Chianti Classico is one of Italy's great terroirs, and its best wines -- bottlings like Montevertine's Pergole Torte, and Fontodi's Flacianello or Vigna del Sorbo -- are some of its most famous and most expensive. 

But outside of those very top wines, Chianti Classico is full of amazing values. Take, for example, Fontodi's "basic" wine, the Chianti Classico we are offering today.

All the fruit is from a single amphitheater of vineyards (the "Conca d'Oro") in the Tuscan village of Panzano. The site has everything: great soils (calcareous clay and schist), high altitude to preserve freshness, and a lovely slope to capture plenty of sun and give perfect drainage.

If this were Burgundy, we'd all describe Fontodi's Chianti Classico as a "village level wine from a top producer" -- and it would be priced accordingly. But people don't think of Chianti that way (yet) so instead it's "just" a Chianti Classico and you can buy it for $36.99.

Take advantage of this small window--where the reputation of these wines hasn't quite caught up with the quality.

30 years ago, there were already some great producers in Chianti, like Radda’s own Montevertine. But many others continued to make very rustic wines.

Initial efforts to improve often resulted in wines that tasted like they came from somewhere else – thanks to too much oak, French grapes, or whatever. But now, a small group of local growers have been able to follow Montevertine in harnessing magic terroir. These growers make Chiantis that show gorgeous purity and elegance, without sacrificing the traditional soul of Tuscany.

Make no mistake: Chianti Classico is on the upswing.

The old trend of hiding Sangiovese's vibrancy and purity with more and more French oak (or worse, with the addition of French varietals) is slowing and reversing. And few estates can claim responsibility for this renaissance more than Fontodi, a bastion of organic farming and a champion of Sangiovese’s role as the grape of Chianti since they started releasing the 100% Sangiovese Flacianello in the early '80s. 

We were lucky enough to taste these newly released 2018s just this week, and they are great! 

2018 is the perfect vintage to appreciate Fontodi's magic. 

These are complete wines with driving acidity, pretty fruit complemented by floral notes, a finish that is both long and stony. They are also clearly wines of terroir. All three share not just the stony note but an underlying umami flavor (hints of mushroom or leather) that promises to dazzle after a few years of aging. 

Fontodi makes wine for drinking today, tomorrow, or two decades from now. The Chianti Classico is delicious right now--especially if you give it a few hours of air, and, if given the chance, pair it with a steak or maybe a red sauce dish.

But this Chianti Classico is also a no-brainer candidate for your Reasonable Cellar, with it's airy acidity and refined tannins. After a bit of time in the cellar, it always becomes more focused and more polished. The 2018 will pick up additional complexity and promises to be age wonderfully.

If we could travel in time, it would be so amazing to compare the recently released 2018s from Chianti to, say, a just-released village Chambolle from the 1989 vintage. With the stony limestone soils, the cool fresh evenings, and the high altitudes, there is bound to be a resemblance in the bursting red fruit and the glorious florality beneath that earthy Tuscan character.

But let’s not dwell on the past. Who knows, maybe thirty years from now we'll all be wistfully remembering this emerging golden age in Chianti?

To take fullest advantage of Fontodi's excellent 2018's we are offering the Chianti Classico to you at a discount, so you can drink a bottle or two now and stash a few for later. Just click the button below to order and use discount code FONTODI2018 for the deepest discount on 4 or more bottles.

Orders will be ready for pick up or delivery on Thursday, June 3rd.

Fontodi, Chianti Classico, 2018 

$44.99 $39.99 or $36.99 on 4+