FONTODI 

The Fontodi estate is located in Panzano, almost at the centre of the Chianti Classico region. Like Felsina, which claims an Etruscan origin for its name, Fontodi also has a long history; vines have been cultivated here since the time of the Roman empire, and documents prove there was vinification here as far back as the 16th Century, at a farmhouse then referred to as Case Via.

The current owners, the Manetti family, also have many centuries of history in Chianti, although not with viticulture. For three hundred years this family has been renowned for the manufacture of terracotta, and it was not until 1968 that the family decided to move into wine, with the purchase of Fontodi.

Currently in charge of the 67 hectare estate which lies just south of Panzanno, at the heart of the Chianti Classico DOCG, is Giovanni Manetti, aided by cousin Marco. Giovanni's first involvement in the family winery was in 1979, and before long he had hired reputable oenologist Franco Bernabei; together they have been instrumental in upgrading many practices at Fontodi.

A most significant and recent development was the construction of an ultra-modern cantina, completed in 1998. The fruit from the vineyards, which lie in a south-facing amphitheatre known as the Conca d'Oro (which translates as golden shell) on marl and clay galestro soils, are fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel in this new winery, with punching down of the cap to increase extraction.

Once finished it matures in wood in the brand new barrel cellar, the transfer process being gravitational rather than by pumping. All the wines are aged in French oak, with the premier cuvées going into new oak, and the lesser wines into the older barrels.

Wish you only the best wines.
Tomáš Donev
Chief Sommelier, Zlatá Praha
E-mail: zlata.praha@seznam.cz