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The historic San Felice Wine Estate is located in the heart of Chianti Classico in the commune of Castelnuovo Berardenga in Tuscany, Italy. The estate covers an area of more than 650 hectares. There are 150 hectares of wine vineyards, 80% of which is devoted to Sangiovese, the heart of their production. Their presence extends to the prestigious terroirs of Montalcino and Bolgheri as well. San Felice has approximately 17,000 olive trees, experimental plantations, and a hotel complex.  Photo courtesy of San Felice Known for its innovation and research to rejuvenate and preserve nearly extinct ancient Tuscan grape varieties, San Felice has launched its new Vitiarium Collection. Vitiarium is a botanical Latin word, when translated to English, means “a nursery for vines - a work in progress." To quote San Felice, “This new line marks the beginning of a fresh chapter in a legacy that continues to evolve, accelerating the trajectory of this true icon of Tuscan wine. This journey now takes on a new identity: Vitiarium, a name that speaks to deep roots—those reaching back to the early 1980s, when ancient native grape varieties, nearly lost to time, were rediscovered and revived. The idea of preserving a forgotten heritage gave rise to an experimental vineyard dedicated to safeguarding Tuscan viticultural biodiversity, from which this new line draws its name. The collection includes Borgo Chianti Classico DOCG, Pugnitello Toscana IGT, In Avane Toscana IGT (a white wine), and La Pieve Chianti Classico DOCG Gran Selezione—each an authentic expression of a land where tradition and innovation meet.”  Photo courtesy of San Felice Over the past several years, I have tasted and reviewed a selection of San Felice wines from their three Tuscan estates. They are all noteworthy wines, as are the following four new labels from the Vitiarium Collection.  Photo credit: Penny Weiss In Avane Chardonnay Toscana IGT 2023 The name “In Avane” comes from “Avenal,” the Etruscan name of the area, which encloses a trace of the ancient culture present in the territory of San Felice. The grapes for this Chardonnay are hand-harvested from the San Felice vineyard and fermented mostly in stainless steel and partly in oak barrels. It is then bottle-aged for a few months.  Photo credit: Penny Weiss Nose: Beautiful floral and citrus aromas with a slight hint of vanilla. Palate: White peaches, fresh acidity, and a surprisingly long finish with citrus and melon teasing the palate. Alcohol: 12.5% SRP: $33 Pairing suggestions: Enjoy as an aperitif or serve with appetizers, salads, seafood, and grilled chicken. Borgo Chianti Classico DOCG 2022 San Felice said, “Chianti Classico with a character that embodies the soul of San Felice. Sangiovese and Pugnitello come together to create a fragrant and vibrant wine, a faithful and authentic representation of our distinctive terroir.” The blend is primarily Sangiovese with a bit of Pugnitello. Grapes were vinified separately in stainless steel for two weeks and then aged for about 12 months in large Slavonian oak barrels before bottling.  Photo credit: Penny Weiss Nose: Floral notes, fresh dark fruit, berries, baking spice, and a touch of earth. Palate: Aromas spill onto the palate with cherry and forest floor. Spice and earth linger on the finish. Balanced, smooth and juicy! Alcohol: 13.5% SRP: $33 Pairing suggestions: Grilled meat, seared tuna, mushroom risotto, pizza, or hearty soups and stews. La Pieve Chianti Classico Gran Selezione DOCG 2021 From San Felice, “La Pieve Gran Selezione expresses the essence of San Felice's Chianti Classico. The Sangiovese, harvested from the finest company vineyards and vinified with care, produces a wine that represents the highest expression of the terroir. This is in line with San Felice's production philosophy, which has always sought to interpret the land through native grape varieties.” The predominant grape for this wine is Sangiovese, along with other native grapes. Fermentation occurs in steel tanks for 22 days, then malolactic fermentation and aging in wood for 24 months. It is bottle-aged for eight months before release.  Photo credit: Penny Weiss Nose: Floral notes of violet, dense red fruit, dark cherry, baking spice, anise, and cherry tobacco. Palate: Well-structured and silky smooth with aromas segueing onto the palate with dark cherry, vanilla, and hints of licorice lingering on a long finish. Alcohol: 14% SRP: $50 Pairing suggestions: Enjoy with a charcuterie board, roasted meats, stews, game, and Pappardelle al Cinghiale. Pugnitello Toscana IGT 2021 From San Felice, “Pugnitello is an ancient Tuscan native grape variety, whose name (little fist) refers to the shape of its cluster. Following its rediscovery, it has been researched in collaboration with the universities of Florence and Pisa in San Felice’s experimental vineyard. This wine is the fruit of 20 years of study and experimentation focused on saving native Tuscan grapes from extinction. Pugnitello is noteworthy for its distinctive characteristics, smoothness, and full-bodied concentration.” This 100% Pugnitello was fermented on the skins for 20 to 25 days, followed by malolactic fermentation, and then aged for 18 to 20 months in French oak barriques, followed by eight months of bottle aging.  Photo credit: Penny Weiss Nose: Jammy-rich fruit and lots of baking spice, especially cinnamon and clove. Earthy with deeper notes of dark berries and plum.
Palate: Beautifully rich, fruity, and smooth, with a sweet and savory dance. Perfectly balanced and well-structured. Hints of cherry, plum, cocoa, cedar, and smokey notes do a sexy tango on the palate. Run, don’t walk to scoop this one up. Alcohol: 13.5% SRP: $69 Pairing suggestions: Roasted and seared meats, hearty stews, game, fowl, and mushroom risotto. With Memorial Day weekend in full swing, these wines will pair with beach sunsets, BBQs, outdoor and indoor dinners, or relaxing with a good book or movie. And, of course, they are perfect to sip all year long! Until next time, Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at [email protected]  It was a great weekend, even though it was incredibly hot outside. We cooled off in the nearest body of water as often as possible and stayed hydrated with water during the day. However, we treated ourselves to aperitifs and wine with dinner at night. By the way, the strawberry was scrumptiously infused with the Lillet and heavenly to eat! I reviewed this wine a few days ago. http://thewineknitter.com/1/post/2016/07/day-489.html  The other evening I opened a bottle of 2011 D'Isanto & D'Isanto I Balzini Black Label Colli della Toscana Centrale IGT. I have written about this wine on more than one occasion on my blog. My last review of it was this past November. “Made with a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, this bold wine was the color of deep purple. Aromas of dark berries, spice and cocoa were present. A quick sip and swirl upon opening, told me this was going to be a treat. The wine had a rich mouthfeel with concentrated berries, dark cherry, plum, licorice and dark chocolate on the palate. As the wine opened over the course of the evening the flavors became more intense. The tannins were soft and the finish was long with cherry and pepper lingering.” This vintage is very consistent, having had a few bottles of the 2011 over the course of 2 years. You can read more about their White and Red Label on previous posts: Day 347 9/22/15 and Day 230 3/19/15. http://www.ibalzini.it  It’s time to head outdoors and enjoy a swim!
Enjoy your Sunday! Cheers! Penina It was a long but productive Wednesday. I managed to squeeze in a photo shoot, meet with clients and write a story. By the time I got home it was dark…and not even 6:00 pm yet! Ugh!  While waiting for my dinner guest to arrive, I opened a bottle of 2011 D'Isanto & D'Isanto I Balzini Black Label Colli della Toscana Centrale IGT. After having tried and reviewed their White and Red Label, I was anxious to finally taste the Black Label. Made with a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, this bold wine was the color of deep purple. Aromas of dark berries, spice and cocoa were present. A quick sip and swirl upon opening, told me this was going to be a treat. The wine had a rich mouthfeel with concentrated berries, dark cherry, plum, licorice and dark chocolate on the palate. As the wine opened over the course of the evening the flavors became more intense. The tannins were soft and the finish was long with cherry and pepper lingering. I think the Black Label is my favorite so far! You can read more about these wines on my previous posts: Day 347 9/22/15 and Day 230 3/19/15. http://www.ibalzini.it  In anticipation of traveling a lot over the next few months, I finally got my flu shot this week. If you plan to travel by plane, subway, train, etc., I would suggest protecting yourself, by getting a flu shot soon!
Happy Thursday! Cheers! Penina  It’s a lovely day…and technically, the last day of summer! I’m not ready to put away the sundresses and sandals quite yet. However, the leaves on the trees are starting their transformation and my hummingbirds are getting ready for their journey south.  Yesterday, a friend came over for a quick “autumn” lunch of homemade soup and bread. We opened a bottle of 2008 D'Isanto & D'Isanto I Balzini White Label Colli della Toscana Centrale IGT. We each had a glass to toast our friendship. I never tire of this wine and have reviewed and discussed it a few times over the course of a year.  Antonella and her husband Vincenzo D’Isanto founded the estate that is located just outside the boundary of Chianti Classico. All their wines are named after a color and labeled red, white, black, green and pink. I have not tried nor do I have the Green or Pink Label yet. But I did review the Red Label about a year ago and I have a few bottles of the Black label waiting to be opened.
http://www.ibalzini.it I look forward to sharing the rest of the I Balzini White Label tonight! Happy Tuesday! Cheers! Penina  Tuesday was a beautiful day and what better way to spend it than touring Italy. Our kick off point was the trendy Bowery Hotel in NYC. This small boutique hotel located in the East Village was the perfect setting for the Kobrand Tour d’ Italia 2015 wine event.  The first stop on this eight-city tour was Risano and Spessa di Capriva in the Friuli Grave and Collio Goriziano D.O.C. zones. I met with Roberto Pighin, the owner of Fernando Pighin & Figli. He has been part of the family winery since he was a child. He is passionate about his wine and took great pride in discussing the production of the Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc. The Pinot Grigio Friuli Grave was sweet with fruit and quite lively, as compared to the Pinot Grigio Collio that was more intense with citrus and less fruit. The Sauvignon Blanc Friuli Grave was grassy, mild and very pleasant. http://www.pighin.com  My next stop was the estate of Tenuta San Guido located in the D.O.C. Bolgheri in Tuscany. Colleen McKettrick, the Brand Ambassador, greeted me. It is no secret that Sassicaia is a favorite of mine. And, it is also the first Super Tuscan to be released in 1968. So it was with great pleasure that I tasted some excellent wines. The 2012 Sassicaia was rich with dark fruit, spices and was quite robust. Colleen poured me a special taste of the 2004 Guidalberto and 2006 Sassicaia that were pure velvet! The 2013 Guidalberto Toscana IGT is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. It was well-balanced with dark fruit and a velvet texture. The 2013 Le Difese Toscana IGT is a mini Super Tuscan made with Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese, sharing a pedigree with Sassicaia. The fruit is picked from younger vines and is easy to drink. http://www.tenutasanguido.com Agricola Punica, founded in 2002, is located in Sardinia, a large island in the Mediterranean Sea. Sebastiano Rosa (Principle) and his son led me on a guided tour of their wines. We started with the Samas, made with Vermentino and Chardonnay grapes. It was quite refreshing and light with lots of citrus. I also tried Montessu, 2013 and Barrua, 2012, both made with the Carignano grape which is one of three main grapes planted in Sardinia. The Montessu was layered with fruit & spices and called “Super Sardinian” The Barrua was more robust and full-bodied. I’ll have to come back to this island! http://www.agripunica.it/ I found myself back in Tuscany again tasting wines from Tenuta Sette Ponti owned by Giovanna Moretti and her brother Antonio Moretti who also own Feudo Maccari in Sicily. Their Tuscan wines are eclectic and there were many to sample. The newest wine is Vigna del Impero made with 100% Sangiovese. Planted in 1935, Imperno is one of Tuscany’s oldest vineyards. The wine was rich with fruit, spice and medium tannins. I made a quick stop in Sicily to taste Grillo, Sicilia IGP 2014. Aged in steel tanks, this full-bodied wine was floral scented, with citrus and stone fruit on the palate. Did you know that the Grillo grape is most famous for its role in making Marsala wines? http://www.tenutasetteponti.it Tenute Silvio Nardi, located in Tuscany is owned and operated by Emilia Nardi. They are one of the founding families of the Brunello Consortium. The wines are made with 100% Sangiovese. I tasted the 2005 and 2010 Brunello. The 2005 Brunello was high in tannins and more “chewy”. I preferred the 2010 Brunello having softer tannins that allowed the fruit, licorice and spices to dominate. I then tried the 2006 and 2010 Manachiara Brunello. Although the 2006 was bright and robust, the 2010 was smoother and more complex. http://www.tenutenardi.com So, this is where the first leg of my trip ends. Tomorrow I will continue on to Veneto, Piedmont and then back to Tuscany. Until then…  Saluti!
Penina  Wednesday turned out to be a long day of “catch up” at work and dealing with a myriad of personalities.  So, it was a welcome treat to go out for a peaceful dinner and glass of wine with a friend. That’s right…no bottle ordered!  I had a glass of Banfi Centine Toscana 2009. The grapes were Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The color was ruby with a lovely nose of dark cherries, spices and floral. The flavors were intense with lots of berries, plum and a touch of spice. This was an easy drinking wine with soft tannins and a nice finish. http://castellobanfi.com/ I have a busy day ahead, but I’ll be dining and wining tonight…hoping to open something big!
Have a great Thursday! Cheers! Penina |
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