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2012 Mazzei Castello di Fonterutoli Chianti Classico Gran Selezione

Not Currently In Auction

Latest Sale Price

May 28, 2023 - $28

Estimate

RATINGS

92Wine Enthusiast

...aromas of French oak, blackberry, exotic spice, menthol and a whiff of crushed violet on this glossy red. The palate shows both structure and finesse, offering juicy black cherry, vanilla, licorice and mocha framed in fine-grained tannins.

90Wine Spectator

An oaky style, this cherry- and blackberry-flavored red is focused and intense, with a long, mineral-tinged aftertaste.

16Jancis Robinson

Impressively ripe and sweet nose, with more than a hint of oak... Lifted, and almost a little tart, but works well with the sweet oak note. A little dry on the finish.

REGION

Italy, Tuscany, Chianti Classico

Chianti is Tuscany’s most famous and historic wine district, and the Chianti Classico DOCG is the most prestigious Chianti appellation. Fittingly, it is located in the heart of the larger Chianti DOCG. Chianti’s wines were so esteemed during the Renaissance that the Medici princes of Florence designated several villages within the Chianti region as discrete production zones, setting up the first appellations in Italy. By the 20th century Chianti was Italy’s primary wine export. But the pizza parlor Chiantis sent to foreign markets were inexpensive, unremarkable reds presented in round-bottomed, straw-covered bottles. To upgrade Chianti wines and the region’s image, the Chianti Classico DOC was created in 1967, then upgraded to DOCG status in 1984, with additional modifications made in 1996. In the last 20 years a consortium of Chianti Classico producers have researched new Sangiovese clones, replanted vineyards, updated cellar practices and generally made Chianti Classico DOCG a world-class appellation. Chianti Classico must contain a minimum of 75% Sangiovese. In the 2014 edition of its annual compendium of wine ratings, Gambero Rosso noted that Chianti Classico DOCG wines were noteworthy for their “significant return to a more defined style, true to tradition.”

TYPE

Red Wine, Sangiovese, D.O.C.G.

This red grape is largely grown in central Italy. As the sole component or in a blend, it gives us Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Morellino and Super Tuscans, among other favorites wines. The name is derived from the Latin for “blood of Jove.”