Fontodi Flaccianello della Pieve 2013

Region and Vineyards

Fontodi sits in the heart of Chianti Classico at Panzano, within the natural amphitheatre known as the Conca d'Oro. The south-facing bowl concentrates light and heat while cool evenings preserve acidity, giving Sangiovese both ripeness and nerve. Vineyards for Flaccianello lie mainly between 400-500 metres where breezes and diurnal swings slow maturation for greater aromatic complexity. The estate is certified organic, with a rigorous focus on soil health and low-impact viticulture.

Soils are predominantly galestro (friable marl-schist) with pockets of alberese (limestone), lending the wine its savoury, ferrous edge and refined structure. Flaccianello is not a single plot but a super-selection of the best Sangiovese from Fontodi's top parcels across the Conca d'Oro—an approach that heightens consistency and terroir depth.

Winemaking

Flaccianello is 100% Sangiovese from hand-selected, organically farmed fruit. Fermentation is spontaneous with indigenous yeasts in temperature-controlled stainless steel, with maceration of roughly three weeks to capture perfume and fine tannin. Malolactic conversion occurs in barrel to enhance texture and integration.

The 2013 was matured 24 months in French oak (Tronçais & Allier) barriques, followed by bottle aging before release. The élevage brings polish without overshadowing the wine's bright, cool-vintage profile and rocky minerality—hallmarks that support long aging.

Tasting Notes

• Color: Deep, youthful ruby with garnet flashes at the rim.
• Aroma: Black cherry, blueberry and blackberry layered with violet, licorice, mocha, sweet tobacco, and hints of cedar and graphite; subtle wild herb and mineral lift.
• Palate: Full-bodied yet vibrant; dense black-fruit core framed by fine, chalk-edged tannins and lively acidity. Long, layered finish with dark spice, cocoa nib and stony salinity; poised now, superb cellaring potential.

Did you know?

"Flaccianello della Pieve" takes its name from the Romanesque Pieve di San Leolino, the parish church that overlooks Fontodi's vineyards; the gold cross on the label echoes the church's cross. In the early 2000s, Flaccianello evolved from a single-vineyard bottling into a selection of the estate's best Sangiovese parcels—an important step in its modern identity.

Wine Pairing Ideas

• Bistecca alla Fiorentina — char-grilled fat and salt amplify the wine's depth; lively acidity cleanses the palate.
• Wild boar ragù pappardelle — gamey sweetness and slow-cooked herbs echo Sangiovese's savoury core.
• Porcini risotto — earthy umami and creaminess dovetail with the wine's mineral drive and firm structure.
• Aged Pecorino Toscano — salty, hard cheese heightens fruit purity and tames youthful tannin.

The Manetti family has owned Fontodi since 1969, but has been in Chianti for centuries - though they have always made wine, their primary business is still the production of Chianti’s finest terracotta at their factory in Ferrone.

The same attention to detail that makes them the best producers of terracotta has been brought to bear on Fontodi over the past 40 years, and has transformed a Giovanni Manetti has run the property since 1980, building a new cellar in 1998 and ensuring that the wines are as meticulously made as the vineyards and cellar are immaculately tended.

Giovanni’s 80 hectares of vineyard, 90% of which are Sangiovese, are situated in the prime "conca d’oro" (golden shell) of Panzano, giving wines of supreme elegance, intensity and longevity. The south facing vineyards and their natural amphitheatre shape allows the grapes to ripen fully. Soils here allow for excellent drainage, encouraging the vines to put down deep roots.

Giovanni has converted to organic viticulture in the past six years, and is now following biodynamic principles in order to obtain the best quality fruit. In the winery, his approach is similarly non-interventionist (very low toast oak, for example) in order to ensure that the quality of the fruit is preserved in the finished wine.