Fontodi Chianti Classico 2020

“The 2020 Chianti Classico offers notable tension to balance the natural richness that is such a signature here. There is plenty of Panzano intensity, but less opulence than has been the norm in the past. A shift towards larger format oak and bottling four months earlier contribute to that feel. Dark red cherry, leather, spice, rose petal, dried herbs and wild flowers all grace this nuanced Chianti Classico. It will be interesting to see the direction this bottling takes. I would not plan on opening this too young. Drinking window: 2026-2040. 92+ points

Proprietor Giovanni Manetti could certainly rest on his laurels. The wines have been benchmarks for some time. In recent years, Manetti’s influence as a leader in Panzano and Chianti Classico has exploded because of his role as the President of the Consorzio del Chianti Classico. Instead, Manetti has continued to acquire vineyards and introduce new wines while also quietly refining his approach with the established labels. The 2020s are a bit reticent, but they have also begun to soften in recent months. An example is the 2020 Vigna del Sorbo, which was brooding when I first tasted it a few months ago but is quite a bit more refined in recent tastings. “Two thousand twenty and 2021 are pretty similar,” Giovanni and Bernardo Manetti recounted at Fontodi. “There were perhaps more extremes weather-wise in 2021, but we also had greater diurnal shifts and a later harvest under cooler conditions.””

Antonio Galloni, Vinous (08/23)