You may have heard the term ‘super tuscan’ before. They’re a group of Tuscan wines that emerged in the late 1970s, taking the wine world by storm for their quality, and their production outside of the existing rules in the Chianti region. Flaccianello is one of the originals, and the first 100% Sangiovese super tuscan. To this day, it sits up there with the great wines of Italy, and is all about the finesse of pure Sangiovese, rather than size. Red and dark berried fruit and floral aromatics lead to a concise palate with fine tannins and freshness. It’s one to tuck away for a special occasion. 

This estate’s 90 hectares of organically farmed vineyards are placed on one Chianti’s most celebrated terroir, the Conca d’Oro, or ‘golden shell’. This south-facing amphitheatre-shaped landscape is set at high altitude on calcareous clay-schist soils. The estate was purchased by Dino Manetti in 1968, although the Manetti family have been based in Chianti for centuries, producing terracotta at their factory in Ferrone. In 1980, Dino’s son Giovanni not only took over Fontodi, but also took the estate to the next level. The wines have remarkable purity and structure, and no list of top notch Tuscan wine is complete without them.