The 2018 Flaccianello della Pieve is another stellar wine from Fontodi. It is the richest Flaccianello ever made (in terms of dry extract), with elevated acidity that trails the 2016 by just a touch, but it does not taste like that at all. Dark cherry, violet, lavender, spice, mocha and graphite build with a bit of time in the glass. Like the Sorbo, the 2018 Flaccianello is not a wine of size, as in most previous years, but rather a wine that exudes vibrancy, energy and class from start to finish. I absolutely loved it.

This is a solid red with plenty of fruit and a dense, intense palate with hints of wood and spice. Full-bodied and very structured. Plenty of tannins here. Needs three to four years to soften and come together. From organically grown grapes. Best after 2024.

Generally speaking, I have reservations concerning the 2018 vintage that saw intermittent periods of hot and cold with some rain thrown in at the end of the growing cycle. The 2018 Flaccianello della Pieve blasted straight through any lingering doubt and is the result of a deft winemaking hand. This is a phenomenal and proudly confident vintage of the estate's top Sangiovese, which represents a blend of organic fruit from the best parcels. The wine's personality reveals brooding darkness and austerity, and these impressions are reinforced by savory tones of cigar smoke and earthy leather. The core of the wine is tight and richly concentrated with generous blackberry and plum. The velvety tannins are integrated but still youthful and grippy. You'll definitely need to give this elegant wine more time in the bottle. ML

Ripe black cherry, black currant and blackberry fruit is beautifully displayed on the harmonious structure in this red. Violet, iron and juniper notes add depth, while the aftertaste gets lift from the lively acidity and dusty tannins. Sangiovese. Best from 2024 through 2043. 4,000 cases made, 1,600 cases imported. — BS

Produced since 1981, Flaccianello was a single-vineyard wine up to 2003, then a selection of the best grapes of the estate. Guyot-trained Sangiovese is fermented in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks with indigenous yeasts for at least three weeks, then racked in barrels for the malolactic fermentation. It ages for 24 months in barrels. An enticing aroma unfolds its Mediterranean character in the glass with liquorice stick, bergamot, helichrysum, raspberry and cherry in depth. On the palate it shows extremely good volume for the 2018 vintage. Firm and youthful with refined tannins and crisp acidity, this is a wine of straight elegance. Drinking Window 2021 - 2045
Tasted by Aldo Fiordelli (at Monza, 03 Nov 2021)
Part of SuperTuscans at 50