Winemaker Notes
Ruby red with deep intensity and hue. Fruity, fine and elegant aromas dominated by wild berries, along with array of spicy notes. Fruity on the palate with good tannins and a lingering finish.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Plums, cherry stones, button mushrooms, white pepper and bark on the nose. Lemon and cardamom too. Medium-bodied with vibrant acidity and fine, powdery tannins. Savory.
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Jeb Dunnuck
A pure and open wine out of the gate, the 2020 Chianti Classico Berardenga is fresh with aromas of pine sap, anise, and cherry lozenge. Medium bodied with fine tannin and a modest but refreshing finish, this is a fantastic entry point for the Felsina range, for casual drinking with braised meats or Bolognese.
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Wine Spectator
A charming, harmonious Chianti Classico, this exudes cherry, plum and thyme flavors, with elements of earth and mineral. Delivers dense tannins that exert influence on the finish, yet this remains balanced.
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Decanter
In the commune of Castelnuovo Berardenga, Fèlsina’s expansive vineyards are at the luminous southeastern tip of Chianti Classico. The Berardenga label represents a plentiful annual production of 250,000 bottles. On first impression, the 2020 is overtly ripe, yet with time prune cake and vanilla notes subside, allowing wild herb and savoury nuances to step in. The chewy tannins are long and supple, with ample fruit density to balance.
Among Italy's elite red grape varieties, Sangiovese has the perfect intersection of bright red fruit and savory earthiness and is responsible for the best red wines of Tuscany. While it is best known as the chief component of Chianti, it is also the main grape in Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and reaches the height of its power and intensity in the complex, long-lived Brunello di Montalcino. Somm Secret—Sangiovese doubles under the alias, Nielluccio, on the French island of Corsica where it produces distinctly floral and refreshing reds and rosés.
One of the first wine regions anywhere to be officially recognized and delimited, Chianti Classico is today what was originally defined simply as Chianti. Already identified by the early 18th century as a superior zone, the official name of Chianti was proclaimed upon the area surrounding the townships of Castellina, Radda and Gaiole, just north of Siena, by Cosimo III, Grand Duke of Tuscany in an official decree in 1716.
However, by the 1930s the Italian government had appended this historic zone with additonal land in order to capitalize on the Chianti name. It wasn’t until 1996 that Chianti Classico became autonomous once again when the government granted a separate DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) to its borders. Ever since, Chianti Classico considers itself no longer a subzone of Chianti.
Many Classicos are today made of 100% Sangiovese but can include up to 20% of other approved varieties grown within the Classico borders. The best Classicos will have a bright acidity, supple tannins and be full-bodied with plenty of ripe fruit (plums, black cherry, blackberry). Also common among the best Classicos are expressive notes of cedar, dried herbs, fennel, balsamic or tobacco.