FONTERENZA
TUSCANY / MONTALCINO / BRUNELLO
Founded by twin sisters Margherita and Francesca Padovani in 1997, Fonterenza is a biodynamically cultivated estate located in the commune of Montalcino. Though the sisters were raised in Milan, the farm has been a part of their family's heritage since the 1970s. Prior to Margherita planting the first plots in 1999, the property had no vineyards. Francesca joined her sister in this endeavor and subsequent plantings occurred in 2002 and 2005 across four hectares of vines, with 3.5 hectares being dedicated to Sangiovese, and the remainder to Cabernet Sauvignon, which was later grafted to Sangiovese in 2012. The sisters were determined to abstain from using chemicals in their vineyard practices, which led to their interest in biodynamic viticulture and minimal intervention winemaking.
The estate comprises three plots, totaling 4.2 hectares, named Vigna del Bosco, Vigna della Strada and Vigna Alberello, planted in 1999 and 2005 respectively. Four wines are produced from the estate, including a rosé, Rosso di Montalcino, the recent "Alberello Rosso" and a unique Brunello, which comes exclusively from the exceptional Vigna del Bosco. Additionally, a few wines made from purchased fruit and rented parcels complete the lineup. Margherita and Francesca's relentless evolution has made Fonterenza one of the most captivating derivatives to follow in recent years, as every vintage continues to surpass the last.
Owner
Region
Vineyards
Farming
Harvest
Size
Grapes Grown
Website
Vineland Rep.
Margherita and Francesca Padovani
Tuscany/ Montalcino
Bosco, Alberello anfiteatro, Lupo, Strada and Quercia.
Organic & Biodynamic
Manual
4.5 hectares
Sangiovese
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Fonterenza Rosso di Montalcino
This is not a second wine or a downgrade of Brunello for us. In fact, our vineyards are all located in an area traditionally designated to produce the latter and have a clear tendency to produce wines of great structure. It is a different expression of Sangiovese in Montalcino, with a great potential for aging but also the fruit of a shorter refining process that preserves the characteristics of rustic youth, exuberance of fruit and a savory and earthy profile typical of our Sangiovese. It comes mainly from our separately vinified parcels, Bosco, Lupo, Strada, and Quercia, and then assembled. The first vintage produced was 2003.
Classification: Rosso di Montalcino D.O.C.
Varietal: Sangiovese
Vineyards: “Bosco”, “Alberello anfiteatro”,” Lupo” , “Strada” and Quercia
Soil: Sandy-clay, clay-schist, sandstone, schist, tuff.
Training System: Guyot bilateral, candelabra, bush vine
Age of the vines: From 17 to 23 years old
Planting Density: From 4,000 to 5,600 plants per hectare
Fermentation: With native yeasts, 15/20 days of maceration
Aging: In large oak barrels from 45 to 20 hl for 24/30 months
Notes: Ripe dark-skinned berry and violet mingle with new leather and balsamic aromas of camphor on this earthy, delicious red. Smooth, structured and juicy, the savory palate delivers succulent black cherry, ripe plum, baking spice and licorice framed in firm, fine-grained tannins. Fresh acidity keeps it balanced.
93
2019
WE
Fonterenza ‘Alberello’ Toscana IGT
This is a wine that showcases our relationship with nature and viticulture. The Alberello training system has always given us a sense of freedom and respect for the plant, and this wine is a testament to that. After thirteen harvests with surprising results, we decided to highlight it with a separate bottle. The Alberello was born from the desire to give space to the expression of this small vineyard and also to highlight it within the context of all the denominations present in the territory. (The Alberello: born as Rosso di Montalcino with a Brunello character, it chose freedom!)
Classification: I.G.T. Toscana Sangiovese
Varietal: Sangiovese
Vineyard: Vigna Alberello 0.5 ha
Soil: Schist
Training System: Alberello
Average age of the vines: 17 years old
Planting Density: 4,900 plants per hectare
Fermentation: With native yeasts, 20 days of maceration
Aging: In large oak and cement barrels from 20 to 35 hl for 24/30 months.
Notes: This wine comes from a gently sloped, east-northeast-facing, half-hectare parcel in the Fonterenza's Montalcino vineyard. Planted in 2005 but not bottled separately until the 2015 vintage, the vines are trained in alberello--which yield smaller amounts of more concentrated fruit. The bunches are harvested by hand, destemmed, gently pressed, and fermented spontaneously in tank with around 20 days of maceration. The wine is aged for 24-36 months in a mix of Slavonian oak botti and cement and bottled without filtration. 2019 is the first vintage in which "Alberello" is classified as an IGT rather than as a Rosso di Montalcino, a choice the Padovanis made to distinguish it more clearly from their original Rosso.
The wine offers offers earthy, enticing aromas of sunbaked earth, camphor, truffle, blue flower and spiced plum. The smooth palate is just delicious, delivering juicy black cherry, plum compote and baking spice alongside tangy mineral notes and hints of game. Velvety tannins provide an almost creamy texture.
96
2018
WE
Fonterenza Brunello di Montalcino
This is the wine that has been holding us accountable for our work in Montalcino since day one. For us, it has also been a destination, as it took us ten years to go from planting our first vineyard to producing our first bottle. It comes entirely from the Vigna del Bosco, which has a surface area of 1.6 hectares, and whose grapes have always given consistent and extraordinary results. The first vintage was 2004. The wine-making is done in conical oak or concrete vats with relatively long macerations. In recent years, we have been hand-sorting and have also been using some whole clusters. It matures in 50-hectoliter oak barrels for the first two years, and then in smaller and older barrels for another 3 or 4 years.
Classification: Brunello di Montalcino D.O.C.G.
Varietal: Sangiovese
Vineyard: Vigna del Bosco 1.6 ha
Soil: Sandy-clay, clay-schist
Training System: Guyot bilateral
Average age of the vines: 23 years old
Planting Density: 4,000 plants per hectare
Fermentation: With native yeasts, 20/30 days of maceration
Aging: In large oak barrels from 50 to 20 hl for 40/60 months
Notes: The crown jewel of their holdings is a 1.6-hectare parcel valled Vigna del Bosco, so named for the fact that the steep, south-facing, amphitheater-shaped vineyard is entirely surrounded by thick woods. The Padovanis planted Vigna del Bosco in 1999 on this special site featuring complex galestro soils that vary quite a bit from top to bottom of the hill. They harvest it by hand in multiple passes.
Unlike the majority of their peers, the Padovanis do not release their Brunello until they consider if ready to drink, so inevitably the current vintage in the market is "behind" most other Brunellos by at least a couple of years.
93
2013
VINOUS
