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 the wines of Fontodi are among the best in Italy - not to say the whole world! The special Flaccianello della Pieve Colli Toscana Centrale IGT is the superstar par excellence. It has already been voted one of the top 10 wines in the world by the famous American wine magazine "WineSpectator" several times. Since 1981, the Fontodi Winery has been celebrating success after success, year after year, with the Flaccianello. When Giovanni Manetti took over the property at the beginning of the 1980s, he was under the impression of the numerous new, much wanted super tuscans - above all the Tignanello of Antinori. In response to these wines made from international grape varieties, and in collaboration with the oenologist Franco Bernabei, who still works for Fontodi, Giovanni made the Flaccianello for the first time in 1981. By the way in the beginning as Vino da Tavola (VdT). A red wine made from 100 per cent Sangiovese - contrary to the prevailing trend at the time - but vinified according to new, modern methods and matured in barrels, which was unusual in the beginning. Giovanni Manetti, with his Flaccianello, can thus undoubtedly be considered one of the pioneers who helped the autochthonous Sangiovese variety to its present status in Chianti Classico. After careful manual harvesting, the Flaccianello grapes are vinified in stainless steel tanks for a minimum of three weeks, naturally at a controlled temperature. For his malolactic fermentation the wine is aged in oak barrels for two years - Troncais and Allier. The label of Flaccianello shows an Etruscan cross, the original of which can be found in the church "Pieve di San Leolino" near the house of the Manettis.

100% autochthonous? Or 100% international? Who has the choice, has the joy!

As already mentioned, the undisputed superstar in the Fontodi range is the Flaccianello della Pieve Colli Toscana Centrale IGT. But also the other wines of the Tenuta Fontodi do not need to hide. The Vigna del Sorbo Chianti Classico Gran Selezione is a red and also "solo Sangiovese" since the vintage 2012. The lion’s share of the Sangiovese grapes harvested on Fontodi is naturally used for the Chianti Classico. After all about 200,000 bottles of Chianti Classico are bottled year after year at Fontodi and shipped everywhere in the world. Another red wine is produced at Tenuta Fontodi but in smaller quantities - the Syrah Case Via. One thing distinguishes it quite significantly from the other three reds : it consists of 100 per cent of the international grape variety Syrah. And a wine with the predicate "rarity value" is also part of Fontodi’s range - the white Meriggio from 100 per cent Sauvignon Blanc, which 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, more than 80 hectares of which are vineyards, more than 20 employees and a production of around 400,000 bottles of wine per year - and this since 1968. But behind all these facts is a lot of enthusiasm and love for wine, for Chianti Classico and of course for the autochthonous grape variety Sangiovese. When the Manetti family, an entrepreneurial family specialising in the production of terracotta, bought the property, they were originally looking for a weekend home in the countryside. Purely by chance 20 hectares of vineyards were acquired with the property. So the Manettis very quickly decided to take advantage of the slumbering potential of the sites in the world famous Conca d’Oro - the shell-shaped valley of Panzano in Chianti. The interplay 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 that do not need to fear international comparison. All these conditions ensure that the Sangiovese ripens perfectly in the Conca d’Oro and at the same time retains its freshness, acidity and structure. Naturally, the international Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Syrah or Sauvignon Blanc grape varieties also feel at home in the Fontodi vineyards - to a much lesser extent, of course. Since the beginning of the 1980s Giovanni Manetti has been the sole director of Tenuta Fontodi, and his brother Marco takes care of the terracotta production.

Dream holiday in Tuscany: Panzano, pool & more….

Panzano in Chianti was chosen by the international wine press as Italy’s organic district. The Tenuta Fontodi has been certified as an organic estate for a long time because of the many years without use of sprays or pesticides. And where the wine "feels good", the people are also doing well. The two agriturismo estates belonging to Tenuta Fontodi are perfect for a dream holiday in Tuscany: Villa Pecille welcomes the holiday-makers with its five dream apartments of various sizes. Here you can spend your days at 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 Panzano or to the famous places of Tuscany - from Florence to Siena. The agriturismo La Rota, located in the heart of the valley, enchants with its three lovely furnished apartments and the picturesque pool. More Panzano in Chianti is not possible…