2020 Fèlsina “Rancia” Chianti Classico Riserva
The 2020 Felsina “Rancia” Chianti Classico Riserva is the proof why this single vineyard Sangiovese has become one of Tuscany’s
Producer
Fèlsina
I have reviewed 12 wines from Fèlsina, from the 2017 to 2023 vintages, across Chianti Classico, Toscana, Vin Santo and others. Most are Sangiovese. Scores range from 93 to 98, averaging 96; the highest is the 2020 Fèlsina Fontalloro Toscana (98 points). Fèlsina also features in one journal article on this site.
Fèlsina is the guardian of the southern border of Chianti Classico. Located in Castelnuovo Berardenga, where the rocky Chianti hills meet the lunar landscape of the Crete Senesi, the estate produces Sangiovese of power and warmth. Under the Poggiali family it has kept its top Sangiovese wines free of international blending partners, and it represents the wilder, more intense side of the appellation.
Rancia is the icon: a historic, high-altitude vineyard once home to a medieval Benedictine monastery, on limestone-rich alberese and galestro, released as Riserva and, from 2021, as Gran Selezione. Fontalloro is the benchmark for 100% Sangiovese, straddling the border between Chianti Classico and the Colli Senesi, savory and uncompromising rather than polished. Maestro Raro, first made in 1987, is Cabernet Sauvignon with a Chianti Classico soul, and the Vin Santo, from dried Trebbiano and Malvasia aged for years in small caratelli, is one of Tuscany’s great sweet wines.
The core of the range is just as convincing. The Berardenga Chianti Classico and the Riserva, aged in large Slavonian casks, speak more of the soil than the cellar, and the Chianti Colli Senesi, from vineyards just outside the Classico border, is one of the best values in Tuscany. Even in a hot, solar year like 2022, Fèlsina kept its nerve: crushed alberese rock, dried tobacco and tart black cherry rather than jam. For me it is one of the true reference estates of Chianti Classico.
Wine Reviews for Fèlsina
2020 Fèlsina Maestro Raro Toscana IGT Cabernet Sauvignon
Fèlsina “Maestro Raro” wine defies expectations. It shows that Tuscany can produce world-class Cabernet Sauvignon while still maintaining the essence
2020 Fèlsina Maestro Raro Toscana IGT Cabernet Sauvignon Read Post »
2020 Fèlsina Fontalloro Toscana
In 2020, Fèlsina Fontalloro Toscana is a Sangiovese masterpiece that continues to build on its reputation as one of Tuscany’s