Flaccianello della Pieve, Fontodi 2015

The 2015 Flaccianello della Pieve is even more stratospheric than it was last year. Rich and ample on the palate, Flaccianello captures all of the best qualities of this radiant vintage. The blend of sites, all in higher altitude spots near the center of town, yields a gorgeous, riveting wine of the very highest level. Dense and brooding, with magnificent energy as well as nuance, the 2015 Flaccianello is positively stunning.

The aromas are crystal-clear here, ranging from dark cherry essence, dried herbs and dark plums to licorice, cloves, vanilla and paprika. Full body, very velvety yet firm tannins and a long, grippy finish. The tension created with the interplay between the rich fruit, taut acidity and a sturdy tannin backbone is so enticing. Drink in 2022. Made from organically grown grapes.

This retrospective gave me the opportunity to taste the excellent 2015 vintage side by side with the highly anticipated 2016 vintage. These two years are famously in a tight race across Tuscany for supremacy. I'm ready to tip my hat at 2016. In comparison, the 2015 Flaccianello della Pieve is slightly broader in the shoulders and heavier in the gait. There is more meat on these bones, and the 2015 vintage presented vintners with near-perfect growing conditions in which one textbook part of the vegetative cycle transitioned directly to the next. The wine is dark, exuberant and profound, and the quality of the tannins is superb, fine and firm. One difference with the 2016 vintage is that the 2015 is a tad more accessible and ready. You can wait and cellar it for thirty years, or pop the cork sooner if you don't have the patience to wait.

A powerful, full-bodied red with a silky and minerally character. Hints of smoke and wet earth. Great length and beauty.