2016 - Flaccianello delle Pieve, Fontodi, Colli della Toscana Centrale

The 2016 Flaccianello della Pieve is a truly special, moving wine. There's not much more to say. The 2016 was epic when I tasted it last year. It is every bit as memorable today. Beautifully layered, the 2016 possesses remarkable finesse and power. All of the natural intensity of Panzano's Conca d'Oro comes through in a wine that dazzles from start to finish. As always, Flaccianello showcases the darker side of Sangiovese.

Fontodi's 2016 Flaccianello della Pieve is a masterpiece. This review represents a composite of notes from two separate tasting sessions, one at the winery and a second bottle tasted repeatedly over the course of 24 hours at my own pace. In the case of the second sample, it ended up in a blind flight next to the 2016 Masseto, and as beautiful as that Merlot-based wine is, this wine paints an even more beautiful portrait of a perfect Tuscan landscape, thanks to that tangy Sangiovese typicity. This vintage shows amazing depth and poise, with a sheer sense of elegance that comes from the undisputed quality of fruit achieved in this balanced vintage. The bouquet opens to dark cherry, blue flower and tilled earth. The tannins are taut, almost crunchy, and the wine offers profound pedigree and persistence that is driven by the evident acidity. That depth is what stands out most. Until the 2013 vintage, Flaccianello was aged in barrique for 24 months. After that vintage, six months of the total aging time is spent in botte instead. This 2016 vintage includes a small part from clay amphorae for the first time. This slight change in the relationship of wine to barrel size has resulted in a more elegant and finessed wine. That point is especially underlined in this vintage. Because of cool spring temperatures during the flowering, yields were reduced by 20% in 2016 compared to 2015. Some 65,000 bottles were made.

One of the original Super Tuscans - falling outside of the rules not because it contained any international varieties, but because it was 100% Sangiovese, something that was not allowed in Chianti Classico at the time (although it is today). I love this wine, it captures so much of what is wonderful about this grape variety, supple, savoury, vivid, full of curling rose and violet aromatics and a hit of sandalwood, incense and baking spice. Juicy with oyster shell and salted cracker salinity on the finish. Brilliant stuff from Giovanni Manetti, in a sweet spot for drinking - and relatively great value among the Super Tuscans.

In this 2016 Fontodi Flaccinello della Pieve the fruit is delightfully more dominant than the oak with very sweet black cherry interwoven with subtle cedar, and exotic spice notes like sandalwood. For many producers in Tuscany 2016 was the vintage of the decade if not the vintage of the last 20 years. This is a seductively beautiful wine with ripe black fruits and violet aromas and flavors. On the palate it combines round, smoothness of texture with vibrant acidity and firm upright tannins. There is a lovely, lingering, salty finesse to the tannins on the finish.

100% Sangiovese. Impenetrable dark ruby. Hints of mint hovering over compact cherry and raspberry fruit and savoury oak notes. Very deep and alluring. Cool sour-cherry and raspberry fruit palate. Fluid, elegant and long with fine gravelly tannins pushing the fruit. Liquid elegance of substance. (WS)