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2016 Fontodi Chianti Classico

Not Currently In Auction

Latest Sale Price

April 28, 2024 - $41

Estimate

RATINGS

94Wine Spectator

A sleek, black cherry– and blackberry-infused red, coupled with a steely, vibrant structure. Linear and tense, featuring an energetic finish. Tobacco, graphite and macchia notes add depth as this unwinds on the long finish.

94Vinous / IWC

...brings together all the elements that make the Fontodi wines so unique, but with an extra kick of freshness and aromatic intensity... Dark blue/purplish fruit, lavender, spice and menthol...wine's extraordinary balance and sheer appeal that stand out most.

94James Suckling

Extremely polished and refined with cherries, wet earth and hints of smoke. Medium-bodied with a beautiful balance of fruit and spice, as well as mushrooms. Fresh at the end. From organically grown grapes.

92+ The Wine Advocate

...shows bright fruit intensity backed by Sangiovese's characteristic acidity, primary freshness and integrated structure. This wine is perfectly engineered to pair with Tuscan dishes such as pappardelle ribbon pasta with rabbit or wild boar ragù. The wine will not only cleanse the palate from those flavors, but it will enhance the savory flavors.

17Jancis Robinson

Powerful, perfumed nose with a flirty oak note and bags of aromatic marasca cherry fruit and muscular tannins on the palate. Great balance.

REGION

Italy, Tuscany, Chianti Classico

Chianti is Tuscany’s most famous and historic wine district, and the Chianti Classico DOCG is the most prestigious Chianti appellation. Fittingly, it is located in the heart of the larger Chianti DOCG. Chianti’s wines were so esteemed during the Renaissance that the Medici princes of Florence designated several villages within the Chianti region as discrete production zones, setting up the first appellations in Italy. By the 20th century Chianti was Italy’s primary wine export. But the pizza parlor Chiantis sent to foreign markets were inexpensive, unremarkable reds presented in round-bottomed, straw-covered bottles. To upgrade Chianti wines and the region’s image, the Chianti Classico DOC was created in 1967, then upgraded to DOCG status in 1984, with additional modifications made in 1996. In the last 20 years a consortium of Chianti Classico producers have researched new Sangiovese clones, replanted vineyards, updated cellar practices and generally made Chianti Classico DOCG a world-class appellation. Chianti Classico must contain a minimum of 75% Sangiovese. In the 2014 edition of its annual compendium of wine ratings, Gambero Rosso noted that Chianti Classico DOCG wines were noteworthy for their “significant return to a more defined style, true to tradition.”

TYPE

Red Wine, Sangiovese, D.O.C.G.

This red grape is largely grown in central Italy. As the sole component or in a blend, it gives us Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Morellino and Super Tuscans, among other favorites wines. The name is derived from the Latin for “blood of Jove.”