San Felice, Chianti Classico (Tuscany, Italy) “Borgo” 2022 ($33, Total Beverage Solution)

This is excellent Chianti Classico, and my only concern about it is that I may have under-scored it due to tasting it alongside the celestial 2021 Chianti Classico Riserva “La Pieve” from this same producer. However, the price difference of $17 needed to take a step up from this $33 wine to the $50 suggested retail price for the “La Pieve” is a bigger leap than many consumers can be comfortable with, and this wine offers an indisputably delicious alternative. It is very appealing both aromatically and in terms of flavor, with notes of dried cherries, toast, spices, and savory notes recalling dried herbs, carpaccio, and fresh mushrooms. That’s a lot of complexity for thirty-three bucks, and on top of that, the structural proportions of this are just right, with freshening acidity, a little whiff of wood, and just enough tannic grip to frame the fruit without drying out the finish.
93 Michael Franz