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.
The new vintage of Poggio Badiola has arrived! Its brand new label is inspired by the ancient Romanic abbey, La Badiola, which was built in 998 B.C. and overlooks the vineyards of one of the most picturesque hills of Chianti Classico. The addition of Petit Verdot to the blend (65% Sangiovese, 30% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot ) adds an appetising spiciness and enhances its longevity. The wine spent 10 months in Tonneaux barrels (500 L) allowing the production of a fresher, more modernstyle while the introduction of the natural cork enables further ageing and elevates its quality level.
Vineyards location: Le Ripe vineyard, alt.: 450 – 510 m. (1,476 – 1,673 ft) a.s.l.
Soil: Rocky – coming from decomposed limestone and sandstone
Training system: Spur cordon-training and Guyot
Nr. of vines per hectare: 5.500 – 7.200 plants
Harvest: Hand picked from September 12th (Sangiovese), from August 25th (complementary varietals)
Fermentation temperature: 26 – 28 °C
Period of maceration: 12 – 15 days
Ageing: In american small oak barrels (225 lt) for 10 months
Bottling: November 2018
The 2019 harvest reminds us the great vintages of the 1980s. This was a ‘classic’ year, with nature and nurture coming together to create something truly exceptional. Winter temperatures were below average and rainfall was low, with unusually warm weather at the end of February. However, stormy squalls through spring and late into summer replenished the water table and made up for the lack of winter rainfall. They also slowed down plant development in the early stages.
The summer was consistently hot, but without extreme temperatures or excessive rainfall. September continued fine, with a significant range in diurnal temperatures.
No pathogens compromised the excellent health of the grapes. Bud fruitfulness was within the norm and the good condition of the foliage showed just how well balanced the plants were in this extremely fine year.
By harvest time the grapes were perfect, thanks to the prevailing climatic conditions and the leaf removal which was carried out in early September. Both these factors contributed to optimal ripening of all grapes across our various production zones.
Beginning of the harvest: September 4th
End of the harvest: October 17th
Rainfalls (sum of rainfall between April 1st and September 30th): 590 mm
Temperature Index (sum of average daily temperatures from April 1st to September 30th): 3580 °C
Evaluation: Outstanding
Elegant, fresh red berry flavors, velvety, aromatic and supple.
Great with cold cuts, lasagne, big grilled fish, pot roast or tomato based pasta dishes and of course pizza!
Serve at 16°C.
IGT Toscana
65% Sangiovese
30% Merlot
5% Petit Verdot
Natural Cork
12.74%
5.92%
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