2021 San Felice - Chianti Classico Riserva Il Grigio (750ml)

San Felice is one of Chianti's most historic estates, its origins tied to a village dating back to the year 714 near Siena. Beyond its Chianti Classico vineyards the company also owns properties in Montalcino and Bolgheri, and in the 1980s it established the Vitiarium, an experimental vineyard preserving over 270 native Tuscan grape varieties. Il Grigio, made under longtime winemaker Leonardo Bellaccini, is considered the estate's flagship Riserva and earned a place in Wine Spectator's Top 100 for the 2021 vintage.

The wine is built primarily from Sangiovese grown on the estate's Castelnuovo Berardenga vineyards, on calcareous marl soils rich in gravel and pebble. Grapes ferment on the skins for 18 to 20 days at controlled temperature before undergoing malolactic fermentation in steel. The wine then matures for about 24 months, with the majority resting in large Slavonian oak casks and a smaller portion in French barriques, followed by roughly six more months in bottle. The 2021 growing season saw a fairly typical seasonal pattern, with spring rains supporting healthy vine growth ahead of a balanced harvest.

The nose offers dark cherry, violet, and wild red berry fruit alongside leather, tobacco, and dried herbs. On the palate the wine is full-bodied and firm, with succulent tannins and bright acidity carrying through to a long finish. It pairs naturally with meat-sauced pasta, roast pigeon, or a well-charred grilled steak.