2015 Fattoria di Felsina Fontalloro Tuscany Italy 750 ml

This ravishing expression of vines over 50 years in age—plush in texture, giving up bright notes of crushed violets, red cherry, and tobacco—scored 96 points from James Suckling, who called it “structured yet wonderfully polished.” Vinous’s Antonio Galloni echoed the praise with a 92-95 point score, describing an “impressive” wine of “breadth, power and persistence.” Wine Spectator completed the trifecta of acclaim with 94 points. 

Fèlsina’s wines are poured at Per Se, Eleven Madison Park, and Maialano, their textbook typicity so well-established that they’re used by sommeliers studying for their Master of Wine and Master Sommelier exams to prepare for the blind tasting. Antonio Galloni has asserted Fèlsina’s “standing as one of the great estates in the world.” Every serious Tuscan collector has a set of the winery’s Chianti Classicos in their cellar. But if asked to name Felsina’s most famous single bottling, many would cite the pure Sangiovese Fontalloro cuvee, a legend since its first release in 1983.

The wine is sourced from three old-vine legacy vineyards spread across Chianti Classico and Chianti Colli Senesi, offering up a singular snapshot of the land—a plush marriage of two regions. Grapes from the Chianti Classico side of the border hail from the famous hillside Fontalloro vineyard at the highest area of Felsina, over 1,100 feet above sea level, with soils that are calcareous and stony. Soils on the other side are packed with marine sediment and composed of silt and gravel, helping to produce bold, complex wines with soft, silky tannins.

The use of 100% Sangiovese is the signature of owner Giuseppe Mazzocolin, a former professor of the humanities who married into the estate and immersed himself in Tuscan viticulture. Under his watch, Fèlsina has embraced organic farming, an intensive study of terroir, and an exclusive focus on pure expressions of the Sangiovese grape, eschewing the use of Bordeaux varieties. Together with legendary Italian enologist Franco Bernabei, he carried out a comprehensive overview of the estate’s stony soils, allowing them to pinpoint the best plots and Sangiovese cuttings. Their efforts have led to a line of phenomenal Chianti Classicos that have captured over 18 Tre Bicchieri awards from Gambero Rosso, and now this landmark Fontalloro release.

Vinous’s Antonio Galloni hailed 2015 as a “stellar” year. It would be a field day for collectors, he predicted, offering “a tremendous opportunity to acquire fine, cellar worthy wines without spending a fortune.” The sun, long absent during the wet 2014, made a grand reappearance in 2015, bathing vines in abundant, warm light, interspersed with replenishing showers. Rain was particularly plentiful in spring, preparing the ground for the long, dry, hot days of summer before making a brief, refreshing appearance in late August. The berries, bursting with concentration, were spectacular. It all adds up to a must-buy offer from one of Tuscany’s all-time greats.