid. 90 (3781 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Panel Tasting
Decanter, Chianti Classico Gran Selezione: panel tasting results (3/1/2022)
(Fontodi, Vigna del Sorbo, Sangiovese, Chianti, Classico Gran Selezione, Tuscany, Italy, Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, Chianti Classico: More Than Meets The Eye (Sep 2020) (9/1/2020)
(Fontodi Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigna Del Sorbo Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (8/5/2020)
(Fontodi, Vigna del Sorbo Gran Selezione Chianti Classico Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Walter Speller
JancisRobinson.com (2/18/2020)
(Fontodi, Vigna del Sorbo Gran Selezione Chianti Classico Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Michaela Morris
Decanter, Chianti Classico, Riserva & Gran Selezione latest releases (2/17/2020)
(Fontodi, Vigna del Sorbo, Gran Selezione, Chianti, Classico, Tuscany, Italy, Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Panel Tasting
Decanter, Chianti Classico Riserva/Gran Selezione 2016 & 2015 (1/16/2020)
(Fontodi, Vigna del Sorbo Gran Selezione, Gran Selezione, Chianti, Classico, Tuscany, Italy, Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Michael Godel
WineAlign (12/9/2019)
(Fontodi Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Docg Vigna Del Sorbo red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, 2016 Chianti Classico – A Modern Day Benchmark (Aug 2019) (8/1/2019)
(Fontodi Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigna Del Sorbo Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By James Suckling
JamesSuckling.com (4/24/2019)
(Fontodi Chianti Classico Vigna del Sorbo Gran Selezione, Italy) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Decanter and Vinous and JancisRobinson.com and WineAlign and JamesSuckling.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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