2010 FLACCIANELLO DELLA PIEVE TENUTA FONTODI - 6x75cl

Tasting Notes

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  Robert Parker, October 2015,
  Score: 97/100

  I remember the thrill this wine gave me when I tasted it upon release. The 2010 Flaccianello della Pieve is a spectacular effort that has only just started its evolutionary journey. This wine has a long, long way to go and I hope to be able to check on its progress with some degree of frequency. In fact, I'm moving the drinking window up by a few years to give it more breathing room. The wine opens to a rich and masculine appearance, and there are iron-like notes that seem specific to this vintage. More mineral and granite stone add great definition. At the core of this wine is a dark and savory serving of black cherry and spice that aspire to seamless integration. The tannins are still firmly on-guard, and this wine needs more time to complete its integration and start its elegant cellar evolution. Monica Larner Score : 97/100 Drink Date 2017-2035 I happened to look up at my car clock as I drove into Fontodi's driveway in Panzano-in-Chianti. It was 9:03 am and our appointment had been fixed at 9am. Wearing a dark blue cashmere sweater, Giovanni Manetti was waiting for me in the parking lot. This is a man who radiates a sense of precision, an appreciation of aesthetics and a profound sense of respect and curiosity for anyone he meets. In my mind, he is one of the strongest and most even-keeled personalities in the world of Italian wine. And, thanks to the magic of winemaking, he successfully transmits these qualities to his beautiful products. I enjoyed a full visit to his vineyards and winery. A highlight was the cattle stables he manages down at the lower part of the celebrated Conca d'Oro vineyards that extend from the perch where his winery is built. These animals provide the fertilizers he needs to nourish his vines and he proudly tells me that his is one of the only farms in Tuscany that raise authentic Chianina breed cattle (the inspiration for the famous bistecca alla fiorentina). Giovanni Manetti sells his meat to the local celebrity butcher Dario Cecchini and is very proud of the full-cycle farming sustainability model he has achieved. Other news from the vineyard is that the Cabernet Sauvignon vines in the Vigna del Sorbo have been ripped out and starting with the 2012 vintage, that wine is a pure expression of Sangiovese. We tasted his current releases and Giovanni generously offered to open some older vintages of Flaccianello delle Pieve including 2010, 1999 and 1997. He also opened a 1992 Pinot Nero that blew my mind because of the freshness of the fruit. I asked to check the vintage three times because I simply did not believe that the wine was that old.

Producer

Fontodi