2015 Chianti Classico
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Tasting notes
The 2015 Chianti Classico is rocking stuff that shows the warmer style of the vintage yet stays fresh, vibrant, and even elegant. Almost opaque ruby-hued, with gorgeous notes of ripe cherries, kirsch, white pepper, licorice, tar, and violets, I’d almost guess Nebbiolo blind off the nose. This carries to a ripe, medium to full-bodied, rich, beautifully concentrated Chianti that pretty much just knocks it out of the park. If you like the richer side of Sangiovese made with class and elegance, don’t miss this. It should cruise for 10-15 years in cold cellars.
Critic scores
Average Score
Decanter
Monica Larner, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
The 2015 Chianti Classico is outrageously beautiful. Rich and seductive, the 2015 expresses the radiance of the year while retaining a good bit of translucence and energy. Rose petal, mint, white pepper and crushed flowers add elements of brightness to this classy, super-polished Chianti Classico. More than anything else, though, I am simply blown away by the wine's quality. A decade ago, Giovanni Manetti made darker more concentrated wines. Today, the Fontodi wines speak to finesse. The Chianti Classico is a great place to see that. It was aged in equal parts cask and neutral barrique.
This is a great vintage for Sangiovese, and Fontodi embraces this fact with exuberance and enthusiasm. The 2015 Chianti Classico offers tight and precise fruit characteristics with crisp forest berry, cassis and dried blueberry. The wine is profoundly steady and straight with absolutely no rough edges. This is a lean to mid-weight red with balanced acidity tucked in on the finish. Some 200,000 bottles were produced.
100% Sangiovese. Aged in large oak casks for six months, then barriques for 18 months. Delicate and dusty on the nose with some sweetness of oak spice. Dry, more chewy than some, the oak showing more in the texture than the flavour, which is all about pure fruit. Long, chalky but supple. Reined back but complete. (JH)
About the producer
Based just outside Panzano-in-Chianti, Chianti Classico estate Fontodi was acquired by the Manettis in 1968, a family which has established its modern reputation. Today the leading property is best known for its Flaccianello delle Pieve, the pure Sangiovese Super Tuscan first made in 1981.