“Wine was born, not invented … like an old friend, it continues to surprise us in new and unexpected ways.”

- Dr. Salvatore P. Lucia, quoted in Bottled Wisdom, compiled and edited by Mark Pollman, 1998.

Most wine lovers have tried Chianti, from the simple wines that resemble Pinot Noir in color to some of Italy's greatest wines, Chianti probably differs in style more than any other DOCG wine from Tuscany. 

My favorite examples of Chianti and Chianti Classico or Chianti Classico Riserva are Sangiovese 100% varietal wines like the wines of Fattoria Felsina.  This is a winery that we have followed for many years and we have sent many of our Wine Drinking People to Felsina Winery in Tuscany and many have come back lifelong fans and ambassadors for this incredible producer.

We have an incredible selection of this producers wine on the table on Tuesday May 31st with our Special Guest Andrea Bonivento from Felsina.  He will guide us through this tasting featuring a dozen wines going back to the outstanding 1988 vintage.  Is there Chianti that can age for 30 years?  These wines will change your perception of Chianti and then there is the Supertuscan Fontalloro, this is an amazing line-up and the five course dinner that Chef Oliver Saucy is making is reason enough to pay $125 + tax and gratuity for this event.  There are only 24 seats available for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com

Felsina Dinner at Cafe Maxx

with special Guest Andrea Bonivento

Tuesday, May 31st
7:00pm

Pass arounds
Mango and vanilla grilled shrimp
Sea scallop and papaya poke
Sweet jerked breast of Bell & Evans chicken

2013 Felsina Chardonnay I Sistri               
                                               
Straw-yellow color. On the nose characteristics of tropical fruit and peach with pleasant hints of spice and well-integrated vanilla. The palate is full and slightly creamy with an elegant and well-balanced structure to ensure better acidity and a fresh flavor.

First Course
Black Sambucca smoked breast of Magret duck, macerated cherries in red wine with charred herbs, sour dough crostini, grilled frisse and shaved Reggiano

2013 Felsina Chianti Classico     
Price: $27.75       Sale $24.42          Case $284

(92 Points) "A super refined wine with sliced berry plus hints of cedar and vanilla. Full-bodied, bright and crisp; lovely finish." James Suckling

2011 Felsina Chianti Classico Riserva                                     
Price: $33.75       Sale $29.70          Case $345

(93 Points) "Dark red cherries, plums, grilled herbs, tobacco, smoke and anise meld together in the 2011 Chianti Classico Riserva. Silky layers provide the backdrop for a core of rich, explosive fruit. Even with all of its richness, the 2011 needs more time in bottle to fully blossom. Today, the 2011 Riserva is uncharacteristically closed for the year, but that is a great sign for the future." Vinous / Antonio Galloni

Second Course
Baked and stuffed cannelloni Bolognese with molten Fontina, roasted garlic basil ricotta and plum tomato basil sauce

2011 Felsina Chianti Rancia Classico Riserva       
Price: $56.25       Sale $49.50         

(94 Points) "From the 6.25-hectare Rancia vineyard, the 2011 Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia shows a more elaborate and stylized personality with ripe fruit tones, bursting cherry, perfumed violets and rose petal. Those floral notes add a feminine touch to what is in fact a wine of power and determination. It shows a beautiful evolution in the glass as well, with dusty mineral notes that add to the overall elegance of the dry, polished finish. This is one of the best Riservas of 2011." The Wine Advocate

2005 Felsina Chianti Rancia Classico Riserva                       

(93 Points) "The 2005 Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia much more closed than it was when I last tasted it a few years ago. Notoriously slow to evolve, today the 2005 shows the broad, powerful side of its personality, along with remarkable intensity for a wine of its age and vintage. Black cherries, plums, smoke, licorice and tobacco shape the powerful, tannic finish. The 2005 still hasn't developed tertiary notes and appears to be going through an especially stubborn phase. My most rewarding experiences with Rancia have usually come around age 20, which may very well be when the 2005 decides to show us all it has. Rating: 93+"  Vinous / Antonio Galloni

1993 Felsina Chianti Rancia Classico Riserva
Price: $86.00    Your Price: $73.10

(93 points) The 1993 Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia is a beautiful wine to drink today. Sweet red cherries, tobacco, licorice and spices are woven together nicely in this mid-weight Rancia. The 1993 doesn’t appear to have the structure or complexity to improve significantly but it is gorgeous right now. Crushed flowers, licorice and mint are some of the nuances that are woven into the finish. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2017. Wine Advocate #201 Jun 2012

1988 Felsina Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia
Price: $150.00    Your Price: $127.50

(90 Points) The backward 1988 Riserva-Rancia exhibits superb richness and tremendous density to go along with its saturated dark ruby color. It is a large-scaled, super-rich Chianti that can be drunk now, but should evolve gracefully until 2008. Wine Advocate #86, Apr 1993

Third Course
Prime T-bone Bistecca Fiorentina with rosemary sea salt, extra virgin olive oil, aged balsamic, roasted peanut potatoes and grilled seasonal vegetables

2011 Felsina Fontalloro Tuscany              
Price: $67.50       Sale $59.40

(94 Points) "A firm, linear red, featuring black cherry, black currant, leather, tobacco and tar notes on a dense frame. This persistent version builds to a long fruit-, spice- and mineral-tinged aftertaste. Combines power and finesse, and should age beautifully. Sangiovese. Best from 2017 through 2027." Wine Spectator

1995 Felsina Fontalloro Tuscany
Price: $120.00    Your Price: $102.00

(90 Points) Fresh and chunky red. Well-structured and balanced. A bounty of dark chocolate and ripe cherries on the nose and palate. Medium- to full-bodied, with soft, silky tannins and a long, clean fruit finish. Drink now through 2004. 2,665 cases made. “JS Wine Spectator Issue: Nov 30, 1999

1993 Felsina Fontalloro Tuscany                             
Price $180.00      Sale $158.40

(90 Points) Superbly crafted. Displays bright cherry, dried berry and flowers on the nose and palate, a medium body, ultrafine tannins and a long, long, silky finish. Drink or hold. 2,400 cases made. – Wine Spectator Issue: Sep 30, 1997

Dessert
Café Maxx apple tart, vanilla frangipane, caramel sauce and cinnamon ice cream

2005 Felsina Vin Santo Chianti (375ML)                                
Price $49.50        Sale $43.56         

(92 Points)  The Wine Advocate - "Made with Trebbiano, Malvasia and Sangiovese, the 2005 Vin Santo del Chianti Classico opens to a brilliant amber color and thick viscosity that hugs to the rim of the glass. Oak-driven tones of vanilla and caramel are immediately apparent, but quickly followed by candied fruit, butterscotch and orange peel. Clusters undergo a natural drying process on mats until February of the following year. The must is transferred to sealed oak casks containing the "mother," or gelatinous remains from previous vintages. "

The Price of this event is $125 + tax and Gratuity.  There are only 24 seats available for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com

Some info about Felsina

Felsina from the southern Region of Berendenga is one of the best producers in Tuscany and we have been big fans of these wines since their initial releases but to be able to offer you the Rancia back to the 1988 vintage in pristine condition is a rare treat, so let me tell you a little about this world class producer Fattoria Felsina.

One of the most exciting wines in Chianti is from a huge estate at the southern limit of the Chianti Classico zone that wasn't known for great wines until a Florentine businessman bought it, planted vineyards where the sharecroppers had grown the grapes for their own wines in generations past, and put his Venetian son-in-law in charge.  The estate, known as Fattoria di Felsina, became an overnight superstar in Tuscany - in fact, Fattoria di Felsina was named one of the rising stars of the 1990's in an in-depth feature done on Italian wines by The Wine Spectator in the fall of 1990.

The name Felsina is of Etruscan origin, literally meaning "fortress which dominates"; and indeed, in the 1990's Fattoria di Felsina seems destined to dominate the Chianti landscape.  The estate's top two wines are Vigneto Rancia, a single-vineyard Chianti Classico of uncommon complexity and richness and Fontalloro, a 100 percent Sangiovese aged in barrique that is powerful, concentrated, and among the very best of Italy's new breed of 100% Sangiovese wines.  Although Fattoria di Felsina was one of the brightest new lights to illuminate the Chianti landscape in the late 1980's and 1990's, an ambitious building program appears destined to ensure that Felsina will rise to even greater heights in the new century and beyond.

The businessman who bought the estate in 1966 was Domenico Poggiali, who earned his fortune building dock facilities.  At the time there were only five acres of vineyards left on the 875-acre property; but in the 1970's, Poggiali started planting what has grown to 115 acres of vineyards.  He has located them exactly where they had been before the property fell into disrepair.   A mason, Poggiali used stones dug up from the vineyards to build a striking vaulted cellar for aging the wines. "He dedicated himself to making a building that would be a beautiful place to work," says Guiseppe Mazzocolin, the son-in-law who runs the property.  Mazzocolin was a professor of Italian literature when he met and married Domenico's daughter, Gloria, in 1976.  However, Mazzocolin did not come to Felsina until 1982; that was the turning point for the estate.  Later that same year, Mazzocolin met Franco Bernabei.  Then an unknown young enologist hustling for business, Bernabei was also a Venetian who, it turned out, had been born the same day and year as Mazzocolin.  Naturally, the two became fast friends and Bernabei began consulting for Felsina.  Today Franco Bernabie is quite a famous enologist, for not only has he made Fattoria di Felsina an overnight star, he has also distinguished himself as the enologist behind some of Chianti's finest wines, including those of Fontodi, Fonterutoli, and Gabbiano just to name a few.

According to Mazzocolin, "The wine history of this estate is relatively recent. It was divided into 11 sections, each section with its own house and its own family to grow olives, wheat and animals, as well as vines to make wine.  It is clear where they put the vineyards, even though the vines no longer exist.  What we do is more of a restoration than a new start.  There is more here. I can feel it."  Felsina has Etruscan roots, a history that goes beyond even the Romans, a silent world of buried tradition that is just now succeeding in expressing itself.  Mazzocolin has a simple goal for Felsina: "I want people to say that the Sangiovese of Felsina is the identity of the Castelnuovo Berardenga region, that this is the best the terroir expresses."

The single vineyard Chianti known as Vigneto Rancia is a riserva of uncommon complexity and richness.   The Rancia Vineyard lies on a mesa that tilts gently to the south, allowing every vine to face the same direction.   Unlike most Chianti vineyards that wrap around a hillside, giving different portions different exposures, in the Rancia Vineyard the vines tend to ripen at the same time, imparting a purity of flavor to the wine.  If you wanted to design the perfect vineyard, it would be Rancia.  The wine is aged partly in barriques and partly in larger traditional casks. Felsina also produces a Chardonnay called I Sistri; the first vintage was 1987.  Made in the traditional Burgundian way in French oak barriques,  I Sistri is an elegant wine that is one of the better Chardonnays currently being produced in Italy.

Although the Vigneto Rancia Chianti has earned Felsina a prodigious reputation in a short time, connoisseurs are also turning their attention to the regular Chianti Classico and the Chianti Classico Riserva that Felsina produces under the Berardenga label (this is the name for the sub-district in Chianti where Fattoria di Felsina is located.)  The flagship of the fleet at Felsina is a vino da tavola known as Fontalloro, a wine that some critics have termed "the Château Margaux of Tuscany".  Fontalloro is named after the vineyard and the farm to which it belongs.  The vineyard is situated is situated at 1181 feet above sea level and consists of approximately 15 acres with vines that range in age from 14 to 20 years.  The very favorable exposure of the vineyard, its height above sea level, and the age and vine clones account for the particular quality of the wine.  Much in the style of the afore-mentioned famous bordeaux, this barrique-aged wine of 100% Sangiovese grapes is big and powerful, yet it retains a ripe, soft, seductive character.   Both Vigneto Rancia and Fontalloro are the result of an ongoing clonal selection whereby vines not meeting the highest quality standards are replaced or regrafted. 

Older Vintages of Felsina wines in the store:

Felsina Chianti Classico Riserva

1994 Felsina Chianti Classico Riserva
Price: $59.00       Sale $51.92          Case $602

(96 Points) "Giuseppe Mazzocolin says the 1994 Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia is one of his all-time favorites. It is easy to see why. The 1994 is strikingly beautiful from the very first taste. It boasts compelling inner sweetness, with layers of dark red cherries, flowers, licorice, tar and tobacco that come alive in the glass. The silkiest of tannins frame the savory finish. All the elements have aged with the most exquisite grace in the 1994, a wine that is in fabulous shape considering it is nearly 30 years old. There is enough pure vibrancy to allow the 1994 to drink well for another decade, perhaps longer. For its era, the 1994 had high alcohol (almost 14%) and low acidity, but that didn’t stop it from aging beautifully. What a great showing! "  Vinous / Antonio Galloni

1995 Felsina Chianti Classico Riserva
Price: $56.00       Sale $49.28          Case $572
1995 Felsina Chianti Classico Riserva (3 Liter)
Price: $.265.00   Sale $233.20

(94 Points) "The 1995 Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia is all about harmony. This isn’t the biggest or most complex Rancia, but rather a wine that impresses for its sense of proportion and harmony. Fine, silky tannins and a kick of Sangiovese acidity frame the long, vibrant finish. This is another dazzling wine that has stood the test of time, and then some." Vinous / Antonio Galloni

1997 Felsina Chianti Classico Riserva  (3 Liter)
Price: $444.00    Sale $390.72       Case $4529

92 points Wine Spectator 'Fabulous Chianti Classico. Wonderful aromas of crushed blackberries and cherries. Full-bodied, with velvety tannins and a long, long finish. Best from 2001 through 2004. 3,000 cases made. JS' 92 point Robert Parker 'The dark ruby-colored 1997 Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia (3,000 cases) is aged two years in large wood as well as small barriques. With its chewy, powerful, meaty aromas, this wine begs to be drunk with steak. Notes of licorice, smoke, spice box, cedar, and black cherry jam can be found in this ripe, concentrated, muscular wine. Lay this one away for 2-3 years, and consume it over the following 17-18 years.' Wine Advocate # 130

Felsina Chianti Classico Riserva " Rancia "

1993 Felsina Chianti Classico Riserva " Rancia " (3 Liter)
Price: $504.00    Sale $443.52

(93 points) The 1993 Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia is a beautiful wine to drink today. Sweet red cherries, tobacco, licorice and spices are woven together nicely in this mid-weight Rancia. The 1993 doesn’t appear to have the structure or complexity to improve significantly but it is gorgeous right now. Crushed flowers, licorice and mint are some of the nuances that are woven into the finish. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2017. Wine Advocate #201 Jun 2012

1995 Felsina Chianti Classico Riserva " Rancia "
Price: $74.00       Sale $65.12          Case $755

1995 Felsina Chianti Classico Riserva " Rancia " (3 Liter)
Price: $390.00    Sale $343.20

(94 Points) "The 1995 Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia is all about harmony. This isn’t the biggest or most complex Rancia, but rather a wine that impresses for its sense of proportion and harmony. Fine, silky tannins and a kick of Sangiovese acidity frame the long, vibrant finish. This is another dazzling wine that has stood the test of time, and then some." Vinous / Antonio Galloni

Felsina Fontalloro

1993 Felsina Fontalloro
Price: $162.00    Sale $142.56

90 points Wine Spectator "Superbly crafted. Displays bright cherry, dried berry and flowers on the nose and palate, a medium body, ultrafine tannins and a long, long, silky finish. Drink or hold. 2,400 cases made." Issue: Sep 30, 1997 3 Bicchieri Stupendous 100% Sangiovese ,

1994 Felsina Fontalloro
Price: $87.00       Sale $76.56

A perfect example of what can be achieved by an outstanding producer in a difficult vintage. This 1994 Fontalloro has all of the qualities of this wine but in a softer more elegant style with good complexity on the finish just a bit lighter in style and drinking at its peak right now! Finish 40+ EXCELLENT

1995 Felsina Fontalloro (3 liter)
Price: $660.00    Sale $580.80

(90 Points) Fresh and chunky red. Well-structured and balanced. A bounty of dark chocolate and ripe cherries on the nose and palate. Medium- to full-bodied, with soft, silky tannins and a long, clean fruit finish. Drink now through 2004. 2,665 cases made. “JS Wine Spectator Issue: Nov 30, 1999