Fonterutoli is located 5 km south of Castellina in Chianti (Siena), on the hills facing the Val d’Elsa, in the heart of the Chianti Classico. Owned by the Mazzei family since 1435, it still retains its original form, that of a tranquil country village: a cluster of houses, the church of San Miniato and the villa, built at the end of the 1500s where the medieval castle once stood. Today, the estate comprises 117 hectares of vineyard, largely planted with Sangiovese with some Merlot, Colorino, Malvasia Nera and Cabernet Sauvignon vines also planted. The cellar at Fonterutoli, designed by architect, Agnesi Mazzei, is one of the most impressive in the region, and has a minimal impact on the environment.
Plots: i) Fonterutoli: 450-550 m (1,470-1,800 ft) a.s.l. ii) Siepi: 260 m (850 ft) a.s.l.
Soil: Rocky – from decomposed limestone and sandstone
Age of vines: 19 – 34 years old
Training system: Spur cordon-training and Guyot
No of vines per hectare: 5,600 – 7,500
Harvest: Hand picked starting from September 21st
Fermentation temperature: 26 – 28° C
Period of maceration: 14 – 18 days
Ageing: 18 months in small French oak barrels (225 lt / 70% new)
Finissage: 4 months in concrete tanks
The 2018 vintage was characterised by a dynamic winter, with northern currents in December and February and a mild climate in January, with abundant rainfall, both of snow and rain, which offset the serious water deficit of the previous years. Spring brought about temperatures above the seasonal average together with abundant rainfall. The budding was early but showed no problems.
From 10 June on, temperatures started to rise again and, in the Chianti Classico area, the summer was good with uniform rainfall. July and August were as usual, while September was marked by a series of sunny days with a large temperature range between day and night, which allowed the grapes to reach the correct phenolic and aromatic ripeness. In short, this harvest was very satisfying harvest from a quantitative and, especially, a qualitative point of view.
Beginning of the harvest: September 12th
End of the harvest: October 8th
Rainfalls (sum of rainfall between April 1st and September 30th): 491 mm
Temperature Index (sum of average daily temperatures from April 1st to September 30th): 3666 °C
Evaluation: Very good
Rich and juicy, notes of underbrush and black berries, powerful with a long finish.
Serve with Spiced dishes, stewed game and aged cheeses
Ageing potential 20 years plus
Wine Spectator 95 Pts
Vinous 94 Pts
James Suckling 94 Pts
Wine Advocate 94 Pts
Falstaff 92 Pts
Jane Anson 93 Pts
Toscana IGT
80% Sangiovese
20% Cabernet Sauvignon
Natural Cork
14.10%
5.90%
Yes
Yes
