97 Points: “This is delicious! Finds a good gear and runs with it through to a lengthy finish. Seductive cherry, graphite, sweet spice and red forest fruit aromas flow onto a beautifully harmonious and complex palate, conveying a tender texture of dark cherry and plummy fruit that’s carried by perfectly pitched tannins. The flavors linger long in the mouth. It will make many red wine devotees swoon.” – Panel tasting, Decanter (DWWA 2019)
95 Points: “Bright aromas of sliced cherries and hints of strawberries with some orange peel. Full body and super fine and ripe tannins. They melt into the wine. Delicate yet energetic. Crisp finish.” – James Suckling (November 2019)
94 Points: A vibrant yet brooding red, with bracing acidity driving the cherry, currant, iron, tobacco and almond flavors. Complex and intense, this needs a few years to absorb the tannins. Delivers fine presence and length. Sangiovese and Merlot. Best from 2022 through 2043.” – Bruce Sanderson, Wine Spectator (December 2019)
FROM THE WINERY
Winemaker Notes
With this outstanding Chianti Classico Riserva, the Marquis Mazzei celebrate their
notable ancestor Ser Lapo, author of the first official document mentioning “Chianti wine”. Ruby red color with violet nuances. On the nose, bright aromas of fresh cherries mingle with notes of thyme and a subtle smoky character. Bright acid structure providing a lively quality. Cranberry, raspberry, and red cherry dominate with hints of leather, cedar, and cocoa powder. Some earthiness in the finish and ripe soft tannins.
Food pairings: include pasta with game sauce, stews, grilled red meats, and mid-aged cheeses.
Blend: 90% Sangiovese, 10% Merlot
About Fonterutoli
The hamlet of Fonterutoli, an old bastion of Florence only a few kilometers from Castellina in Chianti, is blessed with an extraordinary view of Siena, which is so close that it is possible to discern the Torre del Mangia and the outline of the Duomo.
The centuries-old ownership of Marchesi Mazzei has preserved the handful of houses, the church of San Miniato, and the villa erected at the end of the 1500's in place of the citadel, more or less unchanged. Time stopped here, maintaining the charm of the Middle Ages
The black rooster legens leads to Fonterutoli
In 1202 and 1208 Fonterutoli was the location of two peace treaties between Florence and Siena, when the territory of Chianti was ceded to
Florence. A popular legend tells a funny story: At the beginning of the XIII century the two cities, worn by the war over Chianti, decided to assign the definition of the border to the meeting point between two knights each coming from their city at cockcrow. The Florentines relied on a black rooster, which having been left without food crowed well before daybreak, allowing the knight from Florence to start with a great advantage and travel a long way before meeting precisely at Fonterutoli, almost within sight of Siena.
Florence brought its border to Fonterutoli on the line of Castellina, Radda, and Gaiole, and established the Military and Administrative Alliance of Chianti, choosing the Black Rooster as its shield.
|
Share