Wine Advisor
Felsina, Fontalloro Toscana IGT 2004
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2004 Fontalloro (100% Sangiovese) comes across as fresher and brighter than the Rancia. Light on its feet, this graceful, delicate wine opens with sweet, perfumed aromatics that meld into raspberries, flowers, spices and a touch of sweet oak that lingers on the finish. It offers remarkable clarity and precision in a pure, focused style, with superb balance and finessed tannins. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2019. There is not too much more I can say about the wines of Felsina and proprietor Giuseppe Mazzocolin, except that they are reference point wines for anyone who wants to discover the essence of contemporary Sangiovese from Chianti Classico. This is a compelling set of new releases from Mazzocolin and long-time consulting oenologist Franco Bernabei, one of the giants of modern Tuscan oenology. Even better, the wines remain very fairly priced. I was amused when another producer complained to me recently about Felsina’s prices. They were far too low, he insisted. I also tasted the wines of Felsina’s second property Castello di Farnatella. The wines are competently made, but lack the distinctiveness of the Felsina wines. Importer: Doug Polaner, Polaner Selections, Mt. Kisco, NY; tel. (914) 244-0404
About the Producer
Etienne Sousse is a winery in Puligny-Montrachet that produces some of the most popular Chardonnay wines in Burgundy. Sousse's wines are prized for their elegance at the country level, and for their extra weight and concentration at the Premier and Grand Cru levels. The estate's portfolio includes leading products from Chevalier-Montrachet, Le Montrachet and Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Champs Gain. The estate consists of 15 hectares (37 acres) of vineyards in the communes of Puligny-Montrachet, Como-le-Grand and Chassagne-Montrachet, with a small amount of grapes sourced from outside. The grapes are fermented in oak barrels and aged in barrels for around a year - up to 33% new oak for the First Growths and 40% for the Grand Cru. After ageing in barrels, the wine is tanked and stored on its lees for a further six months. Etiensse was established at the forefront of production in Puligny-Montrachet by Etiensse himself (1903-1975). His 12 hectares (30 acres) estate was taken over by his son-in-law Gérard Boudot, although in 1991 Boudot's cousin Jean-Marc Boillot took out his share of the vineyard and asked Boudot and his family to make additional acquisitions to bring the estate back to its current size.
