2019 Fontodi Chianti Classico

This is a very exciting new addition to the Fontodi portfolio. Giovanni Manetti had been itching to buy this terraced vineyard perched at 650 meters in elevation in Lamole for the longest time. The site has gorgeous 50-year-old vines planted in 1973. Endless negotiations finally resulted in victory, and ultimately, the 2019 Chianti Classico Pastrolo was born. For now, this is a tiny organic production of 300 bottles (pretty much one barrel at the moment), and the wine is slated to become a Gran Selezione starting in 2020. Giovanni Manetti picked about 500 kilos of Sangiovese, fermented the fruit in clay amphorae and aged the wine in second-use barrique for 20 months. Starting with the 2020 vintage, tonneaux will be used. What you get here is an authentic blueprint for Lamole fruit with the wet stone that we saw in the Filetta di Lamole, along with the delicate floral nuances, lavender, blood orange and licorice. This is a wine of enormous freshness and elegance. The tannins just melt away and fade into the distance.