~ Looking at the range of colors from above ~

Magical.

You can apply the word to the Conca d’Oro, to Panzano, to Fontodi or to this wine and you’d be right every time.  There’s just nothing not to like here, albeit with one small nit that I’ll get to at the end.

With a vintage as good as 2015, you would expect a wine like Fontodi’s Chianti Classico to be excellent. Sometimes, as a taster and a writer, those expectations can build to a point where you’re let down so I try to stay “guarded” in that sense and temper my enthusiasm when trying new releases.  Yet after saying all that, this Chianti Classico delivered.

~ The aging room, complete with new Amphora, at Fontodi. The Manetti family are partners in one of the largest terra cotta companies in Tuscany and they are experimenting with Amphora matured wines ~

The 2015 Fontodi Chianti Classico is 100% Sangiovese produced from organic grapes.  We did not decant the wine; we simply popped, poured and enjoyed it alongside a Fiorentina.  In the glass, the wine is a deep ruby color with pretty violet reflections.  After a few minutes of opening, swirling brought forth plenty of aromas including crushed cherry, bright fresh flowers, tobacco and road dust notes. The floral tones – or better yet – the “air” tones of this wine remind me of standing on the Fontodi estate.  There’s a mix of roses, geranium, cypress, lemon and lavender that become a seamless singular aroma.

On the palate the wine is fresh and lively with concentrated flavors of crushed berry, cherry, tobacco, spices and minerals.  Vibrant and juicy with mouthwatering sapidity this medium to full bodied Sangiovese has a long, fresh finish that glides across the palate and sits nimbly.  It’s one of the best Chianti Classico I’ve ever tasted and I will say it delivers more than what one would expect from wines with that “label”.  That being said, the price is creeping up relative to its contemporaries.  Other than Castello di Ama, I can’t really recall another at this price point. However, the quality is certainly there and I’ve no regrets for the bottles I’ve bought.  93 points.  About $32.  Find this wine.

~ I included two images of this wine so the reader could get an excellent glimpse of the color of the wine ~

Salute!

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