I Fabbri is located in Lamole, which has long been known for its high-altitude vineyards, and the vines that go into I Fabbri's Chianti Classico 'Lamole' can lay claim to being the highest in all of Chianti Classico, that is up to 630 meters. Agriculture at I Fabbri has been organic since the winery was founded in 2000, and certification came in 2011. More recently, the Grassi family is employing biodynamic methods. In the winery things are kept simple, with minimal intervention before bottling. The Chianti Classico 'Lamole' is aged exclusively in concrete tanks and bottled with minimum effective sulfur. The point is to deliver the maximum expression of their distinctive high-altitude Sangiovese, and believe me, it works.
I haven't skipped a vintage of I Fabbri Chianti Classico since first tasting it several years ago. It simply one of the most underrated wines in all of Italy, and as long as it's in stock, it's at Craft and Cru. We always get excited about new arrivals from I Fabbri, but the 2019 has been highly anticipated, and the first taste did not disappoint. More concentrated and textured than usual, it is still the lively beauty I have grown to love, but is also the best vintage I've tasted. I'm quite confident it will be worth following many years.
I Fabbri Chianti Classico 'Lamole' 2019 - $23
100% Sangiovese. Give this a couple hours of air and it opens up to aromas of fresh crunchy stone fruits (mainly dark cherry and plum), macerated strawberry, rust, leather, rosehips, fennel, dried herbs... on the palate the fruit is deeper, and a nice inner perfume of licorice and sweet almond lends graciousness, but there's also intense acid cut and assertive tannins, though not a ton of them. A gush of tart juicy fruit keeps things going on the finish, while subdued earthy, herbal and spicy notes indicate that this should get more interesting. It will always be brisk and tense (that is to be expected from I Fabbri) but it should soften a bit with time.
Buy 6 bottles and we'll make it $19.55 net per bottle (15% off). Please send an email to orders@craftandcru.com to place your orders or inquiries.