The 2010 Chianti Classico Riserva Vigna del Sorbo is a timeless expression that embraces all the canons of great winemaking. This vineyard-designate expression (Sangiovese and a small part of Cabernet Sauvignon are planted here) boasts a delicately floral side in 2010 with dried violets and blue flower that gracefully lift the bouquet. Beyond the floral tones are shadings of cassis, wet earth, anisette and tobacco. Like the other wines of Fontodi, Vigna del Sorbo shows an ethereal side and inner elegance that is impossible to repeat elsewhere. It’s sure to develop bottle complexity over the years. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2030. Fontodi’s Giovanni Manetti has released one of the top Italian wines of 2010. His Flaccianello della Pieve (assembled from the best parcels of Sangiovese) is an expression of profound beauty and elegance. I tasted this wine early in my work for this issue and found myself returning to my note over and over again, comparing the other great wines of 2010 to Flaccianello. It became my benchmark for the vintage. Importer: Vinifera Imports; www.viniferaimports.com

The 2009 Chianti Classico Riserva Vigna del Sorbo is impressive. The overtness of the year is nicely balanced by the inherent freshness and acidity of Sangiovese. Hints of tobacco, cedar, licorice and spices are layered into the insistent finish. This is a terrific showing. I very much like the energy, length and focus of the fruit. I can’t wait to see how this develops over the coming years. The Vigna del Sorbo is a bit overlooked in the Fontodi stable, but it is often striking, especially after a few years in bottle. This historic vineyard is planted to 90% Sangiovese and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. The Sorbo has an element of freshness that the Flaccianello doesn’t have. I will not be surprised if over time it enjoys a more gradual and finessed evolution in bottle. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2027. I was in Panzano in mid-August 2009, just as a huge heat wave began to take hold of Northern Italy. Growers were tempted to pick early, but Sangiovese is a late-ripening variety that needs the extra hang time to develop its full range of aromas and flavors. Proprietor Giovanni Manetti waited until late September to start harvesting, and it paid off. His Sangiovese based wines in particular are fabulous in 2009. Importer: Vinifera Imports, Ronkonkoma, NY; tel. (631) 467-5907

What a beautiful surprise. The Fontodi 2008 Chianti Classico Riserva Vigna del Sorbo comes from the proverbial sleeper vintage that is hot-trotting it today with gangbuster results. This is a savory, almost full-bodied expression with ample doses of fruit sweetness and tertiary or savory characteristics that are carefully interwoven and integrated. The mouthfeel is voluptuous and rich with a creamy, fleshy finish. Dark fruit, cigar ash and scorched earth emerge from the glass. Aromatically, this wine has less of the mineral signature that we see in the newer vintages, and this could be explained by the fact that a small percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon was added to the blend back in 2008. This underlines an important stylistic shift in the timeline of Vigna del Sorbo (that would later go from Riserva status to Gran Selezione). Overall, this wine is most impressive in terms of mouthfeel, and I'm betting that it will hold for an additional 10 years, if not more.

The 2008 Chianti Classico Riserva Vigna del Sorbo is beautiful in this vintage. It shows gorgeous mid-palate depth and pliancy, with wonderful richness in its sweet dark fruit, smoke, licorice and grilled herbs. The 10% Cabernet Sauvignon works particularly well in this vintage, as it seems to give the wine a measure of depth and delineation that is less obvious in the Flaccianello. Higher toned floral notes add lift on the finish. The Vigna del Sorbo is a touch restrained in 2008, as are most wines, yet it shows fabulous balance and tons of personality. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2028. Giovanni Manetti describes his 2008s as higher in acidity and lower in alcohol than his 2007s. The spring and early summer were quite damp, which caused quite a bit of shatter and therefore lowered yields considerably. The summer was on the cool side and the harvest began in late September. The 2008s are decidedly mid-weight wines from Fontodi, yet the acidities are excellent and the wines are texturally very fine. I would not at all be surprised to see some of these wines show even better in another 5-10 years. Such is the nature of Sangiovese.Importer: Vinifera Imports, Ronkonkoma, NY; tel. (631) 467-5907