Summary
Fontodi in Panzano in Chianti is one of the undisputed top addresses in Tuscany. Owned by the Manetti family since 1968, the estate lies in the famous Conca d'Oro, a south-facing valley basin below Panzano. Across around 100 hectares of certified organic vineyards it makes wines built almost entirely on Sangiovese – above all the legendary Flaccianello della Pieve and the Gran Selezione Vigna del Sorbo. Under Giovanni Manetti, who as president of the Chianti Classico consortium has also helped shape the appellation, Fontodi has become the benchmark for modern, terroir-true Chianti Classico.
History
The story of modern Fontodi begins in 1968, when Dino Manetti acquired the property south of Panzano. The family did not come from winemaking but has run a long-established terracotta business for generations – a connection that is still visible today, for instance in the clay vessels used for ageing in the cellar.
The estate's rise was shaped by Giovanni Manetti, who has run Fontodi since the 1980s. He bet early on quality over quantity, on Sangiovese instead of the then-fashionable international varieties, and on consistently organic viticulture. With the Flaccianello della Pieve (first vintage 1981), Fontodi was also among the pioneers of those top Tuscan wines made outside the Chianti rules of the time. Through his role as president of the Consorzio Vino Chianti Classico, Manetti has also played a key part in the appellation's development – for example around the Gran Selezione and the new sub-zones.
Location & Terroir
Fontodi lies in the Conca d'Oro, the "golden shell": an amphitheatre-shaped, south-facing valley directly below the village of Panzano in Chianti in the municipality of Greve. The vines benefit from plenty of sunlight, good ventilation and an altitude that guarantees cool nights and thus freshness and acidity in the Sangiovese.
The soils are typical of the best Chianti Classico: galestro, a crumbly, calcareous clay schist, and alberese, a hard limestone. They provide drainage, restrain the vigour of the vines and give the wines their firm structure and mineral tension. Since the introduction of sub-zones (UGA) in Chianti Classico, Fontodi may state the origin Panzano on the label. With vineyards in higher-lying Lamole, whose terraces sit above 500 metres, the estate has recently broadened its range of terroirs even further.
Style & Philosophy
At the centre is Sangiovese – and as pure as possible. Giovanni Manetti wants to show the character of the variety and of Panzano's terroir, not the signature of the cellar. The grapes come exclusively from the estate's own vineyards and are hand-picked; ageing takes place in barriques, large wooden casks and partly in terracotta vessels.
The vineyards have been certified organic since the late 1990s, complemented by biodynamic elements. The estate's own herd of white Chianina cattle plays a special role: their manure is turned into compost for the vines, closing the estate's nutrient cycle. Fontodi is also a member of the Unione Viticoltori di Panzano, whose members jointly steer the Conca d'Oro on ecological lines. Besides wine, the estate also produces organic olive oil.
Notable Sites & Wines
The range is compact and clearly focused on origin:
- Flaccianello della Pieve – pure Sangiovese and the estate's flagship since the 1981 vintage; today a selection of the best grapes from several plots, often from the highest hillside sites
- Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigna del Sorbo – from a single vineyard with old vines, 100% Sangiovese since the 2012 vintage
- Chianti Classico Terrazze San Leolino – Sangiovese from terraced sites in Panzano
- Chianti Classico Filetta di Lamole – from the high terraces of Lamole
- Chianti Classico Fontodi – the estate wine and, for many, the benchmark of the appellation
- Case Via Syrah and Case Via Pinot Nero – red wines from varieties rarely found in Panzano
- Meriggio (white wine) and Vin Santo del Chianti Classico
Awards
Fontodi has been among Italy's highest-rated producers for decades. The Flaccianello regularly receives top scores from international critics and is a fixture among the award-winning wines in Italian guides such as Gambero Rosso. Just as important as points, however, is Fontodi's role as a role model: the estate has shown that pure, organically grown Sangiovese from the Conca d'Oro can rank among the great red wines of the world.
