2022 Fontodi Chianti Classico

93 POINTS: With 20 of its 110 hectares in the western sector of Panzano, Fontodi ended up losing over 20% of its total volume of grapes in the violent mid-August hailstorm. Despite reduced quantities, quality certainly wasn’t compromised. The hot, arid summer has yielded a particularly dense and still somewhat austere wine. Coffee, blackcurrant and dusty stone surface furtively on the nose. Powerful and hearty with just enough of a wild edge, this is saturated with dark fruit and gravelly minerals. The tannins are properly chewy. but it is that intrinsic juiciness that stands out and has me craving a grilled steak.