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Now Viewing: Fontodi Estate Winery
The Fontodi Estate was purchased by the Manetti family in 1968. It is now run by the talented son, Giovanni Manetti who oversees production, with vaunted enologist Franco Bernabei making the wines. Their new winery is one of the most impressive in all of Italy. The state-of-the-art fermenters are so gentle with the fruit that the richer, softer tannins have "rounded the edges" while still retaining all the fresh grip of pure Tuscan Sangiovese from the heart of Chianti Classico. Manetti has also made an intelligent move to phase out the Chianti Classico Riserva label and boost his production of Chianti Classico. This latter wine is traditionally aged in botti. It is a fine benchmark for a style that needs to be clearly defined for the consumer as a traditional wine; it does not see small oak barrels, is not oaky, and tastes of Sangiovese, not French forest. Fontodi’s vineyards cover an impressive, southerly swatch of land leading up to the town of Panzano which is one of the cooler communes of Chianti due to its altitude. It is the high altitude and southern exposure that allow the grapes to achieve an intense level of ripeness along with attaining the high acidity levels required to provide structure underneath all the fruit. Fontodi’s impressive Super Tuscan, Flaccianello, has been in production since 1983. It is one of the best barrel-aged Sangioveses of the region, even if it has a lick of French carpentry to spice it up. The greatest revelation, however, is the Case Via Syrah, which is one of the most convincing Italian expositions of the northern Rhone's leading grape variety. Finally, as if clones of Sangiovese were not enough to worry about, Manetti is producing one of the most amazing olive oils from a specific clone of olive that he has isolated. It is the prized ingredient of the best chef’s recipes from Italy to America.
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