Winemaker Notes
Flaccianello combines all the wild and old-world characteristics of the Sangiovese grape with the modern vinification techniques of what may be the top winemaking house in Tuscany today. The wine is like a taming and training of a beautiful black mustang stallion that has spent just enough time in the wild to retain its fiery disposition. It opens up with brambly notes of berries and currants, cloves, lavender, violets and a hint of bittersweet chocolate. I wonder at the grace of the wine as I delight in the first sip that is supple and cool on the mouth but full of warm flavors that light up the palate with bright notes of cherries and strawberries, tempered with touches of earthy leather and cherry-nut chutney. The wine crashes into the mid-palate on a wave of currants, blackberries, and more, riper straw-berries as it balances itself at the same time on pure tannins and pinch or two of new, vanilla oak. The finish…oh the finish…Well made Sangiovese never disappoints and the Flaccianello rolls on and on seemingly forever. Finally it fades with light herbal notes…a hint of mint…a dash of licorice basil…then it's gone like a shooting star winking out in the night sky.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Lots of ripe fruit with a smoky, meaty, bacon, and cherry character – even dried mango and other fruits. Full and round tannins with bright acidity and an intense finish. Loads going on here. New wood is a little overpowering now but will come around wonderfully. Give it three to four years of bottle age still.
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Wine Spectator
A generous Sangiovese, with loads of blackberry, dark cherry and berry on the nose and palate. Full and long. Chewy. The new wood could stand to have a little less barley flavor, but the fruit is fabulous. Takes off on the finish. Best after 2012.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2007 Flaccianello della Pieve is showing signs of decline, and I have shortened the suggested drinking window here as a result. In fact, I have recently had the opportunity to taste this vintage in other contexts, and I came away with a similar impression. This was a hot vintage, and the various phases of phenolic ripening moved quickly along. The grapes were beautiful at harvest time, showing naturally rich concentration, succulence and structure. Today, some 12 years after the harvest, the wine has loosened up and flattened out. There are slightly oxidized notes on the bouquet, with dried prune and fig followed by spice, old tobacco and leather. This wine is open and mature, so if you have a bottle, I suggest you pull it out from the cellar soon.
Legendary in Italy for its Renaissance art and striking landscape, Tuscany is also home to many of the country’s best red wines. Sangiovese reigns supreme here, as either the single varietal, or a dominant player, in almost all of Tuscany’s best.
A remarkable Chianti, named for its region of origin, will have a bright acidity, supple tannins and plenty of cherry fruit character. From the hills and valleys surrounding the medieval village of Montalcino, come the distinguished and age-worthy wines based on Brunello (Sangiovese). Earning global acclaim since the 1970s, the Tuscan Blends are composed solely of international grape varieties or a mix of international and Sangiovese. The wine called Vine Nobile di Montepulciano, composed of Prognolo Gentile (Sangiovese) and is recognized both for finesse and power.