Fontodi Chianti Classico 2017 750ml

#26 ENTHUSIAST 100 2020. Fragrant and delicious, this opens with aromas of ripe black-skinned fruit, blue flower, leather, underbrush and a whiff of French oak. The full-bodied, enveloping palate delivers baked plum, Marasca cherry, licorice and a note of espresso framed in fine-grained enveloping tannins that give it a smooth texture and a weightless finesse.

• Country: Italy
• Region: Tuscany
• Appellation: Chianti Classico
• Size: 750ml
• Color: Red

Varietal

Sangiovese

The name of this grape, meaning ‘blood of Jove’ conjures up evocative images of long dead civilizations, and gives the Sangiovese varietal a sense of the holy, the sacred, the special. Indeed, this particular type of Italian grape has been cultivated and processed for thousands of years, and is said to be the original favorite grape varietal of the Romans, and the Etruscans before them. Throughout history, vintners have continued to plant this varietal, and they continue to produce wonderful wines to this day. The long bunches of very dark, round fruit are treasured by fine wineries in Italy and a few other places around the world, and when young, these grapes are lively ”“ full of strawberry flavors and a little spiciness. However, it is when they are aged in oak that they take on some truly special flavors and aromas, as seen in some of the finest wines of the Old World.