Tuscany
Tuscany, a picturesque region in central Italy, is renowned for producing some of the world's finest wines. With its rolling hills, Mediterranean climate, and rich cultural heritage, Tuscany offers a perfect combination of terroir and winemaking expertise. The region is home to legendary vineyards and wineries that have become synonymous with excellence and tradition.
One of the most famous vineyards in Tuscany is Antinori, a family-owned winery with a history dating back over 600 years. Their wines, such as Tignanello and Solaia, have achieved iconic status, showcasing the region's commitment to quality and innovation. Another renowned vineyard is Castello di Volpaia, known for its exceptional Chianti Classico wines that beautifully represent the Sangiovese grape.
Tuscany is synonymous with Chianti, a red wine made primarily from Sangiovese grapes. Chianti Classico, produced in the heart of the Chianti region, is highly regarded for its balance, elegance, and age-worthiness. Vineyards like Castello di Ama, Fontodi, and Fèlsina craft outstanding Chianti Classico wines that capture the essence of Tuscan winemaking.
The region is also famous for Brunello di Montalcino, a prestigious red wine made from Sangiovese Grosso grapes. Montalcino is home to renowned wineries such as Biondi-Santi and Casanova di Neri, which produce exceptional Brunello di Montalcino wines with remarkable structure, depth, and longevity.
Tuscany's coastal region, Bolgheri, has gained international acclaim for its Super Tuscan wines. These wines often blend international grape varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot with local varieties. Notable vineyards in Bolgheri include Tenuta San Guido, known for its iconic Sassicaia, and Ornellaia, which produces the renowned Ornellaia wine.
Tuscany's diverse terroir also allows for the production of white wines, with Vernaccia di San Gimignano being the most notable. Vernaccia vineyards like Teruzzi & Puthod and Panizzi create crisp and aromatic white wines that showcase the region's versatility.
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Tuscany
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Vinous (94)
The 2016 Chianti Classico Fontodi brings together all the elements that make the Fontodi wines so unique, but with an extra kick of freshness and aromatic intensity that is the result of a year with notable diurnal shifts during the growing season. Dark blue/purplish fruit, lavender, spice and menthol develop in the glass, but it is the wine's extraordinary balance and sheer appeal that stand out most. In time, 2016 may very well become the new benchmark for Fontodi's Chianti Classico. The 2016 is flat-out delicious. That's pretty much all there is to it.Inc. VAT£197.98 -
Wine Enthusiast (95)
Fragrant and delicious, this opens with aromas of ripe black-skinned fruit, blue flower, leather, underbrush and a whiff of French oak. The full-bodied, enveloping palate delivers baked plum, Marasca cherry, licorice and a note of espresso framed in fine-grained enveloping tannins that give it a smooth texture and a weightless finesse.Inc. VAT£185.98 -
James Suckling (95)
A perfumed nose of redcurrants, sour cherries, bay leaves and spices. Medium-bodied with chewy tannins. Dusty texture in the mouth with structure and a bright core of red fruit. Flavourful, ample and tannic finish with length. So serious. From organically grown grapes.Inc. VAT£164.38 -
Wine Enthusiast (94)
Editors' Choice. Delicate aromas recalling scorched earth and truffle mingle with mocha and botanical herbs on this 100% Sangiovese. Elegant and enveloping, the supple palate features fleshy plum, orange zest and baking spice before an espresso finish. Soft tannins offer supple support. Drink through 2024.Inc. VAT£161.15 -
Inc. VAT£231.64
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Jancis Robinson (17.5)
Gaiole. 100% Sangiovese. Certified organic. Deep crimson. Enticing, deep red-fruit nose with hints of white pepper and leather. Succulent red fruit, with the finely grained, plentiful tannins unfurling on the finish.Inc. VAT£173.15 -
(1x75cl) 2018James Suckling (95)
Complex aromas of sweet berries, tobacco and mushrooms with some floral undertones. Full-bodied with very tight, polished tannins and cedar, mahogany and dark fruit on the finish. Lots of transparent fruit at the end. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.Inc. VAT£101.60 -
James Suckling (95)
Complex aromas of sweet berries, tobacco and mushrooms with some floral undertones. Full-bodied with very tight, polished tannins and cedar, mahogany and dark fruit on the finish. Lots of transparent fruit at the end. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.Inc. VAT£189.95 -
Vinous (91)
The 2019 Chianti Classico Filetta di Lamole is fruity, open-knit and delicious, all of which make it a fine choice for drinking now and over the next handful of years. The mix of forward fruit and freshness from this high altitude site works so well. Bright red/purplish fruit, rose petal, mint and spice linger. This is such a classy wine.Inc. VAT£177.12 -
Jancis Robinson (17++)
Deep, youthful ruby. Brooding, deep red-fruit nose with saline, minerally notes (fermented in concrete?). Lifted and with a peppery tingle. Lush and energetic palate with fantastic, gravelly tannins and lots of juice. Real substance.Inc. VAT£171.95 -
Decanter (96)
Fontodi’s brand spanking new Terrazze San Leolino Gran Selezione is a stunner. San Leolino was recognised locally as a cru site 200 years ago. The recently renewed terraces sit at 450 metres in Panzano but - unlike Fontodi’s Vigna del Sorbo, which is characterised by Galestro - the soil here is calcareous Alberese. Though recently bottled, this is forthright in its earthy, stony, mineral-like aromas. Elegant yet profound, the palate demonstrates decisive rose, red cherry and long-chained, enveloping tannins, finishing with a tangy salinity. It is still very buttoned up but has so much promise.Inc. VAT£621.20 -
Wine Advocate (94)
The Fontodi 2020 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Terrazze San Leonlino (a certified organic wine) is a new addition to this exciting portfolio, now in its second vintage. With fruit from the upper part of the Conca d'Oro of Panzano, this wine shows a more robust and powerful personality with a strong 15% alcohol content. It ages in barrique and botte for 24 months. The bouquet is rich with cherry liqueur, blackberry kirsch and dried plum. There is more fruit weight here and you taste the ripeness in the grape skins. The wine has an almost carbonic quality that reminds me of cherry cola, and it ends on a sweet note with soft tannins. Only 5,000 bottles were made.Inc. VAT£622.40 -
Vinous - Antonio Galloni (98)
The 2021 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Terrazze San Leolino is another highlight in this range from Fontodi. It's a huge step up from the 2020. Red cherry, iron, spice, leather, licorice, crushed rocks and herbs make a strong first impression. Bright acids, the result of elevation and a year with wide diurnal swings, yielded a Gran Selezione of stunning elegance, complexity and finesse. The 2021 spent 14-15 months in barrique (25% new) followed by 7-8 months in cask. The San Leolino is one of the newer wines in the Fontodi range. The 2021 suggests it could be one of the new flagships here.Inc. VAT£527.60 -
Vinous (94)
Black stone fruits, smoke, tobacco, incense and sweet spices jump from the glass in the 2011 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigna del Sorbo. The 2011 is going to need a few years for the baby fat to melt away. Today the flavors are ripe, dark and resonant, while the tannins are quite silky, but the best is yet to come. Even with all of its richness, the 2011 clocks in with acidity above 6%, which is virtually unheard of for a wine with this much dry extract, but, then again, we are talking about Sangiovese.Inc. VAT£420.29 -
Vinous (95+)
A powerful, structured wine, the 2014 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigna del Sorbo won't be ready to drink for a number of years, much less be at its best. In recent years, the Sorbo has been much more forward, but the 2014 is decidedly austere and ungiving. Graphite, smoke, black cherry, plum and licorice notes infuse the dark, mysterious finish.Inc. VAT£573.58 -
Vinous (98+)
The 2015 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigna del Sorbo is flat-out stunning. Rich, ample and seductive, with tremendous intensity, the 2015 will go down as one of the truly epic wines of the year. All the elements come together in a deep, sensual Chianti Classico loaded with class and personality. I would give the 2015 at least a few years in the cellar to shed some baby fat, but it is very clearly a tremendous wine in the making, and even more impressive than it was last year. Wow!Inc. VAT£728.00 -
Wine Advocate (98)
The 2016 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigna del Sorbo is another benchmark wine from Tuscany that shows the incredible potential of this iconic vintage. This beautiful single-vineyard Sangiovese reveals a graceful side with dark fruit intensity, cherry, plum, fresh violets and tilled earth. Tar, tobacco and licorice appear as delicate background tones, giving more volume and texture to the wine's sensorial impact. Vigna del Sorbo shows its own precise identity that is fiercely faithful to Sangiovese, but that also pushes the boundaries to go beyond our highest expectations of the grape in terms of color, concentration, aromatic complexity and staying power. That's the Panzano magic in a nutshell.Inc. VAT£221.29 -
Wine Advocate (98)
The 2016 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigna del Sorbo is another benchmark wine from Tuscany that shows the incredible potential of this iconic vintage. This beautiful single-vineyard Sangiovese reveals a graceful side with dark fruit intensity, cherry, plum, fresh violets and tilled earth. Tar, tobacco and licorice appear as delicate background tones, giving more volume and texture to the wine's sensorial impact. Vigna del Sorbo shows its own precise identity that is fiercely faithful to Sangiovese, but that also pushes the boundaries to go beyond our highest expectations of the grape in terms of color, concentration, aromatic complexity and staying power. That's the Panzano magic in a nutshell.Inc. VAT£426.80 -
Vinous (96+)
The 2017 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigna del Sorbo is a dense, packed wine. It is also surprisingly, almost shockingly backward. That is probably a good thing for its long-term aging prospects. Readers hoping to get an early glimpse into the 2017 before it shuts down may have a hard time doing that, as today acids and tannin dominate. I expect the 2017 will be stellar in another 4-5 years and drink well to age 25-30 if not longer. Proprietor Giovanni Manetti gave the 2017 18 months in barrique followed by 6 months in cask.Inc. VAT£210.49 -
Vinous (96+)
The 2017 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigna del Sorbo is a dense, packed wine. It is also surprisingly, almost shockingly backward. That is probably a good thing for its long-term aging prospects. Readers hoping to get an early glimpse into the 2017 before it shuts down may have a hard time doing that, as today acids and tannin dominate. I expect the 2017 will be stellar in another 4-5 years and drink well to age 25-30 if not longer. Proprietor Giovanni Manetti gave the 2017 18 months in barrique followed by 6 months in cask.Inc. VAT£332.00 -
Vinous (98)
The 2018 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigna del Sorbo is quite possibly the most elegant, refined version of this wine I have ever tasted. It does not offer the immediacy or impact of either the 2015 or 2016, but, instead, impresses with its elegance, persistence and total class. Bright floral and spice notes add perfume to a core of red-toned fruit. The 2018 represents another move towards greater finesse at Fontodi. It spent a year in French oak barrel and a second year in cask.Inc. VAT£170.27 -
Vinous (98)
The 2018 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigna del Sorbo is quite possibly the most elegant, refined version of this wine I have ever tasted. It does not offer the immediacy or impact of either the 2015 or 2016, but, instead, impresses with its elegance, persistence and total class. Bright floral and spice notes add perfume to a core of red-toned fruit. The 2018 represents another move towards greater finesse at Fontodi. It spent a year in French oak barrel and a second year in cask.Inc. VAT£323.60 -
Decanter (97)
At an elevation of 400 metres, Vigna del Sorbo boasts Chianti Classico’s classic Galestro soil. The warm southwest-facing vineyard typically yields a powerful, intense wine in need of ageing. The 2019 demonstrates all the wild, penetrating characteristics of this site but it comes into harmony quickly, revealing its balance and precision. Wood-driven top notes of smoke and vanilla meld into pressed violets, rosemary and liquorice. Luscious red cherry and dark plum flesh are wrapped in long, layered chalky tannins. Across the palate there's an energetic beam of unwavering acidity, giving the wine a linear feel. The finish reverberates with fennel and crushed stone.Inc. VAT£198.79 -
Decanter (97)
At an elevation of 400 metres, Vigna del Sorbo boasts Chianti Classico’s classic Galestro soil. The warm southwest-facing vineyard typically yields a powerful, intense wine in need of ageing. The 2019 demonstrates all the wild, penetrating characteristics of this site but it comes into harmony quickly, revealing its balance and precision. Wood-driven top notes of smoke and vanilla meld into pressed violets, rosemary and liquorice. Luscious red cherry and dark plum flesh are wrapped in long, layered chalky tannins. Across the palate there's an energetic beam of unwavering acidity, giving the wine a linear feel. The finish reverberates with fennel and crushed stone.Inc. VAT£398.38 -
(6x150cl) 2020Wine Advocate (96)
Showing enormous precision and direction, the 2020 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigna del Sorbo (with 25,000 bottles released) is a generous expression of Sangiovese that boasts singular intensity. This organic wine offers black fruit, grilled rosemary, pressed rose and crushed limestone. All of these aromas enjoy special, forward-moving intensity that dovetails into the ample fruit generosity that this sun-filled vintage will be remembered for.Inc. VAT£1,255.15 -
Wine Advocate (96)
Showing enormous precision and direction, the 2020 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigna del Sorbo (with 25,000 bottles released) is a generous expression of Sangiovese that boasts singular intensity. This organic wine offers black fruit, grilled rosemary, pressed rose and crushed limestone. All of these aromas enjoy special, forward-moving intensity that dovetails into the ample fruit generosity that this sun-filled vintage will be remembered for.Inc. VAT£359.98 -
Wine Advocate (98+)
Now boasting the proud Panzano UGA on the front label, the Fontodi 2021 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Panzano Vigna del Sorbo is a little more delicate, even subdued, compared to its new brother, the more exuberant Terrazze San Leonlino. Vigna del Sorbo is a little more tuned in on itself, aromatically speaking, but reveals just enough complexity and sheer beauty to believe in the promise of its future aging potential. Even now, tasted so young, the wine's pedigree is evident. It excels in terms of complexity and depth. The tannins are velvety soft, and soft mineral aromas add focus. This certified expression of Sangiovese comes from a single parcel within the sun-drenched Conca d'Oro basin of vines that distinguishes Panzano. The Vigna del Sorbo stands out as one of my favorite wines from this region made in 2021.Inc. VAT£365.98 -
Vinous - Antonio Galloni (96)
Manetti's 2004 Flaccianello della Pieve (100% Sangiovese aged in 100% new oak) is simply stunning. Fresh and vibrant, it offers compelling aromatics and endless layers of fruit that develop in the glass, with superb length on the palate and gorgeous overall balance. Although it is still holding back much today, make no mistake about it, Flaccianello is one of Italy's blue-chip wines and the 2004 is a profound vintage for this wine. In order to enjoy its full range of expression readers will have to wait at least another five years after which it will provide memorable drinking to age 25, perhaps longer. A recent bottle of the 1982 was still full of life when tasted a few months ago.Inc. VAT£1,238.75 -
Vinous - Antonio Galloni (96)
I tasted the 2007 Flaccianello a number of times from barrel and tank before it was bottled. The 2007 is a bold, extroverted Flaccianello that sweeps across the palate with sensual layers of candied cherries, violets, spices and minerals. Dark, mentholated notes develop in the glass, adding further dimensions of inner sweetness, weight and complexity to this Tuscan thoroughbred. While so many 2007s are forward and open, Flaccianello remains muscular, taut and in need of significant cellaring. Still, the round, enveloping finish augurs extremely well for the future. Flaccianello is a selection of the estate's finest Sangiovese and is aged in French oak.Inc. VAT£1,127.60 -
(6x75cl) 2008Wine Advocate (96+)
Here's a vintage that came out of left field and knocked me flat with delight. The 2008 Flaccianello della Pieve is just my kind of Sangiovese with a gorgeous level of silkiness and smoothness, all followed by tangy menthol freshness and balsam herb that give so much momentum to the vertical lift and drive of the bouquet. The wine's complexity is enhanced by drying mineral notes with barbecue smoke and mesquite. There is a slight hint of ripeness here that you taste in the sweetness of the tannins and the satiny nature of the finish. I love the balance between the wine's natural acidity and the softer side of its fruit. This vintage is drinking beautifully at the moment. Don't miss this exciting window.Inc. VAT£873.58
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Vinous (94)
The 2016 Chianti Classico Fontodi brings together all the elements that make the Fontodi wines so unique, but with an extra kick of freshness and aromatic intensity that is the result of a year with notable diurnal shifts during the growing season. Dark blue/purplish fruit, lavender, spice and menthol develop in the glass, but it is the wine's extraordinary balance and sheer appeal that stand out most. In time, 2016 may very well become the new benchmark for Fontodi's Chianti Classico. The 2016 is flat-out delicious. That's pretty much all there is to it.In Bond£145.00 -
Wine Enthusiast (95)
Fragrant and delicious, this opens with aromas of ripe black-skinned fruit, blue flower, leather, underbrush and a whiff of French oak. The full-bodied, enveloping palate delivers baked plum, Marasca cherry, licorice and a note of espresso framed in fine-grained enveloping tannins that give it a smooth texture and a weightless finesse.In Bond£135.00 -
James Suckling (95)
A perfumed nose of redcurrants, sour cherries, bay leaves and spices. Medium-bodied with chewy tannins. Dusty texture in the mouth with structure and a bright core of red fruit. Flavourful, ample and tannic finish with length. So serious. From organically grown grapes.In Bond£117.00 -
Wine Enthusiast (94)
Editors' Choice. Delicate aromas recalling scorched earth and truffle mingle with mocha and botanical herbs on this 100% Sangiovese. Elegant and enveloping, the supple palate features fleshy plum, orange zest and baking spice before an espresso finish. Soft tannins offer supple support. Drink through 2024.In Bond£115.00 -
In Bond£177.00
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Jancis Robinson (17.5)
Gaiole. 100% Sangiovese. Certified organic. Deep crimson. Enticing, deep red-fruit nose with hints of white pepper and leather. Succulent red fruit, with the finely grained, plentiful tannins unfurling on the finish.In Bond£125.00 -
(1x75cl) 2018
James Suckling (95)
Complex aromas of sweet berries, tobacco and mushrooms with some floral undertones. Full-bodied with very tight, polished tannins and cedar, mahogany and dark fruit on the finish. Lots of transparent fruit at the end. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.In Bond£82.00 -
James Suckling (95)
Complex aromas of sweet berries, tobacco and mushrooms with some floral undertones. Full-bodied with very tight, polished tannins and cedar, mahogany and dark fruit on the finish. Lots of transparent fruit at the end. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.In Bond£139.00 -
Vinous (91)
The 2019 Chianti Classico Filetta di Lamole is fruity, open-knit and delicious, all of which make it a fine choice for drinking now and over the next handful of years. The mix of forward fruit and freshness from this high altitude site works so well. Bright red/purplish fruit, rose petal, mint and spice linger. This is such a classy wine.In Bond£129.00 -
Jancis Robinson (17++)
Deep, youthful ruby. Brooding, deep red-fruit nose with saline, minerally notes (fermented in concrete?). Lifted and with a peppery tingle. Lush and energetic palate with fantastic, gravelly tannins and lots of juice. Real substance.In Bond£124.00 -
Decanter (96)
Fontodi’s brand spanking new Terrazze San Leolino Gran Selezione is a stunner. San Leolino was recognised locally as a cru site 200 years ago. The recently renewed terraces sit at 450 metres in Panzano but - unlike Fontodi’s Vigna del Sorbo, which is characterised by Galestro - the soil here is calcareous Alberese. Though recently bottled, this is forthright in its earthy, stony, mineral-like aromas. Elegant yet profound, the palate demonstrates decisive rose, red cherry and long-chained, enveloping tannins, finishing with a tangy salinity. It is still very buttoned up but has so much promise.In Bond£497.00 -
Wine Advocate (94)
The Fontodi 2020 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Terrazze San Leonlino (a certified organic wine) is a new addition to this exciting portfolio, now in its second vintage. With fruit from the upper part of the Conca d'Oro of Panzano, this wine shows a more robust and powerful personality with a strong 15% alcohol content. It ages in barrique and botte for 24 months. The bouquet is rich with cherry liqueur, blackberry kirsch and dried plum. There is more fruit weight here and you taste the ripeness in the grape skins. The wine has an almost carbonic quality that reminds me of cherry cola, and it ends on a sweet note with soft tannins. Only 5,000 bottles were made.In Bond£498.00 -
Vinous - Antonio Galloni (98)
The 2021 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Terrazze San Leolino is another highlight in this range from Fontodi. It's a huge step up from the 2020. Red cherry, iron, spice, leather, licorice, crushed rocks and herbs make a strong first impression. Bright acids, the result of elevation and a year with wide diurnal swings, yielded a Gran Selezione of stunning elegance, complexity and finesse. The 2021 spent 14-15 months in barrique (25% new) followed by 7-8 months in cask. The San Leolino is one of the newer wines in the Fontodi range. The 2021 suggests it could be one of the new flagships here.In Bond£419.00 -
Vinous (94)
Black stone fruits, smoke, tobacco, incense and sweet spices jump from the glass in the 2011 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigna del Sorbo. The 2011 is going to need a few years for the baby fat to melt away. Today the flavors are ripe, dark and resonant, while the tannins are quite silky, but the best is yet to come. Even with all of its richness, the 2011 clocks in with acidity above 6%, which is virtually unheard of for a wine with this much dry extract, but, then again, we are talking about Sangiovese.In Bond£331.00 -
Vinous (95+)
A powerful, structured wine, the 2014 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigna del Sorbo won't be ready to drink for a number of years, much less be at its best. In recent years, the Sorbo has been much more forward, but the 2014 is decidedly austere and ungiving. Graphite, smoke, black cherry, plum and licorice notes infuse the dark, mysterious finish.In Bond£458.00 -
Vinous (98+)
The 2015 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigna del Sorbo is flat-out stunning. Rich, ample and seductive, with tremendous intensity, the 2015 will go down as one of the truly epic wines of the year. All the elements come together in a deep, sensual Chianti Classico loaded with class and personality. I would give the 2015 at least a few years in the cellar to shed some baby fat, but it is very clearly a tremendous wine in the making, and even more impressive than it was last year. Wow!In Bond£586.00 -
Wine Advocate (98)
The 2016 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigna del Sorbo is another benchmark wine from Tuscany that shows the incredible potential of this iconic vintage. This beautiful single-vineyard Sangiovese reveals a graceful side with dark fruit intensity, cherry, plum, fresh violets and tilled earth. Tar, tobacco and licorice appear as delicate background tones, giving more volume and texture to the wine's sensorial impact. Vigna del Sorbo shows its own precise identity that is fiercely faithful to Sangiovese, but that also pushes the boundaries to go beyond our highest expectations of the grape in terms of color, concentration, aromatic complexity and staying power. That's the Panzano magic in a nutshell.In Bond£178.00 -
Wine Advocate (98)
The 2016 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigna del Sorbo is another benchmark wine from Tuscany that shows the incredible potential of this iconic vintage. This beautiful single-vineyard Sangiovese reveals a graceful side with dark fruit intensity, cherry, plum, fresh violets and tilled earth. Tar, tobacco and licorice appear as delicate background tones, giving more volume and texture to the wine's sensorial impact. Vigna del Sorbo shows its own precise identity that is fiercely faithful to Sangiovese, but that also pushes the boundaries to go beyond our highest expectations of the grape in terms of color, concentration, aromatic complexity and staying power. That's the Panzano magic in a nutshell.In Bond£335.00 -
Vinous (96+)
The 2017 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigna del Sorbo is a dense, packed wine. It is also surprisingly, almost shockingly backward. That is probably a good thing for its long-term aging prospects. Readers hoping to get an early glimpse into the 2017 before it shuts down may have a hard time doing that, as today acids and tannin dominate. I expect the 2017 will be stellar in another 4-5 years and drink well to age 25-30 if not longer. Proprietor Giovanni Manetti gave the 2017 18 months in barrique followed by 6 months in cask.In Bond£169.00 -
Vinous (96+)
The 2017 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigna del Sorbo is a dense, packed wine. It is also surprisingly, almost shockingly backward. That is probably a good thing for its long-term aging prospects. Readers hoping to get an early glimpse into the 2017 before it shuts down may have a hard time doing that, as today acids and tannin dominate. I expect the 2017 will be stellar in another 4-5 years and drink well to age 25-30 if not longer. Proprietor Giovanni Manetti gave the 2017 18 months in barrique followed by 6 months in cask.In Bond£256.00 -
Vinous (98)
The 2018 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigna del Sorbo is quite possibly the most elegant, refined version of this wine I have ever tasted. It does not offer the immediacy or impact of either the 2015 or 2016, but, instead, impresses with its elegance, persistence and total class. Bright floral and spice notes add perfume to a core of red-toned fruit. The 2018 represents another move towards greater finesse at Fontodi. It spent a year in French oak barrel and a second year in cask.In Bond£135.00 -
Vinous (98)
The 2018 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigna del Sorbo is quite possibly the most elegant, refined version of this wine I have ever tasted. It does not offer the immediacy or impact of either the 2015 or 2016, but, instead, impresses with its elegance, persistence and total class. Bright floral and spice notes add perfume to a core of red-toned fruit. The 2018 represents another move towards greater finesse at Fontodi. It spent a year in French oak barrel and a second year in cask.In Bond£249.00 -
Decanter (97)
At an elevation of 400 metres, Vigna del Sorbo boasts Chianti Classico’s classic Galestro soil. The warm southwest-facing vineyard typically yields a powerful, intense wine in need of ageing. The 2019 demonstrates all the wild, penetrating characteristics of this site but it comes into harmony quickly, revealing its balance and precision. Wood-driven top notes of smoke and vanilla meld into pressed violets, rosemary and liquorice. Luscious red cherry and dark plum flesh are wrapped in long, layered chalky tannins. Across the palate there's an energetic beam of unwavering acidity, giving the wine a linear feel. The finish reverberates with fennel and crushed stone.In Bond£159.00 -
Decanter (97)
At an elevation of 400 metres, Vigna del Sorbo boasts Chianti Classico’s classic Galestro soil. The warm southwest-facing vineyard typically yields a powerful, intense wine in need of ageing. The 2019 demonstrates all the wild, penetrating characteristics of this site but it comes into harmony quickly, revealing its balance and precision. Wood-driven top notes of smoke and vanilla meld into pressed violets, rosemary and liquorice. Luscious red cherry and dark plum flesh are wrapped in long, layered chalky tannins. Across the palate there's an energetic beam of unwavering acidity, giving the wine a linear feel. The finish reverberates with fennel and crushed stone.In Bond£312.00 -
(6x150cl) 2020
Wine Advocate (96)
Showing enormous precision and direction, the 2020 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigna del Sorbo (with 25,000 bottles released) is a generous expression of Sangiovese that boasts singular intensity. This organic wine offers black fruit, grilled rosemary, pressed rose and crushed limestone. All of these aromas enjoy special, forward-moving intensity that dovetails into the ample fruit generosity that this sun-filled vintage will be remembered for.In Bond£1,006.00 -
Wine Advocate (96)
Showing enormous precision and direction, the 2020 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigna del Sorbo (with 25,000 bottles released) is a generous expression of Sangiovese that boasts singular intensity. This organic wine offers black fruit, grilled rosemary, pressed rose and crushed limestone. All of these aromas enjoy special, forward-moving intensity that dovetails into the ample fruit generosity that this sun-filled vintage will be remembered for.In Bond£280.00 -
Wine Advocate (98+)
Now boasting the proud Panzano UGA on the front label, the Fontodi 2021 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Panzano Vigna del Sorbo is a little more delicate, even subdued, compared to its new brother, the more exuberant Terrazze San Leonlino. Vigna del Sorbo is a little more tuned in on itself, aromatically speaking, but reveals just enough complexity and sheer beauty to believe in the promise of its future aging potential. Even now, tasted so young, the wine's pedigree is evident. It excels in terms of complexity and depth. The tannins are velvety soft, and soft mineral aromas add focus. This certified expression of Sangiovese comes from a single parcel within the sun-drenched Conca d'Oro basin of vines that distinguishes Panzano. The Vigna del Sorbo stands out as one of my favorite wines from this region made in 2021.In Bond£285.00 -
Vinous - Antonio Galloni (96)
Manetti's 2004 Flaccianello della Pieve (100% Sangiovese aged in 100% new oak) is simply stunning. Fresh and vibrant, it offers compelling aromatics and endless layers of fruit that develop in the glass, with superb length on the palate and gorgeous overall balance. Although it is still holding back much today, make no mistake about it, Flaccianello is one of Italy's blue-chip wines and the 2004 is a profound vintage for this wine. In order to enjoy its full range of expression readers will have to wait at least another five years after which it will provide memorable drinking to age 25, perhaps longer. A recent bottle of the 1982 was still full of life when tasted a few months ago.In Bond£1,013.00 -
Vinous - Antonio Galloni (96)
I tasted the 2007 Flaccianello a number of times from barrel and tank before it was bottled. The 2007 is a bold, extroverted Flaccianello that sweeps across the palate with sensual layers of candied cherries, violets, spices and minerals. Dark, mentholated notes develop in the glass, adding further dimensions of inner sweetness, weight and complexity to this Tuscan thoroughbred. While so many 2007s are forward and open, Flaccianello remains muscular, taut and in need of significant cellaring. Still, the round, enveloping finish augurs extremely well for the future. Flaccianello is a selection of the estate's finest Sangiovese and is aged in French oak.In Bond£919.00 -
(6x75cl) 2008
Wine Advocate (96+)
Here's a vintage that came out of left field and knocked me flat with delight. The 2008 Flaccianello della Pieve is just my kind of Sangiovese with a gorgeous level of silkiness and smoothness, all followed by tangy menthol freshness and balsam herb that give so much momentum to the vertical lift and drive of the bouquet. The wine's complexity is enhanced by drying mineral notes with barbecue smoke and mesquite. There is a slight hint of ripeness here that you taste in the sweetness of the tannins and the satiny nature of the finish. I love the balance between the wine's natural acidity and the softer side of its fruit. This vintage is drinking beautifully at the moment. Don't miss this exciting window.In Bond£708.00
