Chianti Classico Terrazze di San Leolino Gran Selezione Panzano DOCG 2022 (BIO)

Tenuta Fontodi | Tuscany
Az. Agr. Fontodi | Giovanni e Marco Manetti s.s. | IT 50022 Panzano in Chianti

09483422 · 0,75 l · 92,00 €/l · Price (DE) incl. VAT, excl. Shippingavailable immediately

San Leolino was already considered a cru site 200 years ago. Above the thousand-year-old Pieve, the Romanesque chapel that has been documented since 982, terraces run through the upper part of the Conca d'Oro. In the 15th century, Giovanni Manetti found drawings in the University of Florence that proved that this slope was once completely planted with vines. What followed was a rebirth: the terraces were renewed, 4.5 hectares at an altitude of 450 to 500 metres, on Alberese limestone. These soils are fundamentally different from the slatey Galestro of the Vigna del Sorbo – here, hard limestone dominates, giving freshness, brightness and mineral precision. The pandemic years gave Giovanni the leisure to walk through his vineyards, to reflect. He realised that this parcel has its own identity, a terroir that calls for separate vinification. The first vintage was 2019, the fourth now 2022. Production remains small: only 5,000 bottles.

Bright ruby red with a fine rim. The bouquet reveals blackberry, violet and ink, as well as earthy, stony notes – the minerality of the Alberese is always present. Medium-bodied on the palate with ultra-fine, taut tannins that provide focus. Bright acidity carries the fruit: red cherries, blackcurrants, plus rose and a pronounced salinity on the finish. The texture is silky over firm tannins, the wine is almost linear in its structure, concentrated but never heavy. The final is long, spicy, with chalky minerality. A Gran Selezione of impressive elegance and purity – three to four years of bottle ageing will open it up further, the ageing potential extends into the 2040s. SUPERIORE.DE

"Dark, shiny ruby red colour. Beguiling bouquet with notes of juicy black cherry on damp earth, plus cedar wood, leather, cayenne pepper and a touch of nougat, complex. Precise fruit on the palate, with a lot of tension and great alternation of animating acidity and silky tannins, very long." Falstaff

"Aromas of blackberries, violets and ink follow through to a medium body with ultra-fine tannins that are tight and focus. Bright acidity. Chewy finish. Rather linear and solid in mouthfeel, suggesting that three or four years of bottle age will soften it." James Suckling

"The 2022 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Terrazze San Leonlino is a relatively new addition that expands the estate portfolio to include top-end wines from different terroirs within the appellation. This wine shows a dark inky color, nice layering and richness with plenty of detailing in terms of fruit and spice. The tannins are fine and elegant. It offers a lot of volume and a velvety texture with power in the form of a robust 15% alcohol content." Wine Advocate

"This is ripe, opulent and concentrated, with blackberry, black cherry, black currant, violet, earth and spice aromas and flavors. Guided by vibrant acidity and lifted by compact tannins, this finishes long and nuanced. All of the components are there; this just needs time to integrate." Wine Spectator

"The 2022 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Terrazze San Leolino is very quickly becoming one of the flagship wines at Fontodi. Elevation and alberese soils yield a Chianti Classico endowed with striking salinity and tension. Dark red cherry, plum, spice, new leather, incense and blood orange stain the palate. The 2022 spent 12 months in French oak barriques and a second year in French oak casks. What a wine!" Vinous