Felsina Flight Tasting Notes from August 10, 2019. As part of a birthday celebration, I opened a few bottles of wine from one of my favorite producers in Tuscany, Felsina. I think a tasting like this can provide a ton of depth within a region or producer, to help you hone in on minor differences in flavor, aroma, mouthfeel, etc, which will ultimately allow you to make more informed choices about the kind of wine you enjoy most, and how to best match the wines with food. Cheers and enjoy!!
2016 Felsina Chianti Colli Senesi
Really nice ripe cherry right off the bat, strawberry, little jammy mixed berry, but nice lift, a fresh breeze mixed in there. Light body, but a really nice firm finish and backbone. Some wood and oak. Not as much fruit on the palate as on the nose, some sour cherry up front before the firm dryness rips. Little bitter dusty oak on the finish. Begging for some dry sweet sausage and balsamic reduction. Really nice lighter style.
2016 Felsina Chianti Classico
Definitely a darker, deeper nose. More blueberry, ripe strawberry skin, also a little dark chocolate, mocha thing going on. Although a lighter style, a bit fuller mouthfeel, more fruit in that body. Very dry, although the bitter oak on the back end feels more integrated. Softer tannins. More nuance. Hard cheeses, salted meats, roasted chicken would pair well.
2016 Felsina Chianti Classico Riserva
Lots of nice ripe cherry, also some forest floor, pine needle action. A nice freshness. Tuscan woods. Beauty in the mouth. Very well balanced. Plusher, fuller mouthfeel, very polished. Tight back end, fine integrated tannins. This feels like a well made lighter brunello, every bit as dry and elegant. I would have thought this would come in with more weight, but it’s really nicely restrained. Great balance. Nice wine.
2015 Felsina Chianti Classico Riserva “Rancia”
2015 here. Single vineyard Chianti. Notably more funk and earth on the nose. But really nice ripe fruit under that, blue, black fruit. Ripe skins. This feels a bit bigger in the mouth brighter, more acidic, dryer, more aggressive tannins, a bit of oak… feels like this is still coming together a bit, but tons of nice fruit that will likely show well with a little age and softening. This would pair well now with a fatty cut of meat, ribeye, bone in pork loin, etc.
Parting thoughts:
For me, I think the straight Riserva was the best value of the group and most likely the wine I would buy again to pair with a nice meal at home or bring to a nice Italian BYOB. Very versatile with food and polished enough to impress even pretty sophisticated wine nerds (like me!). Great value at around $30. There’s really nothing even close at that price point, especially if you are buying off a menu. Could easily sell for $75 a bottle on a wine list in NYC.
At around $50-$55 retail, I’d probably pass on the Rancia if you are looking for something to drink now. The power move would be to buy a few and hold in the cellar for a couple years. This wine will likely get better and fully express its beauty with time, but it will require some serious patience.
Either the Colli Senesi or Chianti Classico are great lighter daily drinkers. Perfect for a weeknight meal with friends and family. Pop a couple. Buy a case at discount and keep these close by. Great value for under $20. Very well made and enjoyable wine.
