Fattoria Le Fonti – Panzano is an organic estate located  in Panzano in Chianti in Greve-in-Chianti in the Chianti Classico DOCG region of Tuscany, Italy. (Another unconnected estate called Fattoria Le Fonti also exists and is located in Poggibonsi.) As well as Chianti Classico, red wines are also made under the Alta Valle della Greve denomination. (Another unconnected estate called Fattoria Le Fonti also exists and is located in Poggibonsi.)

Owner: Vicky Schmitt-Vitali. Her father bought the estate in 1994. ‘Organics was less well known then, and not much help was around. He did not use herbicides or weed killers but certain conventional treatments were done which we changed in 2004. For the longest time we did not go the last step towards certification since it is a jungle out there with different agencies of certificationWe finally got certified in 2014. (the usual 3 year conversion period was waived after they inspected the documents from the past 3 years, treatments and took soil samples),’ Vicky told me (email March 2017).

Staff: Stefano Chioccioli has consulted here.

Terroir: The estate is located just below Panzano’s church, at 450 m above sea level. Halfway between Florence and Siena, in the heart of the Chianti Classico region, lies the small village of Panzano.

Vineyards: The estate extends over 15 hectares (37 acres). 8.5 hectares (21 acres) are vineyards and the rest olive groves. 85% Sangiovese, with the remainder equally divided between Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. The vineyards were replanted from 1994. Le Fonti’s vineyards are situated just below the village of Panzano, resembling a horseshoe-shape around the winery. The vineyards are planted on a mixed soil of gravel, schist, limestone, sand and clay – a soil mixture also known as Galestro. The Merlot vineyard, for example, is in a place where we used to have Sangiovese but due to the high content of clay and sand this soil made the growing of Sangiovese often difficult and the grapes suffered especially after heavy rains. For the Merlot in the same spot these problems are almost non-existent and it proved to be an excellent choice to let nature help itself.

Organics: 2014 First vintage with full organic certification (ICEA).

Production: About 40,000 bottles or 3300 cases a year.

Red wines

Alta Valle della Greve, Fontissimo: 2015 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot. 24m in 225-litre barrels. 24m in barrel. Solid, a bit too dense, needs time (2019 Anteprima).

Toscana Rosso IGT, Vigna delle Lepre:

Chianti Classico DOCG, Le Fonti: 2016 90% Sangiovese, 6% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Sauvignon. 20,000 bottles. Fluid style (2019 Anteprima).

Chianti Classico DOCG Riserva, Le Fonti: 2015 9% Sangiovese, 5% each Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Chianti Classico DOCG Gran Selezione, Le Fonti: 2015 100% Sangiovese. Nice fruit, decent fruit tannins, strong enough to handle the oak (2019 Anteprima).

Toscana Rosso, Vito Arturo: The two-hectare Vito Arturo vineyard was the first to be replanted in 1991.

Contact

Fattoria Le Fonti–Panzano

Via Case Sparse

50022 Panzano in Chianti (SI), Italy

Tel+39 055.852194 | Website: www.fattorialefonti.it

GPS: 43°32’52” N, 11°18’50” E