Fèlsina · Castelnuovo Berardenga, Tuscany
Sangiovese · sour cherry · herbs · bright acidity · savoury
Fèlsina’s Berardenga is a strong benchmark for traditional Chianti Classico: pure Sangiovese, bright acidity and savoury structure rather than a heavily internationalised blend.
Country
Italy
Region
Castelnuovo Berardenga, Tuscany
Appellation
Chianti Classico DOCG
Grapes
Sangiovese
Style
Red
Realistic spend
£20–£28
Budget band: £20–£35
Best moments
A classic food wine for autumn birthdays, Sunday lunch and Italian dinner nights.
Why this wine matters
Fèlsina calls Chianti Classico the cornerstone of the estate. Its vineyards sit in the southeastern part of the appellation at roughly 320–420 metres, giving the wine a clear sense of place as well as a recognisable regional identity.
How it is made
The 100% Sangiovese is fermented and macerated in stainless steel for around 12–15 days, then matured mainly in medium-sized Slavonian oak with a small proportion in used barrels for about 12 months, followed by bottle ageing.
What does it taste like?
Expect sour cherry and red fruit, dried herbs and savoury spice, carried by Sangiovese’s lively acidity and firm but food-friendly tannin.
Serve it well
Serve around 16–18°C. A short period of air is useful, particularly with younger bottles.
If this wine were human…
If Berardenga Chianti Classico were human, it would be comfortable, dependable and more interesting than the word “reliable” usually implies.
Does any of this sound suspiciously familiar?
Comfortable, dependable and more interesting than the word “reliable” usually implies. You notice small details and then pretend you did not, mostly to see whether anyone else does.
At dinner, you are happy to share the bottle, but you definitely noticed who poured themselves the heroic measure. Secretly, you are slightly competitive about having found the good place before everyone else.
In short: comfortable, dependable and more interesting than the word “reliable” usually implies. sangiovese energy, translated into a person.
Purely for fun — this is the wine’s fictional personality, not a psychological reading of yours.
What to eat with it
And the cheese?
Start with this wine and move straight into cheese, or build a whole tasting around it.
Keep exploring
There are 365 more wines where this came from.
This profile is researched against producer or similarly authoritative material. Vintage-specific details are kept separate from the permanent wine identity.
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