Winery: Castello di Fonterutoli
Winery location: Chianti Classico, Toscana
Grape varieties: 100% Sangiovese: 6 clones + 8 estate massal selections
Alcohol: 13.83%
Total acidity: 6.11‰
Vineyards location: Castellina in Chianti, "Fonterutoli": 420-510 m (1,380-1,670 ft) a.s.l.; S, S/W exposure
Soil: "Alberese" and limestone, extremely rich in texture
Vineyards age: 25 - 30 years
Training system: Spur cordon-training and Guyot
Nr. of vines per hectare: 5.800 - 7.500 plants
Harvest: Hand picked starting from September 20th
Vinification: In stainless steel trunk-conic vats
Fermentation temperature: 26 - 28° C °C
Period of maceration: 15 - 16 days
Ageing: 18 months in french oak barrels (500 lt, 50% new)
Finissage: 4 months in concrete tanks
Bottling: January 2021
Available on the market: July 2021
Production: 63000 bottles
Formats: 375 ml - 750 ml - 1,5 lt - 3 lt - 6 lt
First vintage: 1995
Ageing potential: Over 20 years
Key descriptors: Perfect combination of elegance, structure and mineral character
Food pairing: Savoury dishes, game, stews, truffles, aged cheeses
Vintage:
The 2018 vintage was characterised by a dynamic winter, with northern currents in December and February and a mild climate in January, with abundant rainfall, both of snow and rain, which offset the serious water deficit of the previous years. Spring brought about temperatures above the seasonal average together with abundant rainfall. The budding was early but showed no problems.
From 10 June on, temperatures started to rise again and, in the Chianti Classico area, the summer was good with uniform rainfall. July and August were as usual, while September was marked by a series of sunny days with a large temperature range between day and night, which allowed the grapes to reach the correct phenolic and aromatic ripeness. In short, this harvest was very satisfying harvest from a quantitative and, especially, a qualitative point of view.
Beginning of the harvest: September 12th
End of the harvest: October 8th
Rainfalls (sum of rainfall between April 1st and September 30th): 491 mm
Temperature Index (sum of average daily temperatures from April 1st to September 30th): 3666 °C
Evaluation: Very good