San Felice

VINTAGE 2023

James Suckling – 90
Flavorful and expressive, this offers candied lemons, exotic fruit, spices and a hint of fresh honey. Medium-bodied and tense, with vivid acidity lifting the bright character of lemon-drops and spicy citrus peel. Drink now.

Wine Spectator – 89
An intense white, offering nectarine, ruby grapefruit and honeysuckle aromas and flavors. Balanced, with a light bitterness lifting the finish. Drink now. 1,200 cases made, 400 cases imported.

VINTAGE 2022

James Suckling – 89
This is juicy and savory with notes of candied citrus fruit, bruised apples and hints of caramel. Medium-bodied and dry, with fresh and vivid acidity and a polished texture. A little fluid at the end, but pretty and sleek overall. Drink now.

VINTAGE 2022

Gambero Rosso – 3 bicchieri

James Suckling – 91
A juicy, fresh and delicious red with aromas of plums, cherries and oranges. Medium-bodied, bright and lively. Why wait? Drink now.

Vinous – 92

Wine Advocate – 91
Here’s a new submission from San Felice that features an overhead map of the property on the front label. The 2022 Chianti Classico Borgo opens to a medium-dark garnet color that is characteristic of Sangiovese from a warm vintage. The wine’s bouquet is faithful to the variety, with aromas of wild cherry, potting soil, iris and blue flower at the back. Those aromas are delivered in a very clean and focused manner, followed by good acidity. It is accessible and pleasurable to drink, especially if a plate of pasta with meat ragù is what’s for dinner.

Wine Enthusiast – 92
Sanguine and floral with a delicate but persistent earthiness on the nose that offers aromas of cranberry, hibiscus, soil and coffee. That same mix of tart fruit and slightly bitter earth defines the palate, while lively acid washes over dusty tannins

Wine Spectator – 91
This broad, rich red exhibits cherry, raspberry, iron and wild herb flavors. Well-defined and firmly structured, with a fluid feel and outstanding length on the finish. Drink now through 2029. 5,000 cases made, 500 cases imported.

VINTAGE 2023

James Suckling – 90
Aromas of red and dark berries, dried flowers, subtle oak spices and hints of crushed herbs and stones. Medium-bodied with firm, slightly rough tannins. Flavorful and juicy with a savory edge. Drink now.

Wine Advocate – 90
The San Felice 2023 Chianti Classico is mostly Sangiovese with complementary grapes. It shows clean and punchy fruit with raspberry and wild cherry at the top. This is an easy wine to drink, and you could even serve it a few degrees cooler on a warm summer evening. Although this vintage is thinner than most, the wine is executed in a simple but very approachable style. Production is an ample 230,000 bottles with bigger formats.

Wine Spectator – 89
Lithe, succulent and focused, this red evokes tart cherry, currant, earth and flinty mineral flavors. Tightens up on the finish, with a chalky, sinewy feel. Sangiovese, Colorino and Pugnitello. Best from 2027 through 2032. 24,000 cases made, 9,000 cases imported. Drink now through 2027. 28,000 cases made, 9,000 cases imported.

VINTAGE 2022

Vinous – 90

Wine Enthusiast – 91
A cool earthiness defines the nose, with aromas of flint, wild herbs and tart blackberries, and then umami notes of mushroom and balsamic. The palate brings cherries and more berries, but dusty, chewy tannins and notable acid emphasize that flinty earthiness, which continues to anchor the wine.

Wine Spectator – 89
The fruit is a touch darker in this red, which offers black cherry and blackberry flavors, with accents of violet, earth and iron. Firm tannins infuse the finish, where echoes of the fruit persist. Sangiovese, Colorino and Pugnitello. Drink now through 2027. 28,000 cases made, 9,000 cases imported.

VINTAGE 2021

James Suckling – 90
A fresh and delicious Chianti Classico with a lightness and crunchiness. Sour cherries and light orange blossom. Light and pretty. Drink now.

Vinous – 90

Wine Advocate – 91
Made with 80% Sangiovese, 10% Colorino and 10% Pugnitello, the 2021 Chianti Classico proves to be a versatile wine and a fundamentally food-friendly choice with lots of purple and blue fruits with hints of fragrant wild rose. The wine supports medium weight and lots of fresh acidity to cut through cream or butter-based cooking ingredients. This is a huge production of half a million bottles.

Wine Enthusiast – 92
Cranberries, strawberries and orange peel with fennel and sage and a mineral edge of just crushed rock are on the nose and then are repeated on the palate, where they come together in an elegant balance against firm but polished tannins and vibrant acidity.

Wine Spectator – 88
Boasting bright black cherry, earth and underbrush flavors that course through, this red leans to the astringent side on the crisp finish. Sangiovese, Colorino and Pugnitello. Drink now through 2029. 41,700 cases made, 9,600 cases imported.

VINTAGE 2021

James Suckling – 92
This is bright and focused, with aromas of cherries, dried oranges and hints of hibiscus and mild spices. Medium-bodied, crunchy and fresh on the palate, with very fine tannins. Polished, with mineral notes of crushed stones and citrusy nuances at the end. Shows freshness and balance. Drink or hold.

Wine Spectator – 93
Offers cherry and plum fruit framed by earth, mineral and wild herb flavors. Poised between elegance and power, this red is beautifully balanced. Dusty tannins support the fruit on the long finish. Best from 2026 through 2042. 26,000 cases made, 4,000 cases imported.

VINTAGE 2020

James Suckling – 92
Aromas of black cherries, bark, and cedar follow through to a medium body, with firm and chewy tannins and a juicy finish. A little austere now but should come out nicely with a year or two of bottle age. Drink in late 2025 and onwards.

Wine Advocate – 92
Reverting to a spicy and savory taste profile, the 2020 Chianti Classico Riserva Il Grigio (with an ample 320,000 bottles made) shows a dark, mid-weight texture with extra heft that comes in the form of baked plum, candied cherry and spice. This is another good value wine from one of the most beautiful properties (and luxury hotels) in Italy.

Wine Enthusiast – 93
The warm, inviting, almost sensuous nose features abundant tar and gravel, along with succulent aromas of blood orange, blackberry and caramelized fennel. More dark berry notes emerge on the palate, before a bitter finish of citrus and dark chocolate. Sticky, dense tannins bind everything together.

VINTAGE 2021

Vinous – 92+

James Suckling – 93
This is a very attractive, rather elegant Chianti, polished and even on the palate. It offers notes of cherries, raspberries, orange peel, cured meat and toasted almonds. Medium- to full-bodied with very fine, juicy, polished tannins. Drink or hold.

Wine Advocate – 93
Here is another new sample from San Felice. The 2021 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione La Pieve is a concentrated expression of Sangiovese with more evident oak tones of spice and sweet smoke. This pretty Tuscan red offers a big sense of fruit weight and overall richness compared to the estate’s Chianti Classico Borgo. That added intensity gives this wine the latitude to pair with grilled meat. The wine closes with sweetness that comes from both the oak and the ripeness of the fruit. This vintage delivers noteworthy balance and elegance.

Wine Spectator – 92
A focused red, full of intense flavors of cherry, raspberry, pomegranate, iron and wild herbs, this is also fluid, adding light touches of new oak and ending with a salty finish. Best from 2026 through 2040. 1,200 cases made.

VINTAGE 2020

James Suckling – 94
A solid, dense and flavorful gran selezione with notes of dark cherries, blackberries, sweet spices and wafers on the nose. It’s full-bodied with fine, firm tannins. Juicy and lively, with a crunchy and pulpy character on the mid-palate. Tactile and full of verve, with a long, compact, flavorful finish. Try from 2025.

Vinous – 94

Wine Advocate – 92
Now showing its UGA subzone on the front label, the San Felice 2020 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Castelnuovo Berardenga Poggio Rosso (packaged in a heavy glass bottle) is very oak-driven and concentrated. This powerful wine is capped by a 15% alcohol content from a hot vintage with spicy aromas of cedarwood, dark plum and cherry confit. The wine sports broad shoulders and considerable fruit weight with extra grip and texture in terms of mouthfeel. You get a lot of muscle in this bottle, but ultimately, you don’t get the streamlined elegance of the La Pieve from the classic 2021 vintage.

Wine Spectator – 93
Resin, earth and chestnut notes frame a core of cherry, strawberry and wild herbs in this intense red. Flirts with rusticity, showing a light astringency, yet finds its equilibrium and remains focused on the fruit in the end, where iron and tobacco accents reside. Best from 2026 through 2040. 667 cases made, 200 cases imported.

VINTAGE 2019

James Suckling – 94
Sour cherries, cigars, walnuts and hints of aniseed on the nose, following through to a medium- to full-bodied and flavorful palate. Nicely framed by fine tannins. I like the spiciness on the long, delicious finish. Drink or hold.

Vinous – 94

VINTAGE 2021

James Suckling – 93
A savory and flavorful red that has aromas of olives, cherries, sandalwood, chocolate and oranges. It’s medium- to full-bodied with juicy and nicely creamy tannins that are well integrated. Long and fleshy finish. Drink now or hold.

Vinous – 94

Wine Spectator – 90
A well of dark cherry, plum, iron and earth flavors is focused by vibrant acidity in this red. A hard edge of tannins lends a rustic feel. This is balanced and spicy, if not that complex, with a grainy finish. Drink now through 2028. 550 cases made, 105 cases imported.

VINTAGE 2020

James Suckling – 94
A fresh and complex nose showing a fine, spicy facade with its grilled herbs and intense berry and cherry fruit. Just a hint of vanilla. Tight and full-bodied on the palate with fresh, vertical tannins tapping into a long and succulent finish. A pugnitello that has a lot to offer. Drink or hold.

Vinous – 94

Wine Advocate – 93
Packaged in a chunky glass bottle, the San Felice 2020 Pugnitello (with 6,000 bottles made) reveals an inky dark appearance and blackish color. That richness is a quality always associated with this little-known Tuscan grape whose name translates into English as “little fist.” That gives you an idea of the tightness and density obtained with Pugnitello. This little fist does pack a punch with black cherry, spice and sweet cinnamon. This hot-vintage release is a little soft on the mid-palate.

Wine Enthusiast – 93
The nose starts gently floral, with aromas of vanilla, cherry and roses, then turns warm and savory with notes of soil, balsamic, coffee and tar. On the palate, a smear of raspberry underscores the cherry element, with dark chocolate and coffee for balance. Simultaneously friendly, warm and refined.

VINTAGE 2021

James Suckling – 93
Rich and complex yet bright, showing dark cherries, blackberries and hints of chocolate, spices and graphite on the nose. The medium- to full-bodied palate is tense but refined, with very fine tannins and a vertical line of vivid acidity. Focused and balanced. Sustainable. Drink or hold.

Wine Spectator – 93
This elegant red displays cherry, blackberry, plum, iron, earth and toasty oak flavors. Lively and fluid, with a sleek finish. Shows fine balance and length, plus a light dusting of tannins. Needs time to integrate fully. Pugnitello, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. Best from 2027 through 2042. 2,500 cases made, 500 cases imported.

VINTAGE 2020

James Suckling – 93
Bay leaf, vanilla, blackcurrant, dark chocolate and blueberry aromas follow through to a firm and structured palate. Full-bodied and sturdy, with excellent freshness. Drink from 2025.

Wine Spectator – 91
Feels light on its feet despite some density and burly tannins. Black cherry, blackberry and boysenberry fruit is shaded by earth, iron and wild herb notes, while the lively acidity keeps everything defined. Fine length. Pugnitello, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2038. 2,800 cases made, 700 cases imported.

VINTAGE 2019

James Suckling – 93
Aromas of black cherries and currants with licorice, walnut and dried leaves. Medium- to full-bodied with fine, polished tannins and bright acidity. Toned and focused with a fresh, juicy fruit character and firm, flavorful finish. Drink or hold.

Wine Advocate – 95
A blend of 35% Pugnitello, 30% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot, the San Felice 2019 Vigorello is another hit from this leading winery in Castelnuovo Berardenga. The wine reveals an inky dark appearance and a profound bouquet that goes beyond the standard black cherry and spice. This offering also brings on pretty tones of cola, crushed flower, grilled rosemary and sweet crème de cassis. There is freshness and grippy tannins to close. Production is 6,000 bottles.

Wine Spectator – 90
A bright, well-delineated red, this brings blackberry, pomegranate and cassis flavors to the table. Shows a spine of beefy tannins that underlie it all, while the finish picks up accents of spices and iron. Pugnitello, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. Best from 2025 through 2036. 3,300 cases made, 750 cases imported.tannins to close. Production is 6,000 bottles.