2021 Fontodi San Leolino Chianti Classico

“Two thousand twenty-one is the single greatest young vintage I have ever tasted in Chianti Classico. Period. Full stop. The 2021s are majestic wines endowed with striking aromatics, layered fruit and all the energy that is such a signature of the appellation. Quality is consistently high across the region, while many wines hit breathtaking peaks of excellence. This is a historic vintage, and one to buy deep. Proprietor Giovanni Manetti and his son Bernardo presented a stunning set of 2021s on my most recent visit. The wines embody the essence of site but in the more refined, nuanced style that is such a signature here today. Picking a bit earlier while also reducing French oak imprint has made a huge difference. I can’t recommend these new releases highly enough. The 2021 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Terrazze San Leolino is another highlight in this range from Fontodi. It’s a huge step up from the 2020. It comes from a site in Panzano, not too far from “Vigna del Sorbo”. However, this small parcel near the country chapel of San Leonlino is characterised by calcareous Alberese, which produces fresh wines with a less dark character. Red cherry, iron, spice, leather, licorice, crushed rocks and herbs make a strong first impression. Bright acids, the result of elevation and a year with wide diurnal swings, yielded a Gran Selezione of stunning elegance, complexity and finesse. The 2021 spent 14-15 months in barrique (25% new) followed by 7-8 months in cask. The San Leolino is one of the newer wines in the Fontodi range. The 2021 suggests it could be one of the new flagships here." Drink 2028 - 2046

“Now showing the Panzano UGA on the front label, the Fontodi 2021 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Panzano Terrazze San Leonlino (made with certified organic fruit) is a delightful wine and a relatively new addition to a portfolio that excels in a classic vintage such as 2021. Taking full advantage of new regulations that give identity to appellation subzones (or UGAs), the wine exudes the depth, richness and sunshine that Panzano fruit is known for. The bouquet is stitched together with generous black fruit, pencil shaving and light spice, but the wine ultimately stands apart for its threefold balance of fruit versus acidity versus oak spice." Drink 2025 - 2046

“San Leolino is a five-hectare terraced vineyard between 450 and 500 metres with a southeast to southwest exposition. A small portion of the vines are 50 years old, while the remaining were planted 20 years ago with a regional clone and a selection from Fontodi’s Flaccianello site. With an intense focus on floral and mineral aspects, this is a compelling synthesis of lavender, dried rose, sunbaked stone and iron, sinewy rather than brawny in muscles, but formidable nonetheless. Concentrated, crunchy dark fruit is stitched with emphatically chalky tannins, framed by stylish wood notes. Vertical and direct." Drink 2026 - 2040