Castello di Fonterutoli Tasting with Special Guest Francesco Mazzei at Wine Watch

Wine, like food, is so emotional. If you think about it, so much of the courting ritual is surrounded by wine and food. There’s a built-in romance to wine.

Padma Lakshmi

Any time that we can get a member of Italy's first family of wine in to the store for a tasting I am happy to keep the store open later to introduce our wine drinking people to one of the benchmark producers of Chianti, the Maremma and now Sicily.

Join us as we taste through the current releases from this landmark winery from Tuscany including their iconic Castello di Fonterutoli Chanti Classic, which has become a benchmark for Chianti.  We will also showcase the super Tuscan wine Siepi, a unique blend of a Merlot and Sangiovese.  Then, there are a few new wines like the Mix 36 featuring the incredible diversity of the different biotypes of the Sangiovese varietal which are grown on the property.  The newest wine from the Mazzei family is the 100% Cabernet Sauvignon entitled "Philip" paying homage to their ancestor who gave Thomas Jefferson the inspiration for adding the phrase about all men being created equal into our declaration of independence.

Join us as we welcome Francesco Mazzei to South Florida this evening to lead us through this seminar, showing you the wineries newest releases from their both Tuscan Estate and their new property in Maremma. 

Wine Watch Chef Toni Lampasone will be making a few small courses to accompany the tasting wines. The fee for this tasting is $75 per person + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463.

Castello di Fonterutoli Tasting with Special Guest Francesco Mazzei at Wine WatchFriday, March 7, 20147:00 PM

Mazzei Chianti Classico Ser Lapo 2009 Price: $33.75       Sale $29.70          Case $345

(92 Points)  The 2009 Chianti Classico Riserva Ser Lapo is gorgeous with heavy, dark concentration and beautifully embellished tones of Indian spice and tobacco that add a slightly exotic slant to this all-Italian expression. It is exceedingly soft and velvety with dark cherry and blackberry backed by sophisticated, oak-driven characteristics. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2022.

The exciting news from Castello di Fonterutoli is the addition of a new wine, the Chianti Classico Gran Selezione, located above “Riserva” under the revised guidelines of the Chianti Classico denomination. Many estates will bottle a Gran Selezione, but this is the first one I have officially scored.

Fonterutoli Castello Chianti Classico 2011 Price: $33.50       Sale $29.48          Case $342           

(90 Points) From the Mazzei brothers’ beautiful, state-of-the-art winery at the heart Chianti Classico, the 2011 Chianti Classico Fonterutoli is made from a blend of different Sangiovese clones with some Malvasia Nera, Colorino and Merlot. Spice and leather add fullness to the back, but berry aromas of cherry and dried mulberry take center stage. The wine does a great job of presenting the elegance of Sangiovese against the soft richness of modern winemaking. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2018.

The exciting news from Castello di Fonterutoli is the addition of a new wine, the Chianti Classico Gran Selezione, located above “Riserva” under the revised guidelines of the Chianti Classico denomination. Many estates will bottle a Gran Selezione, but this is the first one I have officially scored.  Wine Advocate #208, Aug 2013

Belguardo Serrata 2010 Price: $21.00       Sale $18.48          Case $215           

This indigenous blend of Sangiovese and Alicante grapes is exceptionally rich, aromatic and pleasurable. It represents the most intriguing and innovative expression of the Tuscan Maremma wine area.

Zisola Nero d’Avola 2010 Price: $29.00       Sale $25.52          Case $296           

(88 Points)  Straightforward and bright, this easygoing Nero d'Avola offers notes of forest fruit, cherry, dried rosemary and toasted almond. The palate is lean, fresh and streamlined.  Wine Enthusiast Review

Mazzei Doppiozeta 2010  Price: $59.00       Sale $51.92          Case $602           

It’s the most important wine of the Estate, made with indigenous Nero d'Avola blended with Syrah and Cabernet Franc, all rigorously bush trained, to find a new personal style. The name "Doppiozeta" highlights the "core" of the Mazzei name.

Mazzei Mix 36 2008 Price: $92.50       Sale $81.40          Case $844           

Four decades of massal and clonal selection, thirty-six different biotypes, a pure-bred Sangiovese. A unique project that was finally realized: "Blend", "Cru" and "Monovarietal".

Fonterutoli Siepi 2006  Price: $99.00       Sale $87.12          Case $1010         

(95 Points) Intense aromas of blackberry, black licorice and dried flowers. Full-bodied, with fine, silky tannins and a long, rich finish. Polished and well-made. One of the best ever from this producer. Sangiovese and Merlot. Best after 2011. 2,500 cases made. –JS Wine Spectator Issue: Oct 31, 2009

Tenuta Belguardo Maremma Toscana 2005 Price: $57.00       Sale $50.16          Case $582           

(91 Points) The Cabernet-based 2005 Belguardo is a supple, layered wine with terrific energy. Dark cherries, toasted oak, mint and crushed flowers emerge as this outstanding wine reveals its elegant personality. There is quite a bit of upside here, but the wine requires another year or two to absorb its oak. This is another great example of a successful 2005 from Maremma. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2020. Wine Advocate #177 Jun 2008 Antonio Galloni

Mazzei Philip 2008 Price: $50.00       Sale $44.00          Case $510           

This is the ancestor that came to Virginia at Jefferson’s Monticello property and befriended Jefferson, which at that time Tuscany was a very forward thinking and liberal part of the world, Philip was very involved in politics and helped create the "all men are created equal", one of the most important quotes in our history, 50% Fonterutoli and 50% Maremma fruit and 100% Cabernet Sauvignon so a very forward and liberal thinking wine.  A very thick and complex bouquet dark cherry and currant berry fruit, has some of that brown spice and herbs a distinct earthy character to the bouquet.  A very nicely built wine with a good amount of dark berry fruit and tobacco spice, dark with fresh earth black truffle notes.  Finish 45+  Only 1000 cases produced      Excellent +

Menu

Zuppa Ribollita with Chiabatta Bread

Bisteca al Balsamico with Stuffed Tomatoes

The fee for this tasting is $75 per person + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463.

A bit about the Estate:

Fonterutoli is located 5 km south of Castellina in Chianti (Siena), on the hills facing the Val d'Elsa, in the heart of the Chianti Classico. Owned by the Mazzei family since 1435, it still retains its original form, that of a tranquil country village: a cluster of houses, the church of San Miniato and the villa, built at the end of the 1500s where the medieval castle once stood. On the main square next to the ancient church is the family villa, surrounded by the charming village apartments and suites managed as luxury b&b that can be rented individually or as a single unit.

Already known by the Etruscans and subsequently in Roman times as "Fons Rutolae" and "Fons Rutilant", it was considered a stopping-off point where travellers between Florence and Siena could find refreshment. It was here, in 998, that Ottone III, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, issued an edict transferring the possessions of the church of Arezzo to the Siena Committee. Fonterutoli was again the site, in 1202 and 1208, of the signing of the peace treaties that determined the historic assignment of the Chianti region to the Republic of Florence.

With regard to this, there is a popular legend saying that in the first years of the thirteenth century, the lords of Florence and Siena, in Tuscany exhausted by the endless wars over the Chianti region, agreed that the borders would be defined by a horse race: the riders would have started at the crowing of the cock, one from Florence and the other from Siena. The border would has been set at the place of their meeting. The Florentines chose a little black rooster, skinny and starved, who crowed constantly out of hunger. The morning of the race, this rooster crowed long before dawn, which permitted the Florentine rider to start out with a great advantage and to cover far more distance before meeting his opposite number, almost on the outskirts of Siena, at Fonterutoli, to be exact.

Since then, the black rooster became emblem of Chianti and then of the wine produced in this area, famous throughout the world. It's symbol also of the consortium which represents most producers.

The Castle of Fonterutoli is still owned by the Marquis Mazzei family, who settled since 1435. Its appearance has not changed during the centuries, preserving some buildings. Only the original Castle has been replaced by the villa at the end of the sixteenth century.