Fontodi: Chianti Classico Riserva Vigna del Sorbo 1985-2010By Antonio Galloni 

The takeaway from this historic
tasting is obvious: the Chianti Classico Riserva Vigna del Sorbo is Fontodi’s
flagship wine. It’s as simple as that.

Although Fontodi is best known for
their 100% Sangiovese Flaccianello – one of Italy’s most revered and coveted
wines – over the years it is the estate’s Chianti Classico Riserva Vigna del
Sorbo that has built the more distinguished track record. Complete verticals of
both wines over the last two years confirmed what has long been an intuition; Vigna
del Sorbo is a more consistent performer than Flaccianello, ages better and is
a much more finessed, pedigreed wine. Readers who aren’t familiar with Vigna
del Sorbo owe it to themselves to check it out what is without question one of
the great reds of Italy.

<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1392731052594-1Fontodi1985Sorbo.jpg"> Fontodi’s
1985 Chianti Classico Riserva Vigna del Sorbo 

Like so many nearby properties, Fontodi
originally belonged to the church of San Leonino. &nbsp;Over the centuries, churches had acquired huge
tracts of land, most of it donated in exchange for salvation. A first wave of reforms
and privatizations of land started in the late 1700s, as the church began
selling acreage to local landowners. 

<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1392731063827-2FontodiFirstVineyard.jpg"> Fontodi’s
original parcel in Vigna del Sorbo

The first known wines from the
present-day Fontodi property date back to the late 1800s, when the Bordoni
family sold wines under their own label, taking advantage of a boom in exports
that lasted from the end of the 1800s to the First World War, when borders and
trade shut down. The Bordonis sold the property in the late 1930s to the Borri
family from Biella, a prosperous town in northern Italy famous for its textile
industry. During this period, the estate fell into disrepair.



Dino Manetti bought Fontodi in
1968. The estate is located in Panzano’s Conca d’Ora, essentially an
amphitheater of striking, beautifully positioned, hillside vineyards. Fontodi produced
a wide range of agricultural products, including grains, olive oil, wine and
livestock, a tradition that began to disappear once grapes became a valuable
crop, but that remains very much in place today. At the time, the Manettis owned
two other estates and lived between Panzano and Florence, where their thriving ceramic
and tile business was based. But the young Manetti children were struck by the
beauty of the countryside and the surrounding hillsides. In 1979, the Manettis decided
to move to Panzano to live on the property. Giovanni Manetti was 16 at the
time. His brother, Marco, was 18

<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1392732677180-FontodiOldBottlesv2.jpg"> Two
wines made by the Manetti family in their early days of their ownership 

Consulting oenologist Franco
Bernabei was brought in around the same time, which is where Fontodi’s present
day history begins. Under the leadership of Giovanni and Marco Manetti, Fontodi
introduced their 100% Sangiovese Flaccianello in 1981. Flaccianello would go on
to become one of the most famous and iconic wines in Tuscany. A complete Flaccianello
vertical from 2012 is <a target="_blank" href="http://vinousmedia.com/articles/fontodi-flaccianello-and-the-path-to-greatness-1981-2009-aug-2013">here</a>.



In 1985, Fontodi introduced their single-vineyard
Chianti Classico Riserva Vigna del Sorbo. The vineyard itself consists of a number
of parcels planted on galestro-rich
soils, the main soil type present in the heart of Chianti Classico, The first
and original parcel was part of the original purchase of the property. About
10% of the existing Canaiolo plants were grafted over with Cabernet Sauvignon,
which has always been part of the blend. The clonal material came from the
Contini Bonacossi family, owners of Capezzana in Carmignano, where Cabernet
Sauvignon has a long history. Incidentally,
the Alceo Di Napoli of Rampolla received his Cabernet Sauvignon material from
the same source, which is believed to have originated at Château
Lafite. The original Vigna del Sorob&nbsp;vineyard has since been replanted. A second parcel of 45
year-old vines was purchased about 6 years ago. It is a stunning site, with
more uniform features than the original parcel and impressive views of
Rampolla’s d’Alceo terraces. A number of smaller parcels are used for the
estate’s straight Chianti Classico. <a target="_blank" href="http://vinousmedia.com/multimedia/fontodi-vigna-del-sorbo-with-giovanni-manetti-jul-2013">Watch</a>
as proprietor Giovanni Manetti talks about the history of Vigna del Sorbo.

<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1392731095085-4Fondodi+SecondVineyard.jpg"> Vigna
del Sorbo made a noticeable jump in quality when Fontodi added this second
large parcel of old-vine Sangiovese

The first vintages spent 18 months
in barrel until 2001, when Manetti increased the time in oak to two full years.
In recent years, toast levels have also come down. Today, Vigna del Sorbo is
aged in a combination of untoasted, light toast and medium toast fine-grain
French oak barrels. Blending takes place at the end of aging because Cabernet
Sauvignon has a tendency to be more reductive than Sangiovese and therefore requires
more frequent racking. Since 2009 Giovanni Manetti has reduced the Cabernet
Sauvignon from about 10% of the blend to 5%, a reflection of how much character
the Sangiovese has acquired as the vines have aged. Vigna del Sorbo has been
made every year since 1985, with the exception of 1989, 1991, 1992, 1996 and
2005. The 2010 vintage is the first that will be sold under the new Gran
Selezione designation. <img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1392731108918-5FontodiGrapes.jpg"> 

July
2013 - The different level of maturation of the grapes within the bunch, known
as shot berries or millerandage, adds complexity in the finished wine 

Readers who want to explore the
best Tuscany has to offer will want to spend some time getting to know the
Vigna del Sorbo. Flaccianello may get the most of the attention at Fontodi, but
that just means that Vigna del Sorbo will remain an under the radar jewel for
wine lovers around the world.

<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1392731126582-6andCoverFontodiCover+-+article.jpg"> A
complete vertical of Vigna del Sorbo

<a target="_blank" href="http://vinousmedia.com/wines?wine_filter%5Barticle_id%5D=389&amp;sort[name]=score&amp;sort[direction]=desc">Explore the Wines</a>

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