Deep ruby-garnet color; plum, blackcurrant, cherry, blueberry, oak, vanilla, tobacco, licorice, leather on the nose and palate.
Dry; smooth-but-noticeable tannins reflecting the dominance of merlot; balancing acidity. Assertive black fruits from initial attack through the long, powerful finish. Benefits from time in glass; decanting recommended. Full body. Super Tuscan blend of 95% merlot, 5% cabernet sauvignon harvested from the oldest merlot parcel of the vineyard owned by San Felice located in Le Sondraie area of Bolgheri. Fermented on the skins for 25 days—thus the very deep ruby-garnet color; aged 18 months in French oak. 15% ABV
San Felice includes three famous Tuscany estates. Production reaches more than one million bottles—more than one million of Chianti, 80,000 of Brunello, 40,000 of Rosso de Montalcino, and 55,000 of Bolgheri (includes this effort). There are 16 labels. All San Felice wines are made using estate-owned grapes. The San Felice territory is just south of Florence, except for two that are south of Siena near the Tyrrhenian Sea—Bolgheri Province—where these grapes were grown. The website notes: “Bolgheri is poised majestically by the sea with vines planted in the silt-sand soils.”
The website continues: “San Felice’s Bolgheri estate covers six hectares [almost 15 acres]. Bolgheri has long been famed for the breathtaking five kilometre [just over three miles] Cypress avenue lined with 2,540 trees It was immortalized by the Italian Nobel Prize winner Giosuè Carducci in his poem ‘Davanti San Guido’, which personifies the Cypress trees as giant youths, running and leaping. Today the San Felice estate is renowned for two highly prestigious wines, Bolgheri and Bolgheri Superiore.”
San Felice Bell’Aja Bolgheri Superiore DOC 2019 delivers rich, dark, concentrated fruits in a Super Tuscan package dominated by merlot. This is no namby-pamby merlot; aggressive flavors; brooding presence in the mouth. Fully justifies the “super” in Super Tuscan designation. Decanting recommended. Pair with pasta dishes; beef—grilled, roasted, stewed; lamb; pork—pork shoulder, baby back ribs; veal; wild game—venison, boar. Cheese—with its merlot base, this is versatile wine for cheese pairing; gorgonzola, stilton, creamy brie, parmesan, munster, gouda, pecorino romano, manchego, colby, blue cheese, aged white cheddar, camembert. $50-65
