2015 Flaccianello della Pieve
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Tasting notes
First vintage of this flagship 100% Sangiovese was 1981. It’s a selection of the best fruit from three different parcels that are south-facing on pietraforte, which is a subgroup of sandstone but is very different from the sandy soils of Lamole because it has lots of limestone. Small berries with finer tannins because of the sand. When I enquire about the subtitle of the wine on the label – della Pieve – he points out the church on the skyline responsible for the name. Vines average 30 years. Walter tasted a vertical recently . Heady, sweet and rich. Polished tannins. Lots of tang. Very long. Juicy! (JR)
Critic scores
Average Score
Monica Larner, Wine Advocate
Walter Speller, jancisrobinson.com
More reviews and scores
100% Sangiovese. Dark ruby with the beginning of orange tinges. Raspberry and cherry with a subtle hint of mint, iron, mace and the beginning of undergrowth. Supple, poised and polished cherry and raspberry fruit. Doesn’t possess the same intensity as 2016, but with a similar elegant juicy palate. Lots of gravelly almost salty-tasting tannins. (WS)
The aromas are crystal-clear here, ranging from dark cherry essence, dried herbs and dark plums to licorice, cloves, vanilla and paprika. Full body, very velvety yet firm tannins and a long, grippy finish. The tension created with the interplay between the rich fruit, taut acidity and a sturdy tannin backbone is so enticing.
This retrospective gave me the opportunity to taste the excellent 2015 vintage side by side with the highly anticipated 2016 vintage. These two years are famously in a tight race across Tuscany for supremacy. I'm ready to tip my hat at 2016. In comparison, the 2015 Flaccianello della Pieve is slightly broader in the shoulders and heavier in the gait. There is more meat on these bones, and the 2015 vintage presented vintners with near-perfect growing conditions in which one textbook part of the vegetative cycle transitioned directly to the next. The wine is dark, exuberant and profound, and the quality of the tannins is superb, fine and firm. One difference with the 2016 vintage is that the 2015 is a tad more accessible and ready. You can wait and cellar it for thirty years, or pop the cork sooner if you don't have the patience to wait.
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.