Ruby red color with rich and intense tones. Variety of aromatic herbs accentuated with generous notes of tobacco and wet earth (dry earth, as well), black currant and licorice. The palate manifests good consistency of medium-smooth tannins to ensure the lengthy ageing. Good weight and structure, with a classic finish. Optimum cellar life for the great vintages.
100% Sangiovese, Fontalloro is a complete expression of Fèlsina’s Sangiovese: the grapes come from vineyards straddling the borders between the Chianti Classico and Chianti Colli Senesi appellations. The vineyards found within the Chianti Classico appellation are in the elevated area of Fèlsina and those of the Chianti Colli Senesi in the lowlands (330-407 meters above sea level). With a southwestern exposure, the grapes are influenced by diverse soil compositions: on the Chianti Classico side the soil is stony and calcareous; on the Crete Senesi side the soil is sandy, loamy and silty with pebbles and marine sediments. First vintage 1983.
Higher than average temperatures witnessed in winter and spring favoured a somewhat earlier than normal beginning of the vegetative cycle. A rise of three or four degrees in the second half of March and in April, in fact, caused the vines to bud an average of seven to twenty days earlier than most years. Various vineyards showed significant differences, even if separated only by a few metres of elevation. This situation not only did not reverse itself, but actually intensified over the next growth phase, the flowering, and then, later, during veraison. The worry about the lack of rain during the winter and much of spring was allayed, thanks to rains in June that restored water reserves in the vines. These months saw a drop in temperatures too, which slowed the growth process somewhat, but July’s heat restored a more normal pace. Cool summer nights prevented an excess of heat that would have brought premature ripening and threatened the complexity of the resultant wines. Despite the early budbreak, the ripening was only slightly early, particularly for late-ripening varieties such as sangiovese and cabernet. Rot and other problems were practically non-existent. The grape clusters arrived in the cellar perfectly sound and with good levels of sugars and acids, and outstanding concentration of polyphenols. All in all, a memorable growing season.
