Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Aromas of chili powder, slightly cooked fruit and dried fruits, follow through to a full body and fine tannins, with a fruity finish. Firm and structured. Better in 2013.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
From the Mazzei brothers' beautiful, state-of-the-art winery at the heart Chianti Classico, the 2011 Chianti Classico Fonterutoli is made from a blend of different Sangiovese clones with some Malvasia Nera, Colorino and Merlot. Spice and leather add fullness to the back, but berry aromas of cherry and dried mulberry take center stage. The wine does a great job of presenting the elegance of Sangiovese against the soft richness of modern winemaking.
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Wine Spectator
A rich, fruity version that remains fresh, showing cherry, strawberry, tobacco and underbrush flavors. Solid, with purity, grip and fine length. Best from 2015 through 2022.
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.