Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Such beautiful aromas of freshly cut orchids, dark plums and peaches. Medium-to full-bodied with ultra-fine tannins and a bright, linear finish. A classic Chianti Classico from this area. From organically grown grapes.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
This is a distinctive and fun wine that cements Giovanni Manetti's growing fondness for the high-elevation Lamole area of the appellation that has always been regarded as somewhat detached or isolated from the rest of the appellation. In the face of climate change, the authenticity of Lamole, and its cooler growing conditions, are an important asset. Manetti tells me that 2018 was a good year, but it rained more and was generally harder to manage. The 2019 vintage is classic, with balanced results thanks to regular weather patterns. The organic 2019 Chianti Classico Filetta di Lamole speaks to a wine style that is winning over those who love elegant Sangiovese. The wine is punchy and bright with a pretty array of wild cherries, blue flowers and dusty mineral. Manetti says he remembers how those same fresh aromas filled the winery during fermentation.
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Wine Spectator
A fresh, vibrant style, with a vivid structure driving cherry, plum, licorice and leather flavors. Shows fine concentration, along with harmony and a lingering finish that echoes fruit, licorice and earth notes.
Among Italy's elite red grape varieties, Sangiovese has the perfect intersection of bright red fruit and savory earthiness and is responsible for the best red wines of Tuscany. While it is best known as the chief component of Chianti, it is also the main grape in Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and reaches the height of its power and intensity in the complex, long-lived Brunello di Montalcino. Somm Secret—Sangiovese doubles under the alias, Nielluccio, on the French island of Corsica where it produces distinctly floral and refreshing reds and rosés.
One of the first wine regions anywhere to be officially recognized and delimited, Chianti Classico is today what was originally defined simply as Chianti. Already identified by the early 18th century as a superior zone, the official name of Chianti was proclaimed upon the area surrounding the townships of Castellina, Radda and Gaiole, just north of Siena, by Cosimo III, Grand Duke of Tuscany in an official decree in 1716.
However, by the 1930s the Italian government had appended this historic zone with additonal land in order to capitalize on the Chianti name. It wasn’t until 1996 that Chianti Classico became autonomous once again when the government granted a separate DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) to its borders. Ever since, Chianti Classico considers itself no longer a subzone of Chianti.
Many Classicos are today made of 100% Sangiovese but can include up to 20% of other approved varieties grown within the Classico borders. The best Classicos will have a bright acidity, supple tannins and be full-bodied with plenty of ripe fruit (plums, black cherry, blackberry). Also common among the best Classicos are expressive notes of cedar, dried herbs, fennel, balsamic or tobacco.