Fontodi
Chianti Classico 2016
Tuscany, Italy
Regular price£160.00
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JUST 3 LOOSE BOTTLES REMAIN - CASES ARE SOLD OUT
Truth be told, I'm far less familiar with Fontodi than I am with many wines I offer; I've yet to visit them, so I don't have any great emotional attachment. My appreciation for this wine comes down exclusively to what's in the bottle.
Like many people of my age, I suspect the name Chianti conjures up mixed emotions, notably horribly insipid, cheap red wines served in wicker baskets in Italian restaurants. I've really struggled over the years to overcome that, with many still seeming to have high acidity, high alcohol, and just being a bit of a struggle. There are exceptions of course, but it's not an easy DOCG to buy from, unless you buy Fontodi!
Like many people of my age, I suspect the name Chianti conjures up mixed emotions, notably horribly insipid, cheap red wines served in wicker baskets in Italian restaurants. I've really struggled over the years to overcome that, with many still seeming to have high acidity, high alcohol, and just being a bit of a struggle. There are exceptions of course, but it's not an easy DOCG to buy from, unless you buy Fontodi!
The brightness of the sweet fruit, combined with just the right balance of spice, wins me over here. To me, it's Christmas in a glass!
| Style: Red | Drink from: 2022 |
| ABV: 14.5% | Drink to: 2030 |
| Packaging: OCC | Stock arriving: In Stock |
Critic scores
92+ RP, 94 VM, 94 JS, 17 JR, 93 GM
Critic reviews
"Fontodi's 2016 Chianti Classico is an expertly administered and measured wine that shows bright fruit intensity backed by Sangiovese's characteristic acidity, primary freshness and integrated structure. This wine is perfectly engineered to pair with Tuscan dishes such as pappardelle ribbon pasta with rabbit or wild boar ragù. The wine will not only cleanse the palate from those flavors, but it will enhance the savory flavors."
Monica Larner, July 2019, RobertParker.com
"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."
Antonio Galloni, July 2019, Vinous.com
"Mid crimson. Powerful, perfumed nose with a flirty oak note and bags of aromatic marasca cherry fruit and muscular tannins on the palate. Great balance. Ageworthy."
Walter Speller, February 2019, JancisRobinson.com
Monica Larner, July 2019, RobertParker.com
"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."
Antonio Galloni, July 2019, Vinous.com
"Mid crimson. Powerful, perfumed nose with a flirty oak note and bags of aromatic marasca cherry fruit and muscular tannins on the palate. Great balance. Ageworthy."
Walter Speller, February 2019, JancisRobinson.com
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