San Felice: Heritage and Innovation in Tuscany
San Felice is a medieval Tuscan hamlet nestled amongst the hills 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 folk with a desire to make great wines from the beginning, including the first recognized Super Tuscan made in Chianti Classico, Vigorello.
Chianti Classico Excellence
Eighty-five percent of San Felice’s 150ha are planted to Sangiovese, a fact that confirms the estate’s propensity for producing a Chianti Classico truly representative of the local terroir, including Il Grigio Riserva and the two Gran Selezione Il Grigio and Poggio Rosso. Research and experimentation are in San Felice’s DNA, and throughout the years the team has carried out projects with the Universities of Florence and Pisa that have led to important experiments with indigenous Tuscan varieties: among them Pugnitello, an ancient and prestigious variety, which has become one of the estate’s iconic wines.
Expansion and Recognition
Inspired by the many accolades received over time, San Felice has ventured into other production zones: the estate acquired Tenuta Campogiovanni in Montalcino in 1981, and within just a few years their Brunello was named among Wine Spectator’s “Top 100” in 1990, 2006, and 2012. More recently, in 2016, San Felice acquired 6ha in Bolgheri, establishing the Bell’Aja brand. With its presence in the most prestigious areas in Tuscany, San Felice has solidified its standing as an important point of reference in the spheres of both Italian and international wine.
Hospitality and Growth
The historic medieval hamlet surrounded by vineyards was ultimately transformed into a 5-star hotel that has been the only Relais & Châteaux resort in Chianti Classico since 1992. Today, San Felice boasts close to 685ha in total, 188 of which are planted to vine for an average annual production of 1.2 million bottles of wine made entirely from estate fruit. San Felice also has two wine shops open year-round at the estates in Chianti Classico and Montalcino that welcome wine lovers from all over the world.
