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Investment Tips - Italy - 10. November 2021
Unfulfilled Potential In Flaccianello Della Pieve - Have We Found Another Bright Star?
Flaccianello della Pieve from Fontodi is too cheap. Have we found another Italian star here? Assess it yourself and see the performance of the latest Italian recommendations
As a wine-producing nation, Italy guarantees to deliver wine of sublime quality when you look at the top-shelf wines. But at the same time, the price is quite different from the comparable wines from France, for instance. We are certainly not the only ones to have woken up to this - the rest of the wine world is starting to do so as well.
Over the past year, we have put additional focus on these Italian value-for-money wines, and although it is in the long term that we see the absolute greatest potential, the handpicked investment cases in the overall perspective have already performed well. See which ones and how they have performed so far further down the article, but more importantly - with Fontodis Flaccianello della Pieve, we are now adding another one of these cases to the list and you can still join in.
The Path To Wine Fame Is Paved With Terracotta Tiles
Since 1968, the Fontodi estate has belonged to the Manetti family, from which formidable wines are produced. Fontodi is located in Tuscany in the heart of Chianti Classico - more precisely in the valley south of the town of Panzano. For centuries, the very characteristic terroir has been famous for its viticulture, which oozes quality.
In 1968, Dino Manetti acquired the Fontodi estate, which had consisted of vineyards since Roman times. In the 1970s, Manetti's first wines came on the market and already gained international recognition: especially for their Flaccianello della Pieve.
In fact, the Manetti family has not always been engaged in the art of winemaking, although they have achieved great worldwide recognition in this field. They have a strong connection with the Chianti region in particular, having been involved in the production of the world-famous terracotta tiles typical of the area since the 1600s.
Today, Dino's son Giovanni Manetti manages the business in close collaboration with his brother Marco and winemaker Franco Barnabei. Together, they create some of Tuscany's best wines. They have managed to transfer their passion for quality and respect for the area to their careful cultivation of the vineyards in the Panzano area. To the delight of wine lovers all over the world.
Flaccianello Della Pieve: The Flagship Wine From Fontodi
It is important for the Manetti family to maximise the property's internal resources to avoid relying on outside inputs. This is reflected in the fact that they do not use chemical products, but very much centre their wine production on a fundamental idea of sustainability and respect for nature.
Flaccianello della Pieve is their flagship wine, and it is referred to as one of the most successful Tuscan wines made from 100% sangiovese. Given that Tuscany is home to some of Italy's best wines, this reference is a massive stamp of quality. Flaccianello Pieve is produced on the absolute best and oldest vineyards of the estate. The grapes are carefully selected, hand-picked, and vinified according to all the rules of the art. The result is a Tuscan gem that impresses the critics.
The 2017 flagship wine Flaccianello della Pieve from Fontodi is a true value-vintage
Strong Potential In Value-Vintage
There is no doubt that Fontodi guarantees good wine. But looking across the main critics' scores at the flagship wine Flaccianello della Pieve, it is also clear that they make REALLY good wine - and the quality has been steadily increasing over recent years, with a few 100-point scores as a result.
But while 100-point wines are always interesting, we have identified strong potential in the 2017 vintage. The 2017 vintage, in fact, lies between the 2018 vintage that scored 100 points from Vinous and the 2016 that scored 100 points from both Wine Advocate and Vinous, and while all of Flaccianello della Pieve looks too cheap compared to the quality, there is strong value potential in the 2017 vintage. Because while a 2018 vintage currently costs in the region of €145* and a 2016 costs €200*, a 2017 vintage currently costs just €90*.
It is simply unsustainable that the 2018 and 2016 vintages are 61% and 122% more expensive than the 2017 vintage, respectively, when there is no greater difference in average score than there is. When the price difference is unsustainably high, and it is very unlikely that the price of the 2016 and 2018 vintages would drop, there is really only one thing that can be done to redress this disparity.
Check out the scores of the last three vintages of Flaccianello della Pieve here:
| Vintage | VI | WA | JS | AVG | Price* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 100 | 98 | 95 | 97,7 | €145 |
| 2017 | 97 | 96 | 95 | 96,0 | €90 |
| 2016 | 100 | 100 | 95 | 98,3 | €200 |
The Potential Of The Cheap Italians - How It Turned Out
As mentioned above, we have increased our focus on the Italian fine wines at the lower end of the market, which is due to the fact that there is often a very high level of quality at attractive prices, and this makes us see a great potential for the future. However, although it is in the long term that we see the great potential, many of them have already seen great price increases to the delight of the investors who acquired these cases.
This has been the case for the comparable cases we have recommended over the past year, all of which have been under administration for at least six months:
| Date of investment tip | Wine | Increase since recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| 10. July 2020 | 2015 Casanova di Neri Tenuta Nuova | 13,6% |
| 25. August 2020 | 2016 Vajra Barolo | 4,6% |
| 31. August 2020 | 2016 La Spinetta Starderi | 26,7% |
| 7. September 2020 | 2016 Chiara Boschis Barolo Mosconi | 5,5% |
| 20. November 2020 | 2015 Guado al Tasso | 11,4% |
| 26. April 2021 | 2016 Petrolo Galatrone | 9,4% |
| 12. April 2021 | 2019 Solengo | 0,0% |
| 8. March 2021 | 2016 Casanova di Neri Tenuta Nuova | 2,9% |
| 7. January 2021 | 2016 Argiano Brunello di Montalcino | 7,7% |
RareWine Invest's Opninion
With Fontodis Flaccianello della Pieve, we are now adding another attractive Italian case with tremendous value-for-money to the line-up of the above.
It is our clear opinion that Flaccianello della Pieve is generally underpriced in relation to quality, and in the case of the 2017 vintage, which is roughly half the price of the 2016 and 2018 vintages, there is increased potential. Because while it is highly unlikely that the two 100-point wines will drop in price, there is only one way to close the unsustainably high price gap and that is with price increases on the 2017 vintage.
Add to this the fact that in recent years, we have experienced a demand for the good Italian wines that has only steadily increased. You have a potential Italian star, which we expect to have a great future in a segment where extremely many wine lovers both can and will take part in. This makes mature versions of Flaccianello della Pieve particularly interesting and you now have the opportunity to introduce such a wine to the wine world in the future.
We recommend acting quickly, as the quantities available are limited.
Invest In 2017 Fontodis Flaccianello della Pieve
Contact us via the contact form at the bottom of the page if you want to know more about your investment options or order the wines directly through the form.
| VINTAGE | WINE | VOL | PACKING | PRICE/BTL.* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Fontodis Flaccianello della Pieve | 750 | OC6 | €90 |