It is always with great pleasure that a bottle of Vermentino is uncorked: when it is then as fresh as the Toscana IGT of the Perolla line produced by the San Felice winery, the enthusiasm of each sip becomes more and more intense. The grapes ferment at a controlled temperature in steel, then remain on the lees for about a month and are bottled. To be tasted!\n \n Straw yellow. On the nose, scents of grapefruit citrus emerge, along with spring blossoms and newly-mown hay. The palate shows a refreshing crispness, with subtle citrus in the background.\n \n Producer Information\n Agricola San Felice is a Tuscan wine producer with estates in Chianti Classico and Montalcino. It is most famous for its Sangiovese-based wines under the Campogiovanni and Il Grigio labels, and its Vigorello cuvée, which is reckoned to be the first example of a Super Tuscan. It is sourced from three parcels on the Castelnuovo Berardenga estate in Chianti, and is typically a blend of 50 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 45 percent Merlot and 5 percent Petit Verdot. The Campogiovanni Brunello di Montalcino wines come from an estate of the same name, purchased by Agricola San Felice in the 1980s. It covers 65 hectares (160 acres) on the southwestern side of the Montalcino hill. The Il Quercione Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is only made in the best years from the 2.5 hectare (6.2 acre) Il Quercione vineyard, and is aged first for 24 months in 500 liter French oak barrels, and then for an additional 36 months in bottle. The generic Brunello is aged for three years in oak and a year in bottle before release. San Felice's Montalcino portfolio also includes the IGT Toscana Arkeos – a blend of Pugnitello and Sangiovese. The former is an extremely rare variety which was initially planted in the estate's experimental vineyard before being planted on a commercial level in 1998. A Rosso di Montalcino and a Grappa di Brunello round out the Campogiovanni lineup. San Felice also makes a range of wines in the Chianti Classico DOCG area. The Il Grigio Chianti Classico Gran Selezione (first produced in 2014) is sourced from three vineyards, and is aged for 24 months in Slavonian oval casks and 500-liter French tonneaux. The Il Grigio Riserva comes from a broader selection of estate vineyards. It spends two years in oak and one in bottle and has less barrel aging. Both wines are made predominantly from Sangiovese, with a small portion made up of lesser-known local varieties. Poggio Rosso and the San Felice Chianti Classico complete the estate's Chianti Classico offerings. In addition to the DOCG wines, San Felice makes a broad selection of IGT wines in all three colors, including varietal Pugnitello, Chardonnay and Vermentino wines. These wines are sourced from vineyards in the Maremma as well as the two principal estates. A pair of Vin Santo wines are also produced. San Felice is also notable for the Vitiarium vineyard, a 1.6 hectare (4 acre) research site with over 270 grape varieties run in collaboration with the University of Florence.
