Fontodi Vin Santo del Chianti Classico 2011

Region and Vineyards

Fontodi Vin Santo del Chianti Classico comes from the estate's vineyards in the Conca d'Oro, the celebrated amphitheatre directly south of Panzano in Chianti. This sun-filled pocket of Chianti Classico sits at approximately 350 to 480 metres, where warm, dry conditions meet strong southern exposure and marked day-night temperature differences. Such elevation helps preserve freshness while the grapes mature slowly and develop concentrated flavour.

Fontodi is a certified-organic estate of about 130 hectares, with roughly 70 hectares planted to vines. The vineyards occupy calcareous clay-schist soils, with galestro at lower elevations and albarese higher up, providing the stony, well-drained setting associated with the area. Grapes for this Vin Santo come from various Fontodi parcels, where vines are Guyot trained at 3,500 to 6,000 plants per hectare. The result is a sweet Tuscan wine rooted firmly in the landscape around Panzano.

Winemaking

Fontodi Vin Santo del Chianti Classico 2011 is made from an equal blend of 50% Sangiovese and 50% Malvasia. After harvest, the grapes undergo five months of natural drying, concentrating their sugars and flavours before pressing. The must then begins its long traditional maturation in sealed caratelli, the small Tuscan casks used for Vin Santo.

Fontodi's technical method uses 50- and 110-litre caratelli made from chestnut and French oak, with the wine maturing in the presence of madre. For the 2011 bottling, specialist merchant records describe 84 months of ageing in small caratelli barrels. This extended period shapes the wine's deep amber colour, dried-fruit character and layered notes of maple, toasted chestnut and savoury tobacco, while the balanced blend retains a refreshing finish.

Tasting Notes

• Color: Dark amber with polished copper highlights and a deep golden core.
• Aroma: Dried apricot, pineapple, dates and almond mingle with brown sugar, maple syrup, toasted chestnut and savoury tobacco.
• Palate: Full-bodied, sweet and rounded, with a thick, glycerin-rich texture that turns silky across the palate. Dried fruit and toasted flavours persist with lasting intensity, while a refreshing finish carries on for many minutes.

Did You Know?

Fontodi has belonged to the Manetti family since 1968. Before turning their attention to wine, the family spent generations in Tuscany making terracotta tiles, linking this celebrated estate to one of the region's oldest artisan traditions.

Wine Pairing Ideas

• Cantucci: The classic Tuscan pairing lets the wine's dried-apricot and almond notes echo the biscuit's toasted sweetness, while its freshness keeps the combination lively.
• Torta di mandorle: Almond cake mirrors the wine's marzipan-like hints and gives its silky texture a rich, elegant partner.
• Pecorino stagionato: A mature Tuscan pecorino brings savoury depth and gentle saltiness, sharpening the wine's sweetness and highlighting its chestnut nuances.
• Tarte fine aux pommes: Baked apple and caramel flavours complement the wine's maple and dried-fruit profile without overwhelming its long, refreshing finish.

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.