"Intense aromas of roasted coffee, dates, dried figs, and honey. Richly flavoured and extraordinarily complex with layers of both sweet and savoury characters - walnut, treacle, honey and smoky notes combined with concentrated dried fruits. Heady and ethereal, yet retaining freshness and vibrancy. The classic "vino da meditazione", for sipping at meal's end with petit fours and semi-sweet chocolate cakes. Trebbiano 75%, Malvasia 25%"
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.
Vin Santo is a traditional style of Italian dessert wine that can range from almost dry to sweet and luscious. This rare and fine example of the latter style, is sourced from a single vineyard.
Grapes are sourced form the 2 hectare Il Vignone vineyard, at 350-400m above sea level. The grape bunches are picked and laid out to dry on mats called 'paglie'. They are pressed in December / January. The must ferments then age 7-8 years in small 225l French oak caratelli, followed by a further 12 months in bottle.
