Chianti Classico Fontodi 2016 (750ML)

94 ZBT: " I have been buyinga nd tasting the wines of Giovanni Manetti for 25+ years. His Chianti Classico is always one of my favorite because it is about as serious as Chianti Clkassico can get. His 2016's are off-the-chart good. First whiff from the glass exudes power and precision of fruit. You can smell the tannin of the vintage.....WOW! Has great palate presence as it completes a wide swath across your tongue with a savory cleansing style that keeps you coming back for more. Best ever!!" Andrew McMurray

92+ Points, Monica Larner, The Wine Advocate: "Fontodi's 2016 Chianti Classico is an expertly administered and measured wine that shows bright fruit intensity backed by Sangiovese's characteristic acidity, primary freshness and integrated structure. This wine is perfectly engineered to pair with Tuscan dishes such as pappardelle ribbon pasta with rabbit or wild boar ragu. The wine will not only cleanse the palate from those flavors, but it will enhance the savory flavors." 7/31/19

94 Points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous:"The 2016 Chianti Classico Fontodi brings together all the elements that make the Fontodi wines so unique, but with an extra kick of freshness and aromatic intensity that is the result of a year with notable diurnal shifts during the growing season. Dark blue/purplish fruit, lavender, spice and menthol develop in the glass, but it is the wine's extraordinary balance and sheer appeal that stand out most. In time, 2016 may very well become the new benchmark for Fontodi's Chianti Classico. The 2016 is flat-out delicious. That's pretty much all there is to it." 8/19

94 Points, James Suckling: "Extremely polished and refined with cherries, wet earth and hints of smoke. Medium-bodied with a beautiful balance of fruit and spice, as well as mushrooms. Fresh at the end. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold."

94 Points, Bruce Sanderson, Wine Spectator: "A sleek, black cherry- and blackberry-infused red, coupled with a steely, vibrant structure. Linear and tense, featuring an energetic finish. Tobacco,graphite and macchia notes add depth as this unwinds on the long finish." 6/5/19

93 Points, Michaela Morris, Decanter: "Giovanni Manetti has been managing his family's property since 1979. From the start he has been pushing the quality of the region forward and, as the new President of the Chianti Classico consortium, he continues to do so. Though not claimed as such, Fontodi's annata could technically be a Riserva and the 2016 is particularly spectacular. Still nascent, it's stunningly fragrant with scents of smoke, anise, dark red cherry and violet. Ample yet graceful tannins cling to the palate with succulent fruit to balance. It remains light on its feet, with a lift of liquorice on the long finish." 2/19