2012 Flaccianello della Pieve

There is little doubt Giovanni Manetti is at the top of his game. After tasting these wines from bottle along with multiple barrel samples, my impression is that Manetti continues to make small but important changes that are moving his wines towards a style that emphasizes finesse over sheer power. Of course, 2013 and 2014 both yielded generally delicate wines, so some of that may be attributable to vintage characteristics. It is too soon to tell for sure. The Sangioveses still see about two years in oak, which is on the longer side, but the gradual introduction of casks in the cellar appears to be playing a significant role in giving the wines added polish and elegance. This year, Fontodi fans will notice the addition of a new wine, the Chianti Classico Filetta di Lamole, which Giovanni Manetti is making and marketing on behalf of relatives who own vineyards in Lamole, one of the few areas in Chianti Classico that have always been planted to vines as opposed to mixed crops, as was the custom in most of Tuscany up until fairly recently. Manetti adds that he plans to release all of his top labels in 2014, although production will be down sharply.

There is quite a bit to report from Fontodi. Proprietor Giovanni Manetti has a new wine this year, the 2013 Dino (dedicated to Manetti's father), which is 100% Sangiovese fermented in terra cotta amphora and aged with no added sulfites. The Manetti family has long operated businesses in a number of sectors outside of wine, one of them being the production of terra cotta amphoras, a vessel once used in the storage of olive oil as well as wine. Manetti's amphora Sangiovese is interesting because the fruit and overall style is very much classic Fontodi - which is to say intense and polished - yet the amphora clearly allows for a very direct expression of Sangiovese. It will be interesting to see how the Dino ages in bottle. The other big development is the transition of the Vigna del Sorbo to 100% Sangiovese now that the Cabernet Sauvignon vines have been completely ripped out. Vinous readers know I regard the Sorbo as Fontodi's flagship wine. While the 2012 is truly stratospheric, so is the Flaccianello. Judging by those two wines, it is clear Mother Nature smiled on Fontodi in 2012, a year that was much less favorable for other properties. When all is said and done, Fontodi produced not one, but two wines of the vintage. The only negative is that the international wines - the Syrah and Pinot Noir - are increasingly out of place here. This is Sangiovese territory, after all. Readers who can find Fontodi's 2012s should not hesitate, as they are truly magnificent.