Fontodi

Giovanni Manetti, assisted by his cousin Marco, is in charge of the 70 hectare vineyard. Giovanni's first involvement with the company was in 1979. Shortly afterwards, he hired renowned oenologist Franco Bernabei to work together to improve numerous practices. A very important development is the construction of an ultra modern cantina which was completed in 1998. Here the wines are fermented in stainless steel, temperature controlled tanks to get more extraction. Once ready, the wines are brought by gravity, instead of pumps, to the brand new barrel cellar and aged there on French oak. The premier cuvees go on new oak, the other wines go in the older barrels.

With all the vineyards, located in the Conca d'Oro valley, which means golden cap, Fontodi is one of the most respected producers in Chianti Classico. An impressive site, for the Chianti Classico region quite high up and relatively steep, up to almost 500 m above sea level. One of the best sites for Sangiovese, according to Giovanni Manetti and others. Sangiovese needs a lot of sunlight during the day, good ventilation and cool nights to become delicate and elegant.

Manetti’s charming, open manner has made it possible to create a model project in Italian viticulture: "Panzano sostenibile" - sustainable Panzano, because if you do biodynamic cultivation, it makes sense if your neighbours do it too" Manetti smiles and puts his light under a bushel. Anyone who knows Italy knows how difficult it is to get several entrepreneurs to join forces. Today, practically all the wineries with over 500 ha around Panzano are organic or in conversion.

Organic viticulture, biodynamic wine making, creating beautiful fruits to produce a portfolio of artisan stylish wines. With their sense of tradition, an abundance of typicity and yet looking ahead, they know how to make characteristic wines from mainly Sangiovese grapes.

A high-quality Chianti Classico with a maximum maturation of 1 year, a Riserva that can be considered one of the first Sangiovese-Cabernet blends due to the perfect collaboration of Giovanni and Franco, and a Super-Tuscan with the name Flaccianello della Pieve from only Sangiovese that scores points at Robert Parker. Giovanni Manetti and Fontodi represent the pinnacle of quality that can be achieved in this part of Tuscany.

Fontodi is also called the king of Sangiovese. Rightly so! Last summer I drank the Flaccianello della Pieve 2018 in the village of Radda. It is a wine that is so beautifully elegant and complex at the same time. A wine that shows a lot of character at a young age, but in my opinion it is built for at least 10 years of aging in the cellar. A Super Tuscan that should not be missing from an Italian wine collector!

Top Fontodi vintages are: 1997, 1999, 2006, 2007, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2019 and 2020.


FACTS

Year Founded: 1968
Owner: Giovanni Manetti
Annual production: approx. 400,000 bottles
Vineyard: approx. 80 hectares
Organically approved cultivation (certificate: ICEA)