Fèlsina Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia

The Rancia vineyard enjoys an extremely privileged position. It's located at an altitude of about 400 m, on top of the impressive hills which surround the town of Castelnuovo Berardenga, in the far south of the Chianti Classico sub-zone, very near to the denominations of Brunello di Montalcino, Nobile di Montepulciano and the Maremma wine region. Here the ground is rich in limestone and galestro (a kind of clayey slate found locally), a soil type which imparts unique characteristics to the Sangiovese grapes.

This is the vineyard which gives rise to Rancia, a refined wine with a velvety texture that seduces right from the first mouthful. In the glass it appears a compact, ruby-red colour, and it's very complete on the nose: rich in fruit, floral, spicy, mineral and also balsamic aromas.

The most immediate impression indicates a wine that has primary aromas, of fulsome, juicy fruit, which shows the quality of the grape clusters, picked at their optimal point of ripeness (small berries containing loads of sweet red and black fruit, with pink notes). Yet straightaway, a delicious bouquet develops of spicy aromas deriving from its ageing for 18 months in new barrels, and concludes with that delightful mineral undertone, which confirms the exceptional nature of the ground the vines sink their roots into.

On the palate, Rancia is direct, fresh and has great balance, with an elegant texture and tasty, firm tannins which, cloaked in some gentle spiciness, guide us towards a lengthy and persistent finish.