The Mazzei family has been making wine in Tuscany since 1435, one of Italy's oldest continuously operating winemaking families. Ser Lapo Mazzei, whose 1398 letter referencing Chianti is among the earliest documented references to the wine, is regarded as a founding figure of Chianti Classico, and Filippo Mazzei carried the family's viticultural knowledge to Virginia in 1773 at Thomas Jefferson's invitation, planting Tuscan vines near Monticello and forging a close friendship with Jefferson. Today the family farms roughly 650 hectares at Castello di Fonterutoli in Castellina in Chianti, combining generations of winemaking history with a hands-on approach to sustainability.

Concerto di Fonterutoli, first produced in 1981 as one of the original ten Super Tuscans, blends 80% Sangiovese from the Scassi vineyard with 20% Cabernet Sauvignon from Brotine, both planted on rocky soils of decomposed limestone and sandstone. The 2019 fruit fermented with an extended 14-to-18-day maceration before 18 months in small French oak barrels, 70% new, followed by several months resting in concrete before bottling. The result is a rich, powerful red with real polish and aging potential.

Why You'll Love It

• One of the original Super Tuscans, still built on the same 80/20 Sangiovese-Cabernet Sauvignon blend since 1981.
• Rich, juicy notes of underbrush and black berries.
• Powerful yet fine-grained tannins with real structure.
• Widely acclaimed for the 2019 vintage, with scores from Jane Anson (97), Decanter (96), and Wine Advocate (95+).
• Built to age two decades or more.
• A wine for both special occasions and serious dinners.

How To Serve It

• Serve at 60-65°F.
• Decant for about an hour to open up the fruit.
• Pour into a Bordeaux stem to suit the Cabernet-inflected structure.
• Pair with a slow-braised wild boar ragù over pappardelle, or a juniper-and-pepper-crusted venison loin with a Chianti reduction.