2015 Felsina Chianti Classico Riserva Tuscany Italy 750 ml

Poured at Per Se and Eleven Madison Park

Poured at Per Se, Eleven Madison Park, and Maialano, Fèlsina is the benchmark for 100% Sangiovese Chianti Classico Riserva, high-toned and marvelously energetic. In 2015, Fèlsina unleashed another thrilling Chianti Classico Riserva that left the critics clamoring to outdo each other with praise. Vinous’s Antonio Galloni—who has asserted Fèlsina’s “standing as one of the great estates in the world,” declaring it “a terrific example of the wild, feral Chianti Classicos that are typical of Castelnuovo Berardenga and Fèlsina.” With 93 points, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate classified it as a wine “of increased depth and power,” while James Suckling went a point higher at 94, naming it “a delight.”

Made from 50+ year-old-vines, juicy but tart cherry notes are tinged with menthol, smoke and licorice, all framed by excellent tannic-backbone and offered at $33.99 per bottle—25% off the list price. It’s no longer possible to buy up cases of top-flight Bordeaux without breaking the bank, but on days like today, you can squirrel away half a case or more of one of Tuscany’s greatest wines for a song.

Clive Coates MW has quipped that the three greatest producers of Chianti Classico all begin with an F: Fontodi, Fonterutoli, and Fèlsina. Of the three, Fèlsina is famed as the most consistent, releasing wines that, year after year, are quite simply the reference point for Sangiovese wines in the region. Their textbook typicity—mouthwatering acidity, sandy tannins, cherry aromatics—is such that those studying for the Master of Wine and Master Sommelier exams use Fèlsina’s wines to prepare for the blind tasting. It’s that legacy of excellence that’s made the bottles a fixture on lists at some of the greatest restaurants in the country.

Fèlsina’s reputation is due largely to winery owner Giuseppe Mazzocolin, a former professor of the humanities who married into the estate and immersed himself in Tuscan viticulture. Under his watch, Fèlsina has embraced organic farming, an intensive study of terroir, and an exclusive focus on pure expressions of the Sangiovese grape. Together with legendary Italian enologist Franco Bernabei, he carried out a comprehensive overview of the estate’s stony soils, allowing them to pinpoint the best plots and Sangiovese cuttings.

Their efforts have led to a line of phenomenal Chianti Classicos that have captured over 18 Tre Bicchieri awards from Gambero Rosso. The Riserva hails from vines more than 50 years in age in the commune of Castelnuovo Berardenga. Set at a perfect southwest orientation roughly 1,300 feet above sea level, soils of quartzitic sandstone blended with calcareous alberese and pebbles make for wines of vibrant freshness and powerful fruit.

Vinous’s Antonio Galloni hailed 2015 as a “stellar” year, yielding “rich, sumptuous Chianti Classicos with great depth and intensity.” It would also be a field day for collectors, he predicted, offering “a tremendous opportunity to acquire fine, cellar worthy wines without spending a fortune.” The sun, long absent during the wet 2014, made a grand reappearance in 2015, bathing vines in abundant, warm light, interspersed with replenishing showers. Rain was particularly plentiful in spring, preparing the ground for the long, dry, hot days of summer before making a brief, refreshing appearance in late August. The berries, bursting with concentration, were spectacular. It’s a fantastic value for one of the region’s all-time greats.