Matthew Cohen

9.2

Nose: white flowers.

Palate: almost grunery. Wooly? Good fruit. Mineral. Well made.

Source — a month ago

Jay Kline

9.4

This is my 3000th tasting note on Delectable so I suppose I should celebrate by opening something fun. Flaccianello? Ovviamente!

While it’s labeled an IGT and colloquially considered a Super Tuscan, Flaccianello delle Pieve could legally be labeled as a Chianti Classico Riserva. However, Giovanni Manetti of Azienda Agricola Fontodi opts not to do so (despite the fact that he’s the current Chairman of the Conzorsio). The name, “Flaccianello delle Pieve” comes from the eponymous single-vineyard; the original source of grapes. However, around the turn of the millennium, Flaccianello became a blend of Fontodi’s best fruit throughout the estate. Over all the years, despite the changes in fruit source and aging regimen, Flaccianello remains 100% Sangiovese and 100% Panzano in Chianti.

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of a couple of hours. The 2011 pours a deep, translucent garnet with a near opaque core; medium+ viscosity with moderate staining of the tears and some signs of sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous with notes of ripe and dried Morello cherry, raspberries, red flowers, leather, mushrooms, cigar box, menthol, organic earth and wonderful fine baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acidity. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long, delicious and warming as the alcohol is pretty elevated. But whoa…what a beauty.

Okay, yeah…this is a modern take on Chianti Classico but my goodness, this is undeniably delicious and unabashedly Italian. Back in 2011, Flaccianello was aged in a combination of barriques from Troncais and Allier, all 100% new; an era that was arguably the most modern for this wine. Over the last 10 or so years however, there has been a shift towards less time in new barrique and large casks have now been introduced for the last six months of cellar aging. While I look forward to trying some of these more contemporary examples, I am very impressed with this 2011 and expect it will continue to show well through 2035. — 4 months ago

Stephen Redenbaugh

9.3

Bottle two…and delightful… juicy, ripe Bartlett Pear and Golden Delicious apple with a balanced complexity that just keeps pumping out the flavor. Getting harder to source but still one of my preferred house pours. Playoff football, simple oven roasted chicken breasts, Amish noodles dripping in chicken jus, and honey basted carrots…pure winter comfort supper. Go Chiefs! — 2 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.3

See several previous Delectable notes on this wine and vintage. A pale crimson colour with tawny garnet shades. Aromatics of red fruits (strawberry) and Sous Bois on the nose. It may be pale in colour but carries a Medium plus palate intensity of good length. A very good 2nd wine from Bell Hill from the Canterbury district (just to the north of Christchurch) which deserves more recognition as a source of high quality Pinot Noir. Also referred to as the Waipara District. — 2 months ago

John Willison

9.1

Burgundian. Aged in Austrian oak. — 8 months ago

Shay A

9.7

Drinking at the source…Les Avises restaurant at Jacques Selosse. Home for the weekend at Hoteles Avises.

Bucket list wine for me and it lived up to the hype. I love the Selosse champagnes for their oxidative profile and was curious how a rosé would drink made in that same manner…just a hint of sherry in the glass before an absolute tidal wave of flavor and power. Dried apricot, plum, cranberry and orange marmalade out of the gate. There is a sweet/savory roller coaster showing red flowers and shortbread before a pink sea salt and truffle spice arrives. Texturally, it’s commanding but so cerbreal. If you enjoy Egly Ouriet’s rosé, imagine more depth and complexity and you’ve got it. Stunning rosé and the best rosé champagne I’ve had. — a year ago

Lauren Saunders

9.0

Good, light, dry rose — 2 years ago

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9.4

A smoky blend of crushed raspberries, sage, cola and crushed stones creates a seductive bouquet as the 2019 Pinot Noir La Source comes to life in the glass. This is soft yet lifted in feel, with tart red and blue fruits that swirl throughout as violet inner florals resonate toward the close. The 2019 finishes perfumed and long with an air of lavender and a tart blackberry twang that lingers over a bed of well-rounded tannins. This is the first vintage in which Sashi Moorman was entirely happy with the structural balance achieved in the Pinot Noir La Source. I must admit, it's a compelling wine. (Eric Guido, Vinous, August 2024)
— 4 months ago

Daniel M

9.2

Opened yesterday, drank over 2 days.
The nose is very fruity and intense with dark cherry touches, earthy notes, some raspberry and blackberry scents too. I could even smell some peony notes too. This is really inviting. The palate is wide and long and quite complex. A good acid drive, some dark cherry notes all along, some very soft and easy going mouthfeel that is changing in mid palate with a great tannic wall, which adds a layer of dust over an otherwise quite juicy and fruity finish. In the back-end though, there is a tiny savoury note that pops along with a subtle bitterness. This is really my kind of cab franc. Really good stuff! — 9 months ago

MaJ CappS

9.1

A Gary Larson cartoon comes to mind: Where smoked meat comes from - showing a cigarette smoking cow behind a barn.
This type of flavor from a good Rhone Syrah used to be common. Smelling this in a Wash state wine is amazing. Needs to be cellar temp for sure - lovely compote, blackberry nectar, a necco wafer, light tannin, yet mouth filling sweet tart acidity.
Reminds me of those old school wines of yore. — 2 years ago