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2016 Mazzei Castello di Fonterutoli Chianti Classico Gran Selezione

Not Currently In Auction

Latest Sale Price

July 2, 2023 - $47

Estimate

RATINGS

95The Wine Advocate

Black fruit, plum and cherry intermingle with spice, tobacco and tilled earth.

95James Suckling

Lots of polished tannins to frame the wine. Full-bodied. The spice, bark, and dried-mushroom character highlights the ripe and luscious fruit.

94Wine Spectator

The rich texture shows off the cherry, berry and earth flavors, with a backbone of lively acidity and dense, ripe tannins creating tension between this red's elegance and power. Elements of iron, tobacco and Mediterranean herbs complete the flavor profile. Shows fine balance and length.

93Vinous / IWC

Beautifully perfumed, layered and nuanced... Lavender, spice, menthol, ripe red/purplish fruit and rose petal grace this translucent, beautifully detailed Chianti Classico.

16.5Jancis Robinson

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.”