2010 Fattoria di Fèlsina Berardenga Fontalloro - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT (2/19/2019)
Bright red fruit, perfect balance and good, firm acidity give me exactly what I am looking for from this wine. It’s a little more stylish than the Rancia, but not polished to a fine sheen. Delicious with food and on its own. Drink now and for many more years.
Posted from CellarTracker
Thanks for note David, over the years I think I have learned I prefer in order: Rancia, CC Riserva, then Fontalloro third followed by Chianti Classico.
have you ever tried the Colonia?
I haven’t but for the price I’d rather have multiples of the above. I’d try it once to see what it’s about, but I can’t recall ever seeing it in a wineshop in WA.
I’ve had my eye on one because Vinopolis has a couple back vintage and ill be right down the street from them when I visit Portland in a month or so… but I agree its hard to say it could be twice as enjoyable as the Rancia to justify the price jump.
…or 6 Chianti Classico Riserva or 9 Chianti Classico…
I had the ‘11 Fontalloro about 1.5 years ago and it was full of unresolved barrel spice and tobacco. Definitely needed more time, but it seemed overdone for my palate, so glad to see this vintage coming around.
Colonia was the only felsina wine I thought was a real dud the one time I’ve tried it. I love the straight Chianti Riserva however, that’s a stunning good deal for under 30$
I had the ‘07 Fontalloro in a tasting of 8 well regarded 2007 Tuscan reds last month, and I was surprised how good it was. It was one of the more popular wines on the table that night, besting Percarlo, Vigne del Sorbo, and some other nice bottles. Having had a number of earlier vintages, I didn’t really expect it to deliver the way it did.
I’m curious to try some more recent vintages once they get some time in the cellar, to find out if the ‘07 was unique or if the style of the wine has become more to my liking.
Slightly off topic but I tasted the 2016 normale recently and was very impressed. Amongst the best CC I had. And I had many.
Good to hear, Jürgen, thanks for the tip. I’ll be sure to pick some up.
On a recent trip to Torino (I go there for work) I was able to try current vintages of all four wines (not the Colonia) over a two day period. My least favorite was the CCR.
Rancia is still my favorite of the four.
Great note. I have always found this wine can be drunk with under 10 years of age and drink well. I have never had one with 15 plus. Anyone try these with some more age?
David what vintage was the CCR? 15?
2013
I bet when I go back next month the 2015 will be available.
I’ve never been much of a fan of the CCR, even back into the 1990s.
Interesting. I haven’t opened a bottle of the 15 CCR yet, but I really like the 13. So much so, I bought two cases, and I never do that. Part of that was knowing that 2014 might not be very good, or even be made. This is my house Italian red.
My house “Italian” red is Idlewild The Bird. 
CC and CCR are mostly so cheap that it seems awkward to settle for the lesser options. Rancia is house wine here
Even for a CHIANTI CLASSICO GRAN SELEZIONE the Colonia is prohibitively expensive
The 07 Fontalloro was way too oaky for my tastes on release, but maybe these just need time to integrate.
I had the 95 Fontalloro in 2017 and loved it. My favorite bottle of Felsina ever.
One a side note, how are the 04 and 06 Rancia drinking these days? They were so tannic for long enough that about 5-6 years ago I moved them to the fuggetaboutit corner of the cellar.
I wish I knew how the 2004 Rancia was doing. I bought bottles on release from two different east coast sources, and they were all heat damaged.