2008 - Flaccianello delle Pieve, Fontodi, Colli della Toscana Centrale

Here's a vintage that came out of left field and knocked me flat with delight. The 2008 Flaccianello della Pieve is just my kind of Sangiovese with a gorgeous level of silkiness and smoothness, all followed by tangy menthol freshness and balsam herb that give so much momentum to the vertical lift and drive of the bouquet. The wine's complexity is enhanced by drying mineral notes with barbecue smoke and mesquite. There is a slight hint of ripeness here that you taste in the sweetness of the tannins and the satiny nature of the finish. I love the balance between the wine's natural acidity and the softer side of its fruit. This vintage is drinking beautifully at the moment. Don't miss this exciting window.

This 2008 Fontodi Flaccinello delle Piave starts off with some smoky, sweet tobacco and spice aromas. On the palate there are lots of very fine, silty-textured tannins giving a firm outline to the wine. It is a little less richly textured in the middle whereas the 2006 had more mid-palate concentration but there is a very long, very savory finish plus a little austerity to the wine. In 2000 Manetti made another change and started to introduce biodynamics: "When I was a child there were always cows on our land as well as vines, so in 2000 I bought four female cows so that they could produce manure to fertilize the soil." The cows are a special local Tuscan breed called Chianina and the idea is to use their manure as fertilizer and to create a more holistic environment.