COMPANY PROFILE SAN FELICE SAN FELICE MODERNISES THE PAST WBI 6/12 MEININGER’S When the University of Florence approached Agricola San Felice with an unusual project, the winery quickly agreed to participate. Today, says Michèle Shah, the company’s work with varietals is paying off handsomely. the Marchesi del Taja, who in 1924 became etals, principally Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, one of the founding members of the Consorzio and Chardonnay – which subsequently gave del Chianti Classico. birth to the renown ‘Super Tuscan’ wines – More recently, in 1968, as industrialisation San Felice went the other way. It responded hit rural Italy, San Felice went through a peri- positively to a proposal made by the Univer- od of crisis – as did many agricultural estates sity of Florence to embark on an experimental – due to the general depopulation of the rural project to revive some of the dying clones of countryside. In the early 1970s the property Tuscany’s indigenous varietals with the aim of was sold to a large financial company, soon af- safeguarding the erosion of Tuscany’s viticul- ter passing into the hands of its present own- tural heritage. ers, Allianz RAS, one of Italy’s main insurance Bellacini, who was a winery assistant at the San Felice winery in companies. It was at this time that Enzo Mor- time, says he was sceptical when the Centro Castelnuovo Berardenga. ganti joined the estate as director, a position Nazionale di Recherche (CNR) approached he held until 1994, where he was responsible San Felice, through Professor Pierluigi Pisani an Felice, with its 140 ha of vineyards for fashioning San Felice’s current and of the University of Florence “to enquire mostly (80%) dedicated to the local profitable direction. if the estate would be interested in set- Svarietal Sangiovese, is considered one of Under the leadership of Morganti, ting up a project to ‘safeguard’ a number Chianti Classico’s historic estates. Its pledge San Felice was committed to the produc- of local Tuscan varietals, which were in to uphold the tradition of its terroir and to tion of quality Sangiovese, producing by danger of becoming extinct.” The 1984 produce quality wines made from some 1978, high-quality bottlings of ‘Il Grigio’ viticultural project was part of a wider of Tuscany’s ‘revived’ and almost extinct and ‘Poggio Rosso’, both classic exam- CNR effort to preserve biodiversity in varietals, as well as being a precursor of the ples of Chianti Classico Reserva wines. many areas of agriculture, farming and Super Tuscan style, has won the winery world Like many farm managers of his time, husbandry. acclaim. Morganti was involved both in the Morganti jumped at the opportuni- Located in the commune of Castelnuovo viticultural side as well as the ty and in 1986, together with Pisani Berardenga, a few kilometres from Siena, winemaking of the estate. “He and Roberto Bandinelli, Pisani’s in the heart of Chianti Classico, San Felice was a hands-on man with a deputy, set to plant an experi- offers an authentic glimpse of Tuscan’s idyl- long term vision and a deep mental vineyard. Called ‘Vitar- lic rural landscape. San Felice’s estate forms respect for his terrain and its ium’, it had 226 different indig- part of a hamlet surrounded by olive trees and local produce,” explains Leon- enous grape varieties, of which vineyards, and since 1992 hosts a Relais & ardo Bellacini, who worked 61 varieties – almost exclusively Châteaux Spa Hotel and Restaurant housed in alongside Morganti and later red – were subsequently select- restored farmhouse buildings. followed in his footsteps start- ed to be taken a step further. ing his apprenticeship as a “It was fascinating and excit- A long history young winemaker at San Fe- ing and a real hands-on experi- Like many of the larger and more dominant lice in 1984, taking over in ence to revive and safeguard Chianti Classico estates, San Felice’s past is 1989 as CEO and winemaker these almost extinct local vari- entwined in the feudal history of nobility, land- of San Felice. etals,” says Bandinelli. “More owners and the never-ending battles between than this we actually created Playing with the past Siena, Florence and Arezzo. From 714 on, this new genetic entities, by cross local area formed part of the property of the Interestingly, in the mid 1980s pollinating Sangiovese with ancient Church of San Felice in Avane, which when most of Tuscany and varieties such as Abrusco and was an object of dispute between Siena and much of Italy was turning it Abrostine, to form new varieties the bishops of Arezzo. From the nineteenth attention to planting new vine- that today constitute part of Tus- century, San Felice passed into the hands of yards with ‘international’ vari- cany’s viticultural patrimony.” 41 COMPANY PROFILE In 1989 the first harvest showed that a promising 30 varieties were taken forward to Alessandro Marchionne, General Manager the following stage of microvinification. Over of Agricola San Felice in Chianti. the years the grapes were kept under close 6/12 MEININGER’S WBI 6/12 MEININGER’S observation and those which looked particu- Your Vitarium at San Felice, which you’ve called a larly promising were selected and vinified ‘genetic bank’, has more than 220 varieties in it. Do you separately. Most were revealed to be just good have any thoughts on why some of them died out? ‘second leads’. Many of the old varieties were not interesting. Some “At that time things were done in a fairly disappeared because of disease. Sometimes they were rustic fashion,” explains Bellacini “We vinified abandoned by farmers simply because of the introduction 20 to 30 litres of each varietal and there was of DOC legislation in 1963, restricting Chianti to four no absolute precision. It was difficult to trace grapes. This was the case with Pugnitello, but also because the exact evolution of the microvinifications, it’s very low-yielding. We harvest less than one kilo per vine, and in those days, they yet it was evident that there were a handful were looking for quantity. In 2002 we were able to have the Pugnitello re-registered of varietals that produced some very interest- by the local authorities as a grape variety to make wine and then readmit it in Chianti ing results, among the more promising vari- Classico. There are some other producers that have started to blend with it. etals were Volpola in the whites and Abrusco, Abrostine and Pugnitello in the reds.” Have you found any other old varietals that are promising? Based on these findings, the decision was We are continuing to experiment with two other red grapes, Abrusco and Abrostine, taken by Morganti and his team to plant a few and a white grape called Volpola, like’fox’. FC hectares of Pugnitello to confirm, on a more solid base, more consistent data from the for imported wines in Germany. “For us San their business in 1978, and is using what he research. Today the estate cultivates a total of Felice is our most important partner in Italy. calls a ‘compelling’ story to enhance the sales 12 ha of Pugnitello. Pugnitello gives us the chance to present of San Felice’s wines. “The Pugnitello project something new with character and history to has allowed us to be involved (even if just The little fist our clients,” explains Jetter. “The wine sells on the periphery – as a marketing and sales Pugnitello was first experimentally vinified in for €30.00 ($38.70) retail, so you can imagine organisation) in such a special project. This barrique in 1995, and showed purity of fruit, that sales are not on the same level as San story is a marketing dream – the recovery and structure and acidity with potential to age and Felice’s Chianti Classico. But we sold some- reclamation of a grape variety, most certainly be vinified as a monovarietal. After further thing like 2,000 bottles in Germany this year, destined for extinction, and then the amazing experimentation, it was first bottled in 2003 having only started retail of Pugnitello wine results in making a wine that soars to such and initially released as a proper commercial last year.” incredible levels of quality,” he says, adding venture in 2006, after 20 years of research. Ian Hanna, that for a genera- The varietal takes its name from the shape President of John 2011 sales breakdown by area tion or more, Tus- of its cluster, which looks like a small fist Hanna & Sons Ltd can winegrowers (‘pugno’ in Italian). Though a ‘capricious’ and has been work- have experiment- expensive varietal to manage, requiring in- ing with San ed with the blend- tensive work in the vineyard to tame its vigor- Felice since the ing of their own ous nature, the results gave great satisfaction. mid 1980s and unique grape, Other 25% “We discovered it had all the good qualities has just placed a Sangiovese, with that are missing in Sangiovese,” says Bel- small order of 60 other varieties – to lacini. “More intense and stable colour and cases of Arkeos (a bring more colour, Italy 41% blessed with velvety smooth tannins showing Brunello/Pugnitello Russia 4% more structure, remarkably complex aromas, making it ideal blend) through On- Switzerland 4% richer tannins to blend to Sangiovese or as a monovarietal.” tario’s Government Germany 5% and greater depth Once harvested and pressed, Pugnitello Monopoly market. and complexity. ferments for 20 to 25 days on the skins at According to Han- Cabernet has re- Canada 9% 30°C and is then aged 18 to 20 months in na, Pugnitello does USA 12% ally been one of French oak barriques, followed by eight not really compete the grapes that, in months ageing in the bottle.