The Super-Rare Felsina Gran Selezione This past July, we wrote of how Fattoria di Fèlsina is one of the great estates of Tuscany. A pillar of Chianti, Felsina is one of the leading champions of pure Sangiovese wines. Smart buyers have known for decades that Felsina represents one of the greatest buys for long aging wines. In that article and offer we focused on the Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia, calling it one of the most heralded and prized Chianti that is regarded as one of the most structured, powerful and age-worthy wines of Tuscany. We love and championed how Rancia is the most Brunello-like wine of Chianti. In fact, for us, Rancia in many vintages excels well beyond the depth of most Brunello. However, while the Rancia Riserva is one of our all-time favorite wines of Tuscany, this vineyard does have a sister site that is frankly the best at Felsina - the vineyard Colonia and the only wine that Giuseppe Mazzocolin and Giovanni Poggiali award the Gran Selezione designation. Colonia is a dedication to the multi-generation commitment at Felsina. This sunny spot that sits next to Rancia along a slope that reaches up to the forest line is extremely rocky and one that took three generations to cultivate before releasing their first vineyard designated wine in 2006. Here the production is a mere 3,000 bottles and the singular expression of Sangiovese yields a wine of greater finesse and harmony than the blockbuster Rancia Riserva. It is the combination of the changing elevation, the cool air that Colonia absorbs from the forest, and the rocky terrain that is sun soaked that makes Colonia different from Rancia. Rancia is more brutish and powerful in a more forward manner most of the time, where Colonia has that inherent power and ageability but has more freshness, lift and grace overall. Think of Colonia as Chateau Margaux and Rancia as Mouton-Rothschild. The 2018 Vintage for Colonia in a word is TERRIFIC. The vineyard was amply protected in the warm and powerful season, yielding a wine that showcases the beauty and attributes of Colonia. Gorgeous pure Sangiovese fruit is wrapped in classic aromatics, lifted by great acidity and structure, yet refined tannin and an explosive, long finish. It is no surprise that Colonia is not only the top wine of the vintage at Felsina but also one of the stars of the 2018 Tuscan vintage as a whole. Cheers, |
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