Tuscan Sangiovese is one of the most site-sensitive vinifera grapes in the world. Like Pinot Noir, it is very reflective of its terroir—not just soil type but altitude, exposure, and other natural factors. And yet, even in Tuscany’s most celebrated region, Montalcino, there are very few ‘single-vineyard’ expressions of Sangiovese; no mapping/ranking of specific sites to speak of, although it has been floated as an idea (as it has in Chianti Classico).
This Brunello di Montalcino Riserva from Tenuta Fanti is a single-vineyard bottling of fairly recent creation, in this case a snapshot of old-vine Sangiovese from the “south slope” of the Montalcino hill. To say that this is a luxurious Brunello would be the understatement of the year, but for all of its polish, there’s a profundity to it that makes it memorable. Critically praised across the board, it owes a debt to the the perfectly calibrated 2010 vintage, but clearly the vineyard site played a role, too: Bottled as a riserva, this wine spent 3 years in what was clearly very expensive oak, but ultimately, what I’m left with when tasting this still-young Brunello is the indelibly savory and soulful footprint of Sangiovese. At this price to quality, you don’t want to pass this up. It will drink well now and over the next decade (or beyond) if kept well.
Although the Fanti estate in the village of Castelnuovo dell’Abate goes back many generations, it was current proprietor Filippo Fanti who, in the early 1970s, revitalized its vineyards and olive groves and began producing commercially. His daughter, Elisa, joined him much later, in 2007, and is credited with conceptualizing this “Vigna Le Macchiarelle” bottling. The wine is sourced from a 2.5-hectare site with a pure south exposure that contains the oldest vines on the property (35 years).
Although there are examples to the contrary, the conventional wisdom of Montalcino is that vineyards on the ‘south slope’ of the Montalcino hill—vineyards that essentially mark the point at which ‘central’ Tuscany becomes ‘Mediterranean’ Tuscany—yield deeper, darker, denser Sangiovese than those on the north slope. In this case, that wisdom holds, with the wine skewing to the meatier, more darkly fruited end of the Sangiovese spectrum. The common denominator is the great savor-to-sweetness ratio Sangiovese provides, regardless of its extraction level. Unlike some cult reds that feel both too sweet and too alcoholic to pair effectively with food, Fanti’s Brunello is slick, yes, but also somewhat burly, rough-hewn, earthy…a wine that feels like it just emerged from the woods.
This powerful but beautifully balanced 2010 spent 36 months aging in French oak tonneaux, then another six months in bottle before release. It exhibits a dark crimson core with orange and light amber reflections on the rim, consistent with Sangiovese at six years of age. The nose explodes from the glass with notes of preserved black cherry, ripe black plum, freshly picked sour red cherry, wild raspberry and intense floral perfume awaken the senses then evolve to reveal aromas of dried roses, tomato leaf, tobacco, orange peel, fennel, and a kind of exotic chai-like spice I found compelling. It is full-bodied, delivering richness of fruit without being sweet or overripe; it is balanced by refreshing acidity, soft tannins and has a very elegant feel. I highly advise decanting this wine, perhaps an hour before serving in Bordeaux stems. Service temperature is key: at between 60 and 65 degrees, you’ll dampen the alcohol/tannin impact without losing the aromatic complexity. Built for meaty dishes of all stripes, we thought it would really sing with this
New York Times recipe for traditional ragù. They were truly meant for each other!
