About this wine
Vineyard and terroir
The estate’s 67 ha of vineyards lie in the Conca d’Oro valley, south of Panzano, at 380–400 m above sea level. The predominantly calcareous clay soils provide excellent drainage and encourage deep root growth.
Vinification
The grapes are harvested in early October into 5 kg boxes and dried in a purpose-built, well-ventilated room until February or early March. They are then pressed.
Ageing
The must spends around nine years in sealed 50- and 110-litre barrels made from chestnut and French oak.
Tasting profile
Concentrated.
Label / history
Annual production is 1,300 bottles. The name Fontodi derives from the Latin “Fons-odi”, meaning “a place with an abundance of water”. Grapes have been grown on the site since Roman times. Documents dating to the 16th century record winemaking with specialised equipment at the “Case Via” farm.
The Manetti family produced Tuscan terracotta and other clay goods for several centuries before buying the estate in Panzano in 1968. They completed one of Tuscany’s first gravity-flow cellars in 1998; its equipment is arranged on different levels so that wine can be moved between vessels by gravity rather than pumps. Oenologist Franco Bernabei advises the estate.
