Fontodi Flaccianello della Pieve Colli Toscana Centrale IGT

Flaccianello della Pieve Colli Toscana Centrale IGT from Fontodi

Flaccianello: The superstar from Chianti Classico

It is not without reason that Fontodi wines are among the best wines in Italy - not to mention the whole world! The Flaccianello della Pieve Colli Toscana Centrale IGT in particular is the superstar par excellence. It has been voted one of the top 10 wines in the world several times by the famous American wine magazine "WineSpectator". Since 1981, the Fontodi winery has been celebrating success after success with Flaccianello year after year. When Giovanni Manetti took over the estate in the early 1980s, he was influenced by the numerous new, highly sought-after super Tuscans - above all the Tignanello from Antinori. In response to these wines made from international grape varieties, Giovanni developed Flaccianello for the first time with the 1981 vintage in collaboration with oenologist Franco Bernabei, who still works for Fontodi today - initially still as Vino da Tavola (VdT). A red wine made from 100 percent Sangiovese - quite contrary to the prevailing trend at the time - but vinified using new, modern methods and matured in barriques, which was still unusual at the beginning. Giovanni Manetti and his Flaccianello can therefore undoubtedly be regarded as one of the pioneers who helped the indigenous Sangiovese variety achieve its current status in Chianti Classico. After being carefully harvested by hand, the grapes for the Flaccianello are placed in steel tanks for vinification for a minimum of three weeks, naturally at a controlled temperature. For malolactic fermentation, the wine is placed in oak barrels - Troncais and Allier - for a period of two years. Incidentally, the Flaccianello label features an Etruscan cross, the original of which can be found in the "Pieve di San Leolino" church near the Manetti house.

100% indigenous? Or 100% international? The choice is yours!

As I said, the undisputed superstar in the Fontodi range is the Flaccianello della Pieve Colli Toscana Centrale IGT. But the other wines from Tenuta Fontodi have nothing to hide either: the Vigna del Sorbo Chianti Classico Gran Selezione is red and also "solo Sangiovese" - although only since the 2012 vintage. The lion's share of the Sangiovese grapes harvested at Fontodi is of course used for the Chianti Classico. As many as 200,000 bottles of Chianti Classico are bottled at Fontodi every year and shipped all over the world. On a much smaller scale, another red wine is produced at Tenuta Fontodi: the Syrah Case Via. It differs significantly from the first three reds mentioned in one respect: It is made from 100 percent Syrah, an international grape variety. Fontodi's range also includes another wine with "rarity value": Meriggio, a white wine of which there are only a few in the red wine-dominated Chianti Classico region. This is a Sauvignon blanc that is only produced in very small quantities.

Tenuta Fontodi: a flagship of good taste in Chianti Classico

Tenuta Fontodi is one of the largest wineries in and around Panzano in Chianti. The facts speak for themselves: a total of 130 hectares of land, including more than 80 hectares of vineyards, over 20 employees and a production of around 400,000 bottles of wine per year - and that since 1968. But behind all these facts lies a great deal of enthusiasm and love for wine, for Chianti Classico and, of course, for the autochthonous Sangiovese grape variety. When the Manetti family, a family of entrepreneurs who actually specialize in the production of terracotta, bought the estate, they were originally looking for a weekend home in the countryside. Purely by chance, however, they also acquired 20 hectares of vineyards with the property. So the Manettis very quickly decided to exploit the dormant potential of the vineyards in the world-famous Conca d'Oro - in the shell-shaped valley of Panzano in Chianti. The combination of terroir, i.e. the sites where the vines grow and the grapes ripen, and the "Galestro" soil, which is ideal for Sangiovese, produces wines here that need not shy away from international comparison. All these conditions ensure that the Sangiovese in Conca d'Oro matures perfectly while retaining its freshness, acidity and structure. Of course, the international grape varieties Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Syrah and Sauvignon Blanc also feel very much at home in the Fontodi vineyards - to a much lesser extent, of course. Giovanni Manetti has been running Tenuta Fontodi alone since the early 1980s, while his brother Marco takes care of the terracotta production.

Dream vacation in Tuscany: Panzano, pool & more....

The international wine press has named Panzano in Chianti Italy's organic district. The Tenuta Fontodi has not used pesticides or sprays for many, many years and has long been certified as an organic farm. And where the wine "feels good", the people feel good too. In this respect, the two agriturismo businesses that belong to Tenuta Fontodi are perfect for a dream vacation in Tuscany: five gorgeous apartments in various sizes await vacation-hungry guests at Villa Pecille. Here you can spend your days by the pool with a view over the Conca d'Oro, on your own terrace or on excursions to one of the surrounding wine cellars, to the nearby medieval town of Panzano or to the famous towns of Tuscany - from Florence to Siena. Agriturismo La Rota, located in the heart of the valley, enchants guests with its three lovingly furnished apartments and picturesque pool. More Panzano in Chianti is not possible...

In Italy, in the region Tuscany, in the region Chianti Classico, in Panzano in Chianti

Giovanni & Marco Manetti

Giovanni Manetti

80 ha of which 70 ha are classified as Chianti Classico

Galestro

South, Southwest

430 - 480 meters above sea level.

6,000 vines per ha

Guyot