“Flaccianello della Pieve” Colli Toscana Centrale IGT 2022 (BIO)

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

09482322 · 0,75 l · 154,67 €/l · Price (DE) incl. VAT, excl. Shippingavailable immediately
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Giovanni Manetti was just twenty when, in 1981, he was due to press the first vintage together with Oenologist Franco Bernabei: a pure Sangiovese, at a time when the rules governing Chianti Classico still stipulated a proportion of white wine. What began as an act of rebellion became a legend. Flaccianello della Pieve, one of the first single-varietal Super Tuscans, proved that Sangiovese can achieve world-class status without any blending. The name derives from the original vineyard, but since 2001 Flaccianello has been a selection of the finest grapes from three plots on the estate, primarily those at the highest altitudes of 480 metres, where Pietraforte soils predominate. This conglomerate of sandstone varieties lends the wine the freshness and structure that set it apart from the rest.

In August 2022, disaster struck: hail destroyed a third of the harvest, and the western vineyard, Poggio, was completely devastated on 16 August. The other two plots, Pecille and La Cappellina, survived. Giovanni and his team decided to press a Flaccianello nonetheless, as the Pietraforte terroir guaranteed – despite the reduced yield – the freshness, structure and, above all, acidity that define this vintage.

A deep, intense ruby red. The bouquet reveals notes of plums, black cherries, fresh violets and liquorice, alongside hints of leather and graphite. Full-bodied on the palate, with a well-integrated structure – firm tannins enveloped by fruit, and a juicy acidity that keeps the final fresh and balanced. The floral character of the 2022 vintage is immediately apparent; the balance feels more direct, and the tannins are more subtly integrated than in previous vintages. A silky texture, earthy notes, minerality, and that long, expansive finish that characterises the Flaccianello. A wine of statuesque beauty, built to age for 20 to 25 years, perhaps longer. "For us, Flaccianello is always the finest expression of the Fontodi terroir and the Sangiovese from our region," says Giovanni, not without a certain pride. SUPERIORE.DE

"A bright, elegant ruby red. On the nose, rich berry fruit, accompanied by subtle hints of dried blood orange, delicate earthy and spicy notes in the finish round off the bouquet. On the palate, it is hearty, with a juicy, salty undertone and clear fruit, embedded in tightly woven tannins, it feels very compact, lingers for a long time, with the tannins becoming more pronounced again on the finish." Falstaff

"Subtle aromas of raspberries, dried roses, leather and spices delight the nose, a refined attack, with the superb powdery tannins and firm acidity in perfect balance, and a precise, long-lasting finish. A noble wine." Vinum

"The Flaccianello della Pieve 2022 is a rather subdued wine in this vintage. The vineyard blend is slightly different from recent years, as hail damaged one of the three core vineyards that Fontodi uses for the Flaccianello. Instead, the estate used plots on the other side of the road, which were used for the Flaccianello from 1981 to 2000 before being replanted. Dark Sangiovese fruit, spices, new leather, menthol and incense are beautifully interwoven." Vinous

"Another Tuscan icon is the Fontodi 2022 Flaccianello della Pieve. This organic wine is lovely, quite full-bodied and rich in extract. The 2022 vintage wines from Fontodi all have a high alcohol content and a rather robust character, which also applies to the Flaccianello, whose alcohol content stands at 15 per cent. Overall, this vintage is more approachable, with finely balanced tannins." Wine Advocate

"This silky-smooth red wine exudes finesse and harmony, alongside aromas of cherries, blackberries, blackcurrants, violets and toasted oak. It incorporates earthy and mineral notes whilst developing a long, expansive finish. All the elements are perfectly balanced." Wine Spectator

"This rich, fruity wine displays tremendous complexity. Aromas of plums, black cherries, fresh violets and liquorice, with a hint of leather and graphite. Full-bodied, it displays a well-integrated structure, with firm tannins enveloped by the fruit, and a crisp acidity that keeps the finish fresh and balanced." James Suckling