San Felice Belcaro Vin Santo del Chianti Classico DOC 2012, Italy

San Felice is a medieval Tuscan hamlet nestled among the hillsides of Chianti Classico near Siena and Montalcino. The surrounding woods, olive groves, and vineyards have been cultivated for centuries. The San Felice Estate, owned by the Grisaldi del Taja family from 1700 until 1968, is today a prestigious winery led by creative, innovative talents who have made great wines since the beginning, including the first Super Tuscan ever made in Chianti Classico, Vigorello. This is a Vin Santo that is traditional both in its blend of Trebbiano and Malvasia grapes as well as in its method of production. The clusters are hand-picked in early October then hanged under the cellar’s roof to dry until December. They are then gently pressed and the must ferments and matures very slowly in small oak barrels for five years. Soil profile: Medium-textured, predominantly calcareous marl breakdown of alberese and galestro strata, with abundant gravel-pebble mixture. Vinification and maturation: The grape clusters are picked and the laid out to dry; they are pressed in December or January. The must ferments and then ages for 5 years in small, 225-liter French oak barrels, followed by a further 12 months in the bottle.

$31.99