1997 Fontodi, Flaccianello delle Pieve, Colli della Toscana Centrale IGT 1x750ml

Vinous 94

Moving away from Burgundy, the next wine was the 1997 Flaccianello, the pure Sangiovese from Tenuta Fontodi. The bouquet is outstanding, a heady mélange of red and black fruit mingling with star anise, freshly rolled tobacco and sandalwood; this seems to be effortlessly moving into its secondary aroma stage. The palate is beautifully balanced, with fine breeding and impressive concentration given that it is now 24 years old, leading to a full-bodied, rounded finish. This is drinking perfectly now but has the substance to last. The home straight saw us move to Bordeaux. [Neal Martin, 10/08/2021]

Anticipated maturity: 2021-2032

Robert Parker 95

This wine marks its own set of milestones. The 1997 Flaccianello della Pieve is one of my favorite bottles in this retrospective. This bottle is just singing at the moment and shows no sign of lowering its voice. Come listen while you can. At a beautiful moment in its drinking window, the wine is plentiful, exuberant and bright. This vintage marks the pinnacle of a stylistic movement prizing increased extraction that has since been abandoned. However, there’s a lot to be said of what was achieved here regardless. The bouquet offers a compelling ensemble of dried fruit aromas with barbecue spice, tilled earth and blackberry preserves. The 1997 vintage produced very small, dark and compact berries spurred by cold temperatures in April that blocked development of the buds and caused a significant decrease in yields. The 1997 vintage is unique in the context of this vertical tasting. [Monica Larner, 04/05/2019]

Anticipated maturity: 2019-2027