Le Fonti Panzano Rosato IGT

Rosato IGT Toscano from Le Fonti Panzano

A powerful Sangiovese-Merlot blend

Summer, sun, rosato! Of course, you can also drink a rosato in the fall or winter. But to be honest, this wine is simply best suited to summer: from the strong rosé color of Le Fonti's Rosato to its fresh fruitiness, which simply tastes like summer. Le Fonti's Rosato gets its very special color and fruitiness from the so-called "saignée method": "saigner" means "to bleed" in French, "saignée" means "to bleed". In other words, this method involves "bleeding" the mash after a few hours. Without prior pressing, 10 to 20 percent of the must is drawn off, which continues to ferment for two to three weeks. The resulting wine then matures for a further two to three months in stainless steel tanks before being bottled in the spring. Not to forget: Le Fonti's Rosato is made from 70 percent Sangiovese and 30 percent Merlot. And as always with rosato: enjoy cold and young! Ideal as an aperitif, with starters and fish and, thanks to the good acidity of the Sangiovese grape, also excellent with Asian dishes such as curries and spicy dishes. Or simply on its own...

Fattoria Le Fonti: Sustainable organic wines with style

More than two decades ago, the winegrowers of Panzano came together to form the "Unione di Viticoltori di Panzano". From the very beginning, one of the aims was to cultivate the vineyards organically and sustainably. Vicky and Guido Schmitt-Vitali, the owners of Le Fonti, are also convinced that the origin of a good wine lies in the vineyard. Today, the couple's vineyards are certified organic and most of them are planted with Sangiovese - the indigenous flagship variety of Chianti Classico. However, the two international grape varieties Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon can also be found here. And of course not to forget: 1,500 olive trees. The vineyards stretch along the back of the Conca d'Oro across the "Alta Valle della Greve" - the Greve Valley. Here, the grapes enjoy a cooler microclimate - an advantage when it gets too hot for the grapes elsewhere in summer. From this, the two produce excellent wines: A typical, very easy-drinking Chianti Classico, a Chianti Classico Riserva and, since the 2013 vintage, a Chianti Classico Gran Selezione form the basis of the range. There is also the internationally award-winning Super Tuscan "Fontissimo", its little brother, the single-varietal Merlot, the fruity-fresh Rosato and the house wine "La Lepre". The fruity, spicy olive oil rounds off the range.

A winery in the heart of Tuscany

Halfway between Florence and Siena, in the heart of the Chianti Classico region, lies the small village of Panzano in Chianti. Fattoria Le Fonti is located below the village church, approximately 450 meters above sea level. The winery covers a total area of 15 hectares - 8.5 hectares are vineyards, the rest is planted with olive trees. With an annual production of around 40,000 bottles, Fattoria Le Fonti has remained a relatively small family winery compared to many other wineries in the area. Le Fonti has been owned by the Schmitt-Vitali family since 1994, when Vicky's father Konrad bought the winery. Vicky and her husband Guido took over Le Fonti just a few years ago. In a way, they were wine career changers - neither of them had had much to do with viticulture before then. But the two have thrown themselves into the "Le Fonti" project with a great deal of love and passion and their efforts have been rewarded with numerous international awards.

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

Vicky Schmitt-Vitali

Marco Pierucci

8.5 ha of which 5.7 ha are classified as Chianti Classico

Galestro

Southeast

350 - 450 meters above sea level.

5,500 - 6,000 plants per ha

Cordon