94 Wine Spectator Points, 93 James Suckling points, seriously complex, generous sumptuous style of Chianti Classico.
Ripe, opulent and spicy nose with complex aromas of violets, cassis, tobacco and liquorice. Full-bodied and richly flavoured - concentrated ripe plum and dried black fruit characters are enhanced by fine tannins, beautifully balanced acidity with a sour cherry twist, and well-integrated spicy oak. Will improve with cellaring of 5-10 years.
An outstanding Tuscan winery that has pioneered key developments in the Chianti Classico region for the last 40 years. Based in Castelnuovo Berardenga, around 30 miles south-east of Florence and at the southern end of the Chianti Classico zone, this reputable estate includes 140 hectares of vineyard, a cellar, around 17,000 olive trees, and a village with a prestigious hotel complex. Winemaker Leonardo Bellaccini crafts a portfolio of wines which is highly regarded and multi award-winning - classic expressions of high quality Sangiovese. This is a pioneering winery - producing the fore-runner to the Supertuscans, Vigorello (the first wine in the Chianti Classico region produced using solely red grapes) in the late 1960s. This was followed by the introduction of Poggio Rosso in the 1970s (the first example of a Chianti Classico 'Cru'), and then by its partnership with the Universities of Florence and Pisa in the 1980s. At a time when other estates were focusing on international varieties, this partnership led to the development of its Vitiarium, or experimental vineyard, where it has cultivated and studied indigenous grape varieties (such as Pugnitello) for over 30 years. San Felice was also amongst the first Chianti Classico estates to produce a 'Gran Selezione' wine - a new classification introduced as the top quality tier for wines in the region - with the inaugural 2010 vintage. San Felice lies adjacent to its sister property, Villa la Pagliaia - and has an additional estate, Campogiovanni, in Montalcino.
The Sangiovese grapes were sourced from the Colti, Chiesamonti and Pianaccio vineyards. The additional indigenous grapes (Abrusco, Pugnitello, Malvasia Nera, Ciliegiolo and Mazzese) were sourced from the Montebello, Civettino, Le Rose, La Cappella and Camponovo vineyards. Average altitude of 400m.
After harvesting in the second week of October, each grape variety was fermented separately in stainless steel, followed by a 22-day maceration at 28-30 degrees C. After malolactic fermentation the wine was matured for 24 months - half in large 60-100hl Slavonian oak ovals and half in 225-500l French oak barriques. The wine was then held in bottle for a further 8 months before release.
Roast and / or grilled meats - or a bit of game if you're that way inclined. Either way it deserves to partner something truly tasty!
Wine Spectator 94 points, James Suckling 93 points
