Fontodi Flaccianello Della Pieve 2022

Fontodi is a shining example of the heights that can be reached in this part of Tuscany, and year after year, their wines continue to blow us away. This gorgeous 97-point 2022 vintage was carved from a tough, low-yielding year that the Manetti family fought hard for, and the concentrated and soulful Sangiovese that came to be is a reward we all have the chance to reap. For under $150 – a whole $100+ off typical retail – it’s an absolute steal on a bona fide Tuscan icon.

The Fontodi estate spans 130 hectares in the heart of Chianti Classico, tucked inside Panzano's famous amphitheater-shaped Conca d'Oro ("Golden Shell") valley. The Manetti family had spent generations in the region running their terracotta tile business, but everything changed in 1968 when Dino Manetti bought the rundown property that would become the winery. His son Giovanni took the reins in 1980 alongside legendary consulting winemaker Franco Bernabei, steering the estate to certified organic farming with biodynamic practices.

Flaccianello della Pieve is the estate's iconic 100% Sangiovese Super Tuscan, first bottled in 1981 as a full-on act of rebellion. At the time, Chianti Classico rules forced producers to blend white grapes into their reds, and Giovanni was fed up with watering down Tuscany's noblest grape. So, he declassified his purest and best Sangiovese, and a legend was born. The 2022 growing season was no cakewalk, with hail hammering one of the three core vineyards. As a hail Mary, the team pulled from parcels across the road that had fed Flaccianello from 1981 to 2000. The upshot is a smaller, hard-won vintage of bold, thickly-extracted Sangiovese that's surprisingly approachable for something this young.

No surprise that the critics absolutely ate it up – with 97 points from James Suckling, a wall of 96s from Wine Advocate, Wine Spectator, and Falstaff, and a few more high scores to boot. In the glass it's a deep, inky ruby with a near-black core, unspooling crushed black cherry, ripe plum, and blackberry laced with a flash of blood orange, fresh violets, and a savory swirl of licorice, new leather, menthol, incense, graphite, and a lick of black olive tapenade. It's full-bodied with firm tannins coated in fruit and mouthwatering acidity that keeps the whole thing fresh and driving toward a long, mineral-tinged finish. Drink it now if you can't wait, but it's built to cruise from now all the way to 2045. With more than $100 in savings, plus free shipping on 3+ bottles – this is about as good as the math gets on a wine of this caliber. Grab it while it lasts!

FOOD PAIRINGS: A wine this powerful and structured begs for simple, soulful Tuscan cooking – I'd go straight for a rustic bistecca alla Fiorentina.