Agricola San Felice
San Felice's benchmark Chianti Classico Riserva: estate Sangiovese from Castelnuovo Berardenga, aged in Slavonian botti and French barriques. Violet and cherry meet savoury tobacco and firm tannin, with the bright acidity Tuscan reds need at table.
Drinker consensus from more than 31,000 Vivino ratings, read against San Felice's own notes and the wine's two years in Slavonian oak.
Deep ruby in the glass, with the violet and wild red-berry lift San Felice names on its own notes. Air brings the tobacco, sweet oak spice and tea-leaf that lead the drinker picture across more than 31,000 Vivino ratings, where oak and tobacco are the single most-logged aroma.
Violet
Black cherry
Blackberry
Tobacco
Leather
Black pepper
Liquorice
VanillaFull-bodied but lean and firm, the way San Felice describes it: ripe black cherry and bramble framed by the savoury grip of two years' wood. Around 80 percent ages in 60 to 90 hectolitre Slavonian botti and 20 percent in French barriques, and that mix shows as well-integrated oak rather than vanilla sweetness. Total acidity near 5.8 grams per litre keeps it taut.
The close is long and savoury, with dusty tannin and a mineral edge that traces back to the galestro and alberese limestone of the estate vineyards.
San Felice's benchmark Riserva from Castelnuovo Berardenga, and a consistent critical performer topped by the 2021's Wine Spectator Top 100 finish. Across more than 31,000 Vivino ratings it averages 3.9, with drinkers returning to its oak, red cherry and value. Drink the current releases now or hold the best vintages a decade.
The current 2021 and 2022 vintages sit around 25 pounds for a 75cl bottle, with 1.5 litre magnums near 46 pounds.
How this Chianti Classico Riserva scores for food, value, ageing and occasion at around 25 pounds a bottle.
Bright Sangiovese acidity near 5.8 g/L and firm tannin make this a textbook table red for Tuscan meats, ragu and tomato dishes.
At about 25 pounds for a Tre Bicchieri and Wine Spectator Top 100 Riserva, quality-to-price sits well above the Chianti Classico Riserva average.
Riserva ageing of at least 24 months, much of it in Slavonian botti, plus firm tannin give a 10-year window in strong vintages like 2021.
A DOCG Riserva with Tre Bicchieri and Wine Spectator Top 100 pedigree makes a confident pick for a dinner or a gift.
Scoring is rule-based and deterministic. The model and weightings are documented in our editorial methodology.
A compact view of what the Chianti Classico denomination actually requires, and how this bottle sits inside it. Pulled from the official Italian disciplinare.
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How San Felice's 2021 and 2022 Riservas compare, from a Wine Spectator Top 100 placement for 2021 to a warm, rain-rescued 2022 harvest.
A warm 2022 season tempered by mid-August rains that restored balance before an early-September Sangiovese harvest. The result earned Gambero Rosso's Tre Bicchieri and 92 to 93 points from Suckling, Vinous and Falstaff: firm, savoury and built to age.
An acclaimed Chianti Classico vintage for San Felice: the 2021 Il Grigio took 24th place in Wine Spectator's Top 100 of 2024 on a 93-point score, with Antonio Galloni's Vinous and Robert Parker's team close behind at 92 to 93. Structured and balanced for a decade in the cellar.
Drink-now / hold guidance reflects general style cues for this wine, not a forecast for a specific bottle. Where vintage-level editorial notes exist, they appear above.
Decades of estate winemaking at Castelnuovo Berardenga under Leonardo Bellaccini, on the galestro and alberese limestone soils of Chianti Classico.
Italian wine law sorts bottles into a pyramid. DOCG sits at the top: tightly drawn boundaries, prescribed grapes, mandatory ageing, government tasting before release. DOC is the same idea with looser thresholds. IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica) is broader still, requiring only that 85% of the grapes come from the named territory.
Chianti Classico is in the DOCG tier. That is not a quality verdict, it is a description of how much freedom the producer has at vinification and ageing.
Chianti Classico falls within Tuscany , covering Tuscany. The denomination is further divided into 11 sub-zones.
San Felice hand-selects its best estate Sangiovese at Castelnuovo Berardenga; estate-grown fruit on galestro at 350 to 400 m costs more than bought-in grapes.
80 percent rests 18 to 24 months in 60 to 90 hl Slavonian oak and 20 percent in French barriques, then six months in bottle: cellar capital tied up before release.
Chianti Classico Riserva requires at least 24 months' ageing, holding stock long after harvest and adding carrying cost to the 25 pound bottle.
Gambero Rosso Tre Bicchieri and a 24th-place Wine Spectator Top 100 finish for the 2021 support pricing above an entry Chianti Classico.
Produced in large, consistent volumes from 375ml to 5 litres, economies of scale keep it near 25 pounds rather than the 40-plus of boutique Riservas.
UK excise duty of 2.67 pounds a bottle at 13.5 percent ABV plus 20 percent VAT make up roughly 6.90 pounds of the 25.20 pound shelf price before any margin.
Dishes that complement this wine
San Felice points to meat-sauced first courses, roast pigeon and grilled steak; the wine's firm tannin and 5.8 g/L acidity explain why.
Firm Sangiovese tannin and acidity near 5.8 grams per litre scrub the charred fat of a rare bistecca and reset the palate between bites. The wine's savoury, tobacco-edged core echoes the seared crust on grilled beef.
Try with: Fiorentina steak · grilled ribeye · Porchetta · More pairings →
Fat and protein in a long-cooked lamb or beef ragu bind to the Riserva's tannin and soften its grip, while the acidity lifts the tomato. This is the meat-sauced first course San Felice points to on the label.
Try with: Agnello Ragu Lucano · pappardelle al cinghiale · tagliatelle al ragu · More pairings →
Leather, tobacco and forest-floor notes, the earthy character more than 800 Vivino drinkers flag, bridge to the umami of mushroom and truffle. Sangiovese acidity keeps a creamy risotto from turning heavy.
Try with: Truffle risotto · Porcini mushroom risotto · Tagliatelle al tartufo di Acqualagna · More pairings →
The salt and fat of a mature pecorino press against the wine's tannin and acidity, each tempering the other. Aged sheep's cheese is the classic Tuscan partner for a Sangiovese of this structure.
Try with: Pecorino sardo e pan carasau · aged pecorino toscano · Parmigiano Reggiano · More pairings →
A full-bodied Riserva carries the richness of porchetta, roast lamb or pigeon without being swamped, while its tannin cuts the fat. Producer and UK importer both point to roast meats and wildfowl.
Try with: Porchetta · Roast Duck · roast pigeon
Tannin and alcohol amplify chilli burn, and a structured Riserva turns metallic against sweet-sour or heavily spiced dishes. Keep it for savoury salt-and-fat plates rather than fiery ones.
Skip with: vindaloo · crispy chilli beef · szechuan beef · sweet-and-sour pork · Pairing guide →
Riserva ageing of at least 24 months, much of it in 60 to 90 hectolitre Slavonian botti, underpins a decade-long window in vintages like 2021.
Peak around 2028. Best in the years above; holds without falling over either side.
A short splash decant softens the first-pour edge and opens the aromatics.
Riserva ageing of at least 24 months, much of it in Slavonian botti, plus firm tannin give a 10-year window in strong vintages like 2021.
£25.20 is the lowest tracked offer for the current vintage and we have no signal of further discounting.
Read directly from each retailer’s public product page once a day. Last refresh: 7 Jun 2026, 14:17 BST. We do not hold stock and we do not accept payment for placement.
Confidence · HighDrawn from what drinkers consistently report on Vivino and Wine-Searcher, summarised in our own words. A crowd read across many tasters, not a single critic.
Confidence · MediumFrom the official Italian disciplinare for this denomination, cross-checked against the Ministry of Agriculture register.
Confidence · HighOur reading of the price, drawn from the disciplinare, public UK duty rates, and typical landed-cost benchmarks. Not a quote from the producer or a retailer.
Confidence · MediumStyle guidance for this kind of wine at this price point. Treat it as advice, not a forecast for the bottle in your hand.
Confidence · MediumIt is a full-bodied, dry Tuscan red led by violet and wild cherry, with savoury tobacco, leather and a mineral edge from oak ageing. Firm tannin and bright acidity make it lean and structured, finishing long and savoury.
It is essentially 100 percent Sangiovese, selected from San Felice's estate vineyards at Castelnuovo Berardenga in Chianti Classico. The wine ages roughly 80 percent in large Slavonian oak botti and 20 percent in French barriques.
Sangiovese tannin and acidity suit grilled and roast meats, meat-sauced pasta and aged pecorino. San Felice names meat-sauced first courses, roast pigeon and grilled steak; try bistecca, ragu, porchetta or truffle risotto.
Yes. The 2021 took 24th place in Wine Spectator's Top 100 of 2024 with 93 points, and earned 92 to 93 from Vinous and Robert Parker's team. It is structured for up to a decade of cellaring.
Strong vintages will hold and improve for about ten years, while staying enjoyable on release. The 2021 has the structure for the longer end of that window; the 2022 is best from 2025 onward.
UK specialists list the current 750ml vintages around 25 pounds a bottle, with magnums near 46 pounds. It is strong value for a Chianti Classico Riserva of this critical standing.
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