The wonderful estate of Fèlsina was the one winery on our agenda today. Situated right on the border of Chianti Classico and Colli Senesi, the first wine was made here in 1966. Formerly a hunting lodge, the owners converted various parts of the building into cellars and over the decades Felsina has become a leading estate in Tuscany.
Victor hosted our visit and led us through the amazing cellars including the Vinsantuaria – the above ground cellar where their stunning Vin Santo is stored for 8 years before being released onto the market. Felsina have always only used 100% Sangiovese in their wines which fifty years ago was quite pioneering. As the winery has expanded, producing approximately 500,000 bottles per year, they have sensitively converted various outbuildings and retained a sense of the history of the estate. It was a terrific, insightful tour.
We then moved into the elegant new dining room for lunch. Kicking off with a tasting of four mono-varietal olive oils, this added another dimension to the day. Lunch was a delicious chickpea soup, wild boar pasta and the most sublime orange mousse that was unbelievably perfect with the Vin Santo.
The other wines were all exquisite: Chianti Classico, Fontalloro – their SuperTuscan blend from Classico and Senesi, Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia 2020 and 2013 in magnum which showed the ability to age to perfection.
This was a great addition to our understanding of Chianti wines, and the ever increasing quality of Tuscany.