2013 Flaccianello della Pieve, Tenuta Fontodi, Tuscany, Italy

The gorgeous 2013 Flaccianello della Pieve is going through a closed phase at the moment. Let's give the wine a few more years to sort itself out. This window of momentary shyness is a very encouraging sign when you consider how far this wine will travel to complete its evolutionary path. This vintage saw a cool spring that got the season off to a late start. Mild summer temperatures meant that the harvest also came later, with fruit picked the first week of October.

The natural characteristics of this vintage include higher total acidity, increased tannic structure and slightly lower alcohol content. The 2013 Flaccianello hits the trifecta of positive potential aging attributes. Indeed, the wine is almost rigid and nervous at this early stage in its adolescence. Like proud parents, we will wait and watch this bottle blossom over time.

Drink 2019 - 2045

Monica Larner, Wine Advocate (July 2019)