Fonterutoli Chianti Classico
We're big fans of the wines from Fonterutoli and were delighted to welcome Giovanni Mazzei (whose family have owned the estate since 1477!) recently for a dinner showcasing their remarkable range. I was out there earlier in the year too and visited their extraordinary winery, on the edge of the Fonterutoli hamlet.
Their 2021 is a belter. Dark cherry and plum fruit, with sage and menthol notes, leather and incense with a beautifully polished finish.
Today, the estate boasts a total surface area of 650 hectares, of which 117 are devoted to specialized vineyards, divided between five areas: Fonterutoli, Siepi, Badiola, Belvedere and Caggio, located at between 230-500m above sea level with a south – southwest exposure, ideal for the perfect maturation of the grapes. The vineyards are largely planted with Sangiovese (36 carefully selected clones that are best suited to the four areas of production: Fonterutoli and Badiola, the higher areas, with clones giving aromas and elegance and the lower areas, Siepi and Belvedere, with clones that provide structure, intensity and longevity).
The soils are ‘Galestro’, a classic Tuscan shale, which has excellent drainage and encourages the vines to put down deep roots and ‘Alberese’, a compact, fine grained limestone marl. Yields are lower than 40 hectolitres per hectare from vineyards planted with over 7,000 vines per hectare, guaranteeing a high quality and a distinctive character, resulting in complex, elegant and structured wines.
In the vineyards, all processes are carried out by hand including harvest, which takes place at different times according to when the grapes reach optimum ripeness. The Mazzei family are commited to enhancing the sustainaility of their production across their winemaking process and they have achieved a postive carbon footprint. Fonterutoli has a positive carbon footprint: the village Fonterutoli (woods, vineyards, plantations, olive groves, and forage crops) has a carbon footprint (emission of greenhouse gases) of 731 t while absorbing CO2eq of 3741 t, resulting in an absorption 5 times greater than the emission and a positive balance of more than 3,000 t of CO2
i) Natural treatments in the vineyards ensuring stability of the ecosystem and its biodiversity
ii) Elimination of weeding and chemical topdressing
iii) Recycling of production waste (shoots, grape stalks, marc, olive pomace, and horse manure) to make compost used as a 100% organic fertilizer
iv) Exclusive use of green manure to naturally increase organic content in the soil. Plant extracts used: field beans, common vetch, sainfoin, clovers, oat, barley, blue tansy, mustard, pasture hawksbeard, lupin beans, pea, horseradish
v) Biological pest control with specific insects fighting the vine moth
vi) Their cellar’s humidity is naturally controlled by their undreground water streams flowing through the naked rock walls
Their 2021 is a belter. Dark cherry and plum fruit, with sage and menthol notes, leather and incense with a beautifully polished finish.
Today, the estate boasts a total surface area of 650 hectares, of which 117 are devoted to specialized vineyards, divided between five areas: Fonterutoli, Siepi, Badiola, Belvedere and Caggio, located at between 230-500m above sea level with a south – southwest exposure, ideal for the perfect maturation of the grapes. The vineyards are largely planted with Sangiovese (36 carefully selected clones that are best suited to the four areas of production: Fonterutoli and Badiola, the higher areas, with clones giving aromas and elegance and the lower areas, Siepi and Belvedere, with clones that provide structure, intensity and longevity).
The soils are ‘Galestro’, a classic Tuscan shale, which has excellent drainage and encourages the vines to put down deep roots and ‘Alberese’, a compact, fine grained limestone marl. Yields are lower than 40 hectolitres per hectare from vineyards planted with over 7,000 vines per hectare, guaranteeing a high quality and a distinctive character, resulting in complex, elegant and structured wines.
In the vineyards, all processes are carried out by hand including harvest, which takes place at different times according to when the grapes reach optimum ripeness. The Mazzei family are commited to enhancing the sustainaility of their production across their winemaking process and they have achieved a postive carbon footprint. Fonterutoli has a positive carbon footprint: the village Fonterutoli (woods, vineyards, plantations, olive groves, and forage crops) has a carbon footprint (emission of greenhouse gases) of 731 t while absorbing CO2eq of 3741 t, resulting in an absorption 5 times greater than the emission and a positive balance of more than 3,000 t of CO2
i) Natural treatments in the vineyards ensuring stability of the ecosystem and its biodiversity
ii) Elimination of weeding and chemical topdressing
iii) Recycling of production waste (shoots, grape stalks, marc, olive pomace, and horse manure) to make compost used as a 100% organic fertilizer
iv) Exclusive use of green manure to naturally increase organic content in the soil. Plant extracts used: field beans, common vetch, sainfoin, clovers, oat, barley, blue tansy, mustard, pasture hawksbeard, lupin beans, pea, horseradish
v) Biological pest control with specific insects fighting the vine moth
vi) Their cellar’s humidity is naturally controlled by their undreground water streams flowing through the naked rock walls
12+ in stock
| Code | 2179 |
|---|---|
| Closure | Cork |
| Vintage | 2021 |
| Country | Italy |
| Bottle Size | 750ml |
| Region | Tuscany |
| ABV | 13.5 |
| Grape | Sangiovese |