Last week I had the pleasure of attending a tasting of 2016 Gran Selezione hosted by Consorzio President, Giovanni Manetti of Fontodi. Organized by the Consorzio, the tasting featured thirteen different Gran Selezione wines from across the Chianti Classico zone.
The wines were served in flights organized by comune and stylistically from “lighter to heavier”. Each grouping was paired alongside various dishes including arancini, aged pecornio, pappardelle al ragu and tagliata del manzo.
~ Giovanni Manetti discussing the various soils, altitudes and exposures of the Chianti Classico Communes ~
Giovanni is always a gentleman and a great ambassador for Sangiovese and Chianti Classico. He was generous with his attention and eager to answer the various questions posed to him.
Background
The Gran Selezione designation was created in 2014 and today there are over 150 estates producing Gran Selezione wines. While that may sound like a lot, the total production represents only 6% of the entire production for the Chianti Classico zone.
Many of you reached out to me via my Social Media channels to provide questions for Giovanni. As it turned out, many of your thoughts were preempted by Giovanni as he opened the tasting discussing the latest trends for Gran Selezione.
~ The characters for “Flight 4” being arranged for tasting ~
Current Trends in Gran Selezione
While there is still considerable confusion about where Gran Selezione is heading and what benefits the consumer may reap from it, the most significant trends for the designation are positive.
- Increase in Sangiovese: Manetti began by stating that, while numerous varietals are allowed to be used in the wines, the number of wines relying solely or predominantly on Sangiovese are increasing. In fact, of the 13 wines presented every one was 80% Sangiovese or more and only two had foreign grapes in the blend.
- Increased Sustainability: In crafting Gran Selezione, producers are focusing more than before on caring for their vineyards and their territories. Widespread investments are being made to minimize chemicals and fertilizers while also embracing careful water usage, planting of cover crops and crop diversity.
- Further Sub-zoning: This is clearly going to be an interesting issue to follow. Giovanni mentioned that the desire is to include the Comune name on the wine labels providing further accuracy as to where the grapes were grown. It is something that is “being enthusiastically discussed”. I asked him if he meant this would be allowed only at the Gran Selezione level and he said “Yes, that is the intention but we are still discussing this. Maybe it will be for Gran Selezione first and then filter down but for now, it is still being discussed.” (oy, what could possibly go wrong?)
- More Gran Selezione: Very simply, more Gran Selezione wines are being produced now than there were 5 years ago. This due to slight increases in production, but more so because additional producers are choosing to produce a Gran Selezione. That said, the number of bottles per producer remains fairly small.
With Giovanni’s introduction complete, the tastings began.
From Left to Right: Castello Vicchiomaggio, Villa Calcinaia and Castello di Querceto ~
Flight 1
2016 Castello Vicchiomaggio Gran Selezione (Greve)
90% Sangiovese and 10% Merlot
15,000 bottles produced
This is a deep ruby red. Floral perfume and red berries mix with cocoa powder and suede on the nose. Bright red fruits with tobacco and spice on the palate. This is elegant and graceful with soft tannins. Medium bodied, but finishes a bit “hot” on the finish. 90-92 points
2016 Villa Calcinaia Gran Selezione (Greve)
100% Sangiovese
2,858 bottles produced
This is a clear medium ruby. Soft berry notes, soft wood notes and hints of herbs on the nose. Full bodied and elegant with darker berry notes than the Vicchiomaggio. Adds sweet tobacco notes and has a long, ripe, smooth finish. Very attractive. 91-93 points
2016 Castello di Querceto Gran Selezione (Greve)
95% Sangiovese
5% Colorino/Canaiolo
20,000 bottles producer
This is a deep ruby to garnet in color. Rather shy nose with nothing but berries and hints of spice notable. Tight and reserved on the palate. Almost austere with lean, green tobacco notes that strike me as odd. More tannic than either of the first two. I’m not a fan of this. 86-88 points.
For me personally, this was probably the weakest flight although a few others shared my opinion including a notable professional wine critic. Greve isn’t my thing and these were linear and way more austere than their counterparts from other Communes.
~ Some of the bottles from Flight 1 ~
Flight 2
2016 Principe Corsini Villa Le Corti Gran Selezione ZAC (San Casciano Val di Pesa)
100% Sangiovese
14,850 bottles produced
Medium ruby in color. Powder, minerals, shale and red fruits on the nose with crushed cherry too. Medium to full bodied and quite tannic. Spicy red fruits are very primary. This needs some time to come together. Finishes a bit hot with sweet licorice, iron and minerals. Cellar 5+ years. 89-91 points
2016 Antinori Badia a Passignano Gran Selezione (Barberino Tavernelle)
100% Sangiovese
123,000 bottles produced
The first wine that was decidedly more modern in style. Deep medium ruby. Ripe berry, vanilla and floral nose is very attractive. Vanilla is like catnip for humans. Ripe and round with wild cherry, black olive, cigarette tobacco and sweet, ripe fruit on the finish. Fresh and smooth. The firm tannins show up a bit on the finish. Really nice and very elegant. With this level of production, finding this should be easier. 91-93 points.
2016 Castello di Volpaia Coltassala Gran Selezione (Radda)
95% Sangiovese
5% Mammolo
12,000 bottles produced
Deep medium ruby. Very floral with bright red fruit notes marking the nose. Bright red fruit notes on the palate are elegant, juicy and fresh. Good full body with crisp acidity; a hallmark of Radda. Dusty cherry and firm tannins mark this for the cellar. 2-4 year of patience required. Very attractive. 91-93 points.
~ Left to Right: Principe Corsini, Antinori, Volpaia ~
Flight 3
2016 Rocca delle Macie Riserva di Fizzano Gran Selezione (Castellina in Chianti)
90% Sangiovese
10% Colorino
20,000 bottles produced
Deep, medium ruby. Loads of crushed plum, spices and vanilla on the nose. Ripe and round with full body and silky, dusty tannins. Big ripe red fruits are juicy an sexy. Long finish. Best wine I’ve ever tasted from this property. 94-96 points.
2016 Castello di Fonterutoli Gran Selezione (Castellina in Chianti)
92% Sangiovese
8% Colorino and Malvasia Nera
67,000 bottles produced
Medium ruby – deep color. Black plums and black cherry give way to spicy licorice on the nose. Just lovely in the mouth with long, ripe fresh flavors that echo the aromas. Elegant tannins – fleshy and forward. A more modern style as well that is round and polished. Very seductive. 91-93 points.
2016 Felsina Colonia Gran Selezione (Castelnuovo Berardenga)
100% Sangiovese
6,000 bottles produced
The Colonia vineyard is actually a very small plot that sits on top of the Rancia hill. Rocky and surrounded by forest, the vineyard was replanted in 1993. This is deep ruby with a cherry, oak and tobacco nose. Firm, tight, and very austere there are big, drying tannins obscuring the fruit. Good acidity, but needs a long slumber in the cellar. Almost a hyper Rancia Riserva which I’m convinced needs 10 years to begin showing well. Cellar for 6-8 years and have Fiorentina. This seems put together well but is hard to gauge. 92-95 points.
~ Man do I dig Castellina and Castelnuovo Berardenga. This was one of my favorite flights with wines that are clearly bigger and richer bit also retain their freshness and acidity ~
~ Left to Right: Rocca delle Macie, Fonterutoli, Colonia ~
Flight 4
2016 Castello di Ama San Lorenzo Gran Selezione (Gaiole)
80% Sangiovese
13% Merlot
7% Malvasia Nera
77,780 bottles produced
Deep ruby color. Cherry, hazelnut and cocoa powder on the nose are very attractive. Huge wine, but very silky. Cherries, spices and iron make for a delicious combination. Very silky with woven, smooth tannins. This is delicious now and likely a very good value. 94-96 points.
2016 Barone Ricasoli Ceniprimo Gran Selezione (Gaiole)
100% Sangiovese
6,000 bottles produced
Medium ruby color. Floral and red berry nose with hints of fresh herb. Really fresh and lively on the palate with bright cherry, spice notes and blood. Very nice effort and very different from the 2015 I tasted last summer in Castellina. That wine was marked by charry wood. Maybe Ricasoli sensed it too or maybe they treated the 2015 vintage different because of the structure. Here the wood aging is only 18 months in tonneaux 70% of which were used 2-3 passages. 91-93 points.
~ Left to Right: Castello di Ama, Ricasoli, Fontodi ~
2016 Fontodi Vigna del Sorbo Gran Selezione (Panzano)
100% Sangiovese
20,000 bottles produced
Deep ruby to garnet. Dark cocoa powder on the nose with crushed cherry and spices added in. Gigantic ripe, juicy fruit – absolutely huge. This is gorgeous. Full, long and rich with acids and tannins in perfect balance. Giovanni said it is “just a baby” but with some grilled meat, I’d happily drink this now. Sexy. I almost lost consciousness. 96-98 points.
~ Another very successful and sexy flight. I’d welcome any of these into my cellar. Try now, try later. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed ~
Bonus wine….
Giovanni wanted to illustrate the potential of Gran Selezione to age – or at least provide a glimpse of what may become of the 2016s in ten years time.
~ Magnums of the 2006 Isole e Olena were poured ~
2006 Isole e Olena Gran Selezione (Barberino Tavernelle)
80% Sangiovese
12% Cabernet Franc
8% Syrah
1,837 bottles produced
An interesting blend which was pointed out by Giovanni. One of the few to use non-native grapes and the smallest percentage of Italian grapes on the day. Still a deep ruby color. As dark as the 2016s. Cherries, cherry cordials, leather, smoke and dark chocolate on the nose is very compelling. Mature and elegant with lots of black cherry fruit, leather and acids to stay fresh. Very smooth tannins tell you it’s time to drink. Pretty special wine. 93-95 points.
Observations
After the tasting I was sitting with Giovanni and while these wines were excellent, the one topic that never came up during the tasting was that of pricing. I asked him if he was concerned about the price levels of the wines and if, as the prices crept higher, the inevitable comparison to Brunello concerned him. He was very pointed in his answer.
“All of the wines here today range in price from about $45-$100. The Isole e Olena maybe a bit higher. We understand they are not cheap wines but it is never inexpensive or easy to make excellent wines. The quantities are limited, they are labor intensive with strict selections. They require a lot of time consuming manual work. We think they are the equal of the greatest wines of the world – just like Brunello, Barolo and Burgundy. In that sense, they are still favorably priced.”
As I said, some of these wines I will definitely seek out. The ones at the lower scale of the pricing are pretty good values for the excitement they delivered. That said, as these wines creep to $75-$100 I think they will be a very difficult sell. I said that back in 2014 after the tasting at the NYC Public Library and I’ll say it again now. Furthermore, most of these wines aren’t released. In fact, when they shop up “for sale” upon further inspection you realize they are “pre-arrivals”. I’m not into that – never have been. So I’ll patiently wait.
These wines are unique and very different. It was easy to see a stark contrast in the styles from the northern more elevated part of the zone (Greve/Radda) to the southern and central parts of the zone (Panzano/Castellina/Castelnuovo) While there are exceptions in every Commune, I much prefer wines from the south that are a bit richer and less austere.
Many questions still surround Gran Selezione and during Manetti’s tenure, it will be interesting to watch and see which trends evolve and which get left behind.
Salute!
Great article, Giovanni. I always thought that the Gran Selezione classification was motivated more by marketing than anything else and that it only added more confusion to an already confusing classification.
I thought that since the beginning and I still do. However, at least I can say that the wines are top quality. But the prices give me pause. Many times you can buy 2 or 3 Brunello for the price of 1 Gran Selezione. Who is that benefiting? But Giovanni’s comments on pricing tell it all. They want to be viewed as among the best in the world – regardless of the competition.
Nice article John, thanks.
Here in Europe most of the wines are already released (I already have some in the cellar – the “killer F’s” 😉 ) but I am also very, very concerned about the pricing.
And I have to be frank about it, especially Fontodi (maybe this grabs my attention because I’m following them fo some years now). With the top scores their latest Flaccianello received, I am afraid that this wine will from now on always cost more than 100 €, whereas you could get this 5 years ago at about half the price. The quality has not doubled over that period…
But Flaccianello is not gran selezione. However, the Sorbo also jumped on the price wagon with a 33% increase from 2015 to 2016. I am sad to say that if this keeps up, I will no longer be buying Fontodi wines (the regular chianti also got more expensive, approximatively 30% in 5 years time…). I mean, Colonia is also very expensiver, but Rancia and Fontalloro can still be had for about half that price, and personally, I don’t think the quality of those is not very different compared to Colonia.
Moreover I cannot shake the impression that the price increase at Fontodi is largely driven by the producer itself, trying to cash in on that cocktail of a string of good vintages and press buzz. The release of the Fontodi wines has been postponed here in Europe for several months and the amount of bottles put on the market afterwards was limited (confirmed by a number of merchants) in order to keep the demand up so the prices can soar.
The effect? Flaccianello 2016 sometimes costing as much as double the price of the 2015 and a trickle down effect on “everything Fontodi” from 2016. A producer has of course the right to sell his wines at the (highest) price he wants / can, but the approach here to me comes across as “grab what you can” and that delicate balance between the (erratic) romantic view of the passionate wine grower and the cold businessman is brutally disturbed in favor of the latter. Even more so, since I never expected such a sudden change in approach from Fontodi, who in the past used to be very reasonable when it came to pricing.
Needless to say, a bridge too far for me…
Best regards,
Hey Steven,
Where are you located in Europe? I only searched in the US, and with the exception of the Castello di Ama, none show up at retail yet. I’m still seeing 2015 and even 2013. There are lots of wines to sell! That’s also another point when it comes to pricing. It’s not only competition from other wines/options, but there is a glut of fine wine in the system.
Here in the US, about maybe 7-10 years ago Fontodi switched importers and overnight started seeing price increases. Fontalloro and Flaccianello used to be the same price. One has essentially stayed the same and the other, as you say, creeps up each year. I have stopped buying Flaccianello in the US. I bought the 2009 and 2012 from the winery and the 2015 in Tuscany. It was still a “value” there. Vigna del Sorbo is pre-arrival here for the 2016 and is $109. I can’t go there. Just can’t do it even knowing how good it was. I’d rather have a 6 pack of the Rocca delle Macie or 2-3 Brunello. It’s still all Sangiovese at the end of the day.
I also agree with you on Colonia. I won’t ever buy that wine. It has it’s own vineyard source, so no fruit is being “stolen” from Rancia or Fontalloro. Those vineyards are getting older and really, they have the same winemaker (Bernabei) so it’s an easy decision for me. At any rate, you are right. The pricing is a big source of pain for us, but not for the wineries. They aren’t having trouble selling out. Someone will buy these wines – it just may not be the collective “us”. With any luck, doing what I do, I’ll find more new options to use in their places.
Salute!
Hi John, thanks. I’m located in Belgium – but I sometimes buy online in Germany or Italy as well. Fonterutoli hit the market 2 months ago, Colonia as well (but Rancia and Fontalloro were already available several months earlier). Everything from Fontodi is as mentioned notoriously late (3-4 weeks ago). The single vineyard Ricasoli trio (Ceniprimo, Colledila, Roncicone) and the Brolio have also been around for 3 months or so.
Castello di Ama is also already available, but I don’t remember when it hit the market here – nor do I have an idea on the timing for the Antinori. And the others I also have no idea, nor have I ever even tried them (except Querceto; Querceto gets distributed here by a big supermarket, and is an infamous budget-option).
Interesting. The Rancia and Fontalloro are available here. I have them both in the cellar. (2015 and 2016) I really liked the Ricasoli Ceniprimo and will likely try to find some depending what it costs. I had the 2015 in Castellina last summer with a winemaker friend and we both thought it was somewhat bland and horribly oaked. This tasting of the 2016 really was eye opening. There was no trace of it being over done. I also really liked the Fizzano for it’s value. That wine (2013) is under $40 here. We’ll see how that can hold up. Palm Bay was taken over by Taub Family Wines so I don’t know how that will impact pricing. Merry Christmas amico! Thanks for all your support and comments.
A very interesting post, a couple things:
First, why don’t I get invited to tastings like this?:)?
Second, it’s interesting to note your geographic preference for wines from the south end of CC; our preference is for wines from the west side. All our favs (Castellare, Setriolo, Panaretta, Badia a Passignano, Fonterutoli, Gagliole (thanks John), Piemaggio (thanks again John)) are on the west side of the 222 road. Don’t know why this is (perhaps simply random chance, but I think prolly not) and there are exceptions. Istine is a recent discovery from the “wrong side of the road”. Our geographic preferences show how varied Chianti Classico is, I’d say there is a much wider range of styles in CC than in Montalcino (but I’m sure you know better than I).
Third, I think the question of what Gran Selezione is or means is very much open. The problem is that the wine makers in CC use such wildly different styles and techniques and the rules of what qualifies as GS are really loose. I think it’s 80% Sangiovese and the balance in traditional Italian grapes and an extra year of aging, is that it? Would the Isole e Olena wine above qualify (btw, let me know where I can find a bottle:))? The result is Gran Selezione doesn’t mean much from a marketing or wine making perspective. I’d note that the Black Rooster on the bottle of Chianti Classico is actually a pretty effective marketing tool, my non-wine drinking daughter was able to buy a nice bottle of wine simply by looking for a medium priced bottle with the Black Rooster on it.
Fourth, I think that the success of the Montalcino wine makers with ‘Brunello’ is that they have been successful in convincing the market that ‘Brunello’ is synonymous with ‘excellent wine’. This is objectively not true, Brunello means 100% Sangiovese, produced in Montalcino and aged four (I think) years; but the marketing has been brilliant and the CC producers would like to emulate that. There are some Brunellos that I can only describe as ok, but with the Brunello name on the label they command a price bump.
Thanks for the blog, it’s always interesting. Sorry for such a long-winded comment.
Steve, length of comment, hell! That’s what this space is for! First, you mention some of your favorite producers above. It matters not where they’re located, but where the grapes come from right? So, Castellare, Fonterutoli, Piemaggio are all in Castellina. Gagliole gets fruit from Castellina and Panzano. So our palates align well. Next time I’m over I’ll have to check out Setriolo. And, Istine is Radda which is my preference on the “more austere” side.
GS isn’t really comparable to anything in my mind and that goes to your second point. GS must be at least 80% Sangiovese, aged for 30 months and produced from estate grown grapes. That’s basically it. That 20% of other grapes can be almost anything. Not much has changed since I wrote this article: https://johnfodera.com/the-new-face-of-chianti-classico-gran-selezione/ That’s why I noted in the trends above that many producers were going toward 100% Sangiovese. 20% is a large percentage to play with and when one wine includes Merlot and the other includes Colorino, those are two very different things. The Isole wine above is a Gran Selezione. It’s hard to recommend because I suspect it’s about $150 per bottle. That’s an easy pass for me.
Finally, as far as Brunello goes, I think a lot of its reputation came about because it was truly a full bodied, age worthy Sangiovese. When it was born, most Chianti Classico was mediocre. Hence, Tignanello. So it was easy to separate itself. Secondly, the clone was better. Third, when the wine is 100% Sangiovese, it is easy to define an identity for the market. Think about it? It seems like wine makers sell “Brunello” first, their label second. In Chianti Classico or Gran Selezione, it’s almost like they’re selling the wine first – i.e. Vigna del Sorbo. I’d buy that wine whether it was Gran Selezione or Chianti Classico or Riserva. It’s the producer I’m after. But many times people just say, “I’ll have Brunello” as if every producer is the same. I know these are sweeping generalizations but I think there’s some overall truth to it. Of course there are stylistic differences in Brunello but I think you really need to be an experienced taster to develop a preference.
Anyway, thanks for your comments and best wishes for a Merry Christmas!
So, as a response to the Fontodi pricing discussion above I’d like to offer an experience I had recently. One my favorite wines shops is the Alpine Market in Whitefish Montana. It’s an odd place, part gas station, part grocery store and part wine shop. It has a small but very well thought out selection of wines and I always make a point to bring ‘packaging’ to bring home a bottle or two.
Two price observations; Fontodi Chianti Classico – $58; Antinori Tiganello $104 (sorry didn’t note vintage in either case). The relatively narrow spread between the prices is noteworthy, it seems to me the Fontodi was pretty high prices compared to the Tignello. It’s odd to speak of wine in such financial terms, but one can’t help it sometimes. For the record, I bought neither, I chose the Carpazo La Casa Brunello.
Steve – that’s interesting but I have to say, I’m surprised either of those wines make it to Montana. Hell, even here I almost always ship the Fontodi CC if I’m buying it. Never see it locally and the other day I found out why. I had discussions with 2 of the largest retailers in NJ who both confirmed to me that the importer is a MAJOR pita to deal with. That said, I find the Fontodi in your case to be more overpriced than Tig. By my math, using prices around here, the Fontodi is 65% higher than average while the Tig, only 15% higher. I wouldn’t pay those prices for either – they are easier to find for less – but it’s still not off the wall stupid. That Market sounds cool though.