Ask Andy about this wine

Italy / Tuscany

Based in Castelnuovo Berardenga, around 30 miles south-east of Florence and at the southern end of the Chianti Classico zone, this reputable estate includes 140 hectares of vineyard, a cellar, around 17,000 olive trees, and a village with a prestigious hotel complex. Winemaker Leonardo Bellaccini crafts a portfolio of wines which is highly regarded and multi award-winning.

At Agricola San Felice, efforts are made to protect the Chianti landscape and the beauty of the village by safeguarding the most significant buildings and the old dry-stone walls. Soil erosion is combatted by maintaining the terracing and constantly analysing variations in flora and microfauna. The vineyards are managed according to methods of precision viticulture, which allow ad hoc treatments for each plant so as to minimise environmental impact and maximise product quality. A school of pruning was founded to help to respect the physiology of the vines and to boost their wellbeing and productivity.

San Felice is 100% self-sufficient in generating all the electricity it requires using both photovoltaic solar panels, saving 285,000 kg of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere each year, and a biomass-fuelled thermal power plant. Sustainability also encompasses participatory projects, such as the one launched by Fondazione Umana Mente which involves young people with disabilities or social problems taking their first steps in the world, and elderly people who want to pass on their skills.