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| ~ Iconic Tuscan Road on the way to Felsina ~ |
They can’t always be good. That’s the rule we wine lovers sometimes get bitten by when cellaring and developing young wines into mature bottles of art. With a glorious pork shank osso bucco I reached for a bottle of 2001 Felsina Fontalloro, only to have it appear horribly corked. Stripped of fruit on the palate, leaving nothing in taste but volatile acid and smelling like a wet dog that rolled around in musty, moldy basement. It launched a fit for sure.
Thankfully, we wine lovers often get a second chance. So I reached for my last – and identical bottle of said vintage and thankfully, the second time around was a success. There’s apt to be recurring theme there, but I digress…
The 2001 Felsina Fontalloro is sourced from the Florentine hills that border the Chianti Classico and Colli Senesi areas of the broader Chianti zone. Comprised of 100% Sangiovese, it is feremented in stainless steel and then aged in first and second passage barrique for 18-24 months.
Fontalloro is typically one of my favorite Sangiovese based Super Tuscans. It’s pure, it’s polished and comparatively, it’s very affordable. The 2001 has developed nicely at age 12. In the glass it’s a deep crimson red with brick like reflections. It’s beginning to show it’s age in the color of the wine. The nose is classic. It speaks of Tuscany. Warm dusty dirt runs underneath the chassis of red cherry fruit and the chrome accents here are represented by leather and soft spice notes. On the palate, the wine is refined in an almost regal sort of manner. Ripe cherries, worn leather, soft earthy mushrooms…this is mature in many ways but I think it has the structure and stuffing to last in the cellar a few years longer if you’re inclined to hold it. My recommendation would be to enjoy these over the fall and winter with some hearty fare. This is the soul of Tuscany. 91 points, about $38.
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| ~ The 2001 Felsina Fontalloro through “Mayfair” ~ |
Allora!
Niiiiiiice! I know exactly what you mean by "it speaks of Tuscany" and is "Tuscan soul" 🙂 If all tuscan wines were like that, I would call it paradise. You got me there and I'm buying it, given the fact Felsina being already one of my favorite winery for Chianti classico.
Thank you for putting out this amazing blog!
Raph
Thanks so much Raphael, I appreciate the remarks very much. I've got magnums of this wine from 2009. I can't wait to see how those develop.
That's cool… Magnum is apparently the perfect size for aging and 2009 is .. well you know that vintage..
Just to know, here, they sell the 2007 right now.. Based on what you wrote, I would assume to hold a few years (like 2 or 3 years) before opening a first bottle?
Mag or 750? 2007 is so forward, you could easily do either.
750.. ok thanks