Vigna del Sorbo 2017

Wine Advocate

The Fontodi 2017 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigna del Sorbo is expressive, dark and thickly concentrated. I received my samples early and found that this wine was a little shy or slow to open in this early phase. If given extra time, the bouquet warms up to dark fruit, plum, rum cake and dried violet. I came back to the wine about two hours later and discovered a pretty note of crushed aspirin or carbon, with more crushed flower. The oak adds sweet spice and scorched earth, but these too will integrate with time. From a hot and dry vintage, I'd easily give this edition of Vigna del Sorbo a 15- or 20-year drinking window. (ML 8/2020)