Agricola San Felice
One of prettiest winery of Tuscany
Agricola San Felice is a vineyard that located in the heart of the eponymous village around the church of San Felice Pincis in the Chianti Classico region. The situation of the vineyards of San Felice (on a tray) has allowed it to be one of the first vineyards in the area created by the Etruscans, in the fourth century before Christ. The village meanwhile was not built until 714. Architecturally It was reviewed in the mid 19th century by the family Grisaldi del Taja.
In the 70 ‘AGF (now Allianz) acquired the property of San Felice with the objective of improving the quality of wines and winemaking excellence.
After years of vineyard restructuring of the productive apparatus and the redemption of the Domaine Campogiovanni (Brunello di Montalcino DCCO) in 1982 AGF invested in the renovation / rehabilitation of the village to turn it into a complex prestigious Relais & Châteaux including restaurants, sports facilities as well as eno-tourist areas. A medieval village full of charm which offers a view of the surrounding valleys … A bewitching Tuscan landscape of rare beauty.
Where does the name “San Felice” comes from?
“First of all it is the name of the village where we stand. The village’s name comes from the name of a Roman clergyman who came here in the early 8th century to evangelize and establish churches. Later on he left Rome to create any other churches.” (Leonardo Bellaccini)
Focus on Leonardo Bellaccini, winemaker of San Felice
“At first I left the world of wine, not by choice but by excluding other areas that did not interest me.
I was born and I grew up in the city of Siena. At that time the city was very focused on the business and banking but I did not like the idea of working in an office. I did not like the idea of classical studies of Greek and Latin either so I went in viticulture and oenology in. So I engaged in these studies but did not know if there was a future / opportunity or not.
I finished my studies in 1983 At the time it was very easy to find work. I studied with the daughter of the former CEO not wanting to work in San Felice so he offered me the job. I started here in the laboratory and in as I evolved and climbed the ladder. Today I am the winemaker and Estate manager of Agricola San Felice. “(Leonardo Bellaccini)
Do you have any projects for the Agricola San Felice?
“Yes of course. We just finished the restoration of some houses in the village. We have plans to change our tanks by combining wood and stainless steel tanks. It would also be able to select the grapes by weight / density. It also has a project to purchase an optical sorter.
The Estate is totally sustainable. In terms of energy we are 100% independent thanks to a solar panels central based on the roof of the cellar. We also started the so called ‘precision viticulture’ with the asim to improve the balance of our vineyards by reducing the use of chemicals, gasoline and CO2 emissions. “(Leonardo Bellaccini)
What do you look for each year, creating wines of San Felice?
“I want to make wines that represent their appellation and their terroir. Must be mastered extractions to not over-extract but that is mastered in barrel aging. It is not necessary that the wood takes over the fruit. The woodland should be fine and delicate
I do not use internationalized varieties in appellation wines.
We produce mainly red wines. We also have a small production of white wine. It is a blend of Chardonnay and Sauvignon, the wine is called: Ancherona
In the past Chianti wines were very dilute wines. Historically they were made from 70% Sangiovese, 15% of a light red grape (Canaiolo)and 15% of white grapes. There is a historical reason. At the time, in the years 50-60′,farmers were looking for large yields. The result were wines lacking color and concentration. Therefore, later in the 70’s in order to compensate this gap growers started to introduce Merlot or Cabernet in the wine.
We decided instead to go in a different way and we started a collaboration with Universities of Florence, Pisa and Milan with the aim of rescueing and experimenting indigenous varietals to better know them, understand them better adapted to our soils and thus improve the quality of our wines. Today, after more than 30 years of partnership we have chosen to pursue this research. “(Leonardo Bellaccini)
Side story: Hotel Borgo San Felice
In 1991 the medieval village of San Felice was renovated and converted into a 5 star Relais & Chateaux. Located 400 meters above sea level in the heart of Chianti Classico this resort offers sports equipment, relaxation and restaurants serving dishes in agreement with the wines of San Felice.
The atmosphere of the picturesque village built in white stones around a charming small Romanesque chapel offers an exotic haven of rest that makes you want to land on the terrace or walk in the vineyards a glass of wine in hand … a place filled with magic and romance.
Thanks to Bellaccini Leonardo for his warm welcome.
Societa Agricola San Felice S.p.A
Località San Felice
53019 Castelnuovo Berardenga (Siena)
Tel : +39 0577/3991
