2015 Fontalloro

My visit to Fèlsina was one of the many highlights of my most recent trip to Chianti Classico. I tasted a wide range of wines with Giuseppe Mazzocolin and Giovanni Poggiali. Even after a long day, it was frankly hard to leave the tasting room. The wines were every bit that compelling. The estate's 2016s and 2015s are simply magnificent. Readers will get a very good sense of the elegance of 2016 and the power of the 2015s with this range. While it is certainly tempting to focus on the flagships, both the Chianti Classico and Chianti Classico Riserva are fabulous choices for readers looking for ageworthy wines that are affordable, something that has always been a strong suit at Fèlsina, where prices remain exceedingly fair. More than anything else, though, Fèlsina represents all the best values of Chianti Classico and its wines.

The biggest news at Fèlsina is that the estate did not bottle their top wines in 2014, instead all of that fruit was used to bolster the quality of the straight Chianti Classico. Readers on a budget will want to seek out the 2015 Chianti Classico Berardenga, a wine that captures all the best qualities of that vintage. Lastly, readers should be on the lookout for the new wine from Fèlsina’s Pagliarese property (reviewed here separately). Fèlsina has long been a reference-point for pure Sangiovese wines in Chianti Classico. The Pagliarese is a throwback Chianti Classico made in a super-traditional style that incorporates Canaiolo, Mammolo and Colorino in the blend.