00 Fattoria di Felsina, Fontalloro
Not that Toscana should ever need a comparison to Piedmont, but the heady tar-covered berries that waft from this bottle sometimes seem more like nebbiolo than sangiovese. The 2000 Fontalloro is drinking beautifully right now, balancing kirsch with earthy, damp terroir. But the sexy mouthfeel sets it apart from nearly any other Chianti, including the winery's own 1997. The wine is powdered silk spritzed through an atomizer, with enough grit to hold everything together and carry the ripe, southerly fruit into a long, moving finish. The climax is nearly Shakespearean.
posted by 750 mL |
What do you think? (4)
4 Comments:
Had against several antipasti, suckling pig, crab, and entrees of duck leg and quail, the Fontalloro was at it's best--seamless, oddly enough--against smoky shrimp bruschetta.
Highlighting the tarry component of the wine really puts it at its best. Fontolloro's sensitive, and doesn't want a bunch of salt, butter, and meat to fight with.
I imagine this would do well with a simple salad of greens, olive oil, roasted tomatoes, and crispy pancetta.
Nilay, it sounds like your ending was more like the Merry Wives of Windsor whereas Bacca had a Titus Andronicus experience at the final curtain.
Thanks for your comments, Bacca. I can't say there was much oak on the 2000. It seems to be a very fast-aging wine--and this one was stored in relatively warm conditions--so you might want to try it again. Really not much oak at all here.
I can't get Bacca's comment out of my head. Has anyone else tried the 2000 Fontalloro?
It was indeed very ripe and concentrated (deep purple color), but very elegant in taste. I wonder if others have had a particularly oaky bottle.
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