FONTODI
TUSCANY, ITALY 2023
WHY BUY: There’s a reason we always say: there’s Chianti, and then there's Fontodi Chianti. That refusal to compromise runs all the way from their entry-level Chianti Classic to the top. It's there in the Vigna del Sorbo, a Gran Selezione that’s as layered as Sangiovese gets at $100, and it reaches full flower in Flaccianello, which exists because the appellation decided that Giovanni Manetti's Sangiovese broke the rules and wasn’t entitled to put the denomination of origin on his bottle. So Manetti walked away from the powers that be, and the result is his and our gain — one of the benchmark Italian wines of our time, with its prismatic aromatics, its supremely refined tannins, its almost weightless heft, its endless length. We've secured four gorgeous vintages: the 98-point 2019, the 98-point 2013, the 97-point 2023, and the 96-point 2007 which is drinking gorgeously right now. At Fontodi, craft has always, always come first … and everything else is a distant second. And you can taste that commitment and that passion in every one of these supremely babied wines.
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING: Flaccianello has never been a stranger to critical rapture, and Monica Larner put her finger on why, calling it "a wine that hits the highest marks for quality consistency vintage after vintage." The Wine Advocate lavished 98 points on the 2019 vintage, "a stunning wine that sums up the character of the vintage," full of "rich concentration and layers of dark fruit that wrap thickly over the senses." Vinous matched that 98 points on the 2013 vintage, "a fabulous, riveting wine that grabs hold of all the senses." James Suckling was just a nick behind it, on the 2023 vintage, a 97-pointer with "great balance between graphite minerality" and a florality of "violets, roses, irises and licorice," with the density to hold "tension and youthful red cherry fruit." The 2007 took home 96 points from Vinous, "a bold, extroverted Flaccianello" of "candied cherries, violets, spices and minerals." As for the Vigna del Sorbo 2023, Suckling adored it, and awarded 96 points; he was taken especially with its "velvety and refined tannic structure" and "crisp, integrated acidity."
OUR TASTING NOTES: Let's start with the five Flaccianellos, the wine that helps define, for us and so many others, what Sangiovese is. The 2019 is the opulent one, dark and deep, the kind of wine that seems to spread out and fill every corner of your mouth. The 2013 does something that is, if anything, even more thrilling. It's got all the old Fontodi flesh, but there's a lift to it, a sleekness, that feels different and new. The 2023 is the pup of the group, throwing off violets and graphite and red cherry, and pulling you in with its sinuousness, its flow, and the way its layers unfold. The 2007 is fully mature and gorgeous: the fruit here has turned savory and brooding, and the tannins have turned to something akin to brushed suede. As for the Vigna del Sorbo, it’s Chianti at its most velvety, mineral-streaked, and gorgeous. To end, a few words about the Chianti Classico, which tastes not at all like a wine that costs $44, and which will have you thinking about handing out bottles to colleagues and family come holiday time … not to mention hoarding a few for yourself for pasta or pizza night.
THE STORY: The secret to Fontodi’s success is something gloriously unglamorous: dirt. The vineyards sit up high, in a natural amphitheater the locals named the Conca d'Oro, the golden shell, and the rock beneath them is galestro, a crumbly, schisty soil that makes the vine suffer and reduces yields to almost nothing. That's the literal foundation of this estate, and to understand why Fontodi is so great, year after year, vintage after vintage, you have to start there. The other core piece is Giovanni Manetti, who inherited a very good estate and, with the unhurried confidence of a man who knows something that most people don't, turned it into a great one. He went organic before anyone was clapping for it. He yanked Flaccianello clean out of the appellation system rather than water it down to fit the rules. And the wines he makes don't brag. Never. They let you in slowly, each sip giving up a little more than the one before, until you glance at the window and realize the whole night has somehow (but gloriously) slipped away.
WHAT TO PAIR THEM WITH: The instinct is to want to save the Flaccianellos for a special evening with your most favorite people. But these are glorious food wines. Think: rich red sauces (pasta Bolognese, veal parmigiana) and roasted or grilled meats (a rack of lamb, a porterhouse, double-cut pork chops).
FUN FACT: In 2018, Manetti was appointed chairman of the Consorzio Vino Chianti Classico, where he has pushed a micro-level labeling policy that, if approved, would put the name of the specific village or district on every Chianti Classico label. That might initially sound like a small change, but for anyone who believes, as he does, that the ground matters, it’s a potential game-changer.
OUR GUARANTEE: We always buy and source direct, so rest assured: your wines will arrive in your hands with pristine provenance. Secure your order today!
*Offer NOT valid in-store. This offer is made pre-arrival, with wines estimated to be delivered to your preferred store in Summer 2026. With the supply chain issues that we are seeing globally, there may be some unforeseen delays which could affect the ETA. All sale prices are the lowest available at Total Wine & More and ONLY valid through Concierge Sales. No further discounts or coupons may be applied. Offer not valid in DC, DE, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MI, MO, NC, NE, NM, NY, OK, TN, WI, and Stores 532, 533, 538, 929, 937, 938, 1403, and 1408. This offer will expire on Sunday, August 30th, 2026.