This 2006 Fontodi Flaccinello della Pieve starts off with polish, tar, and cherry aromas while on the palate it has an attractive tangy, bright acidity followed by salty, savory flavors. The cherry fruit has a cool, slight green, tart cherry note, and a firmness to the tannins. The 2006 vintage had big diurnal shifts in temperature which is usually a very good thing in terms of fruit and flavor accumulation, but this wine feels a little less ripe than I was expecting. I am not sure it will ever entirely come round but time will tell. Nevertheless, it is a characterful example of its time.

The 2006 Flaccianello della Pieve is monumental, as it has been since the very beginning. Smoke, black cherries, plums, incense, licorice and tar are some of the many notes that burst from the glass in this powerful wine. The 2006 has fruit and structure to burn. It is going to be an absolutely fabulous wine to follow over the coming years, but patience is key. A huge, explosive finish rounds things out in style.