Many Happy Returns

This familiar holiday greeting also effectively communicates what we often experience, namely, the return of a favorite wine after a hiatus. There are too many reasons to explain as to why a wine might not be on our shelves from one vintage to the next. However, when it's an outstanding wine from a favorite winery in Tuscany, we simply celebrate it's return.

San Felice is that favorite winery. Agricola San Felice is recognized as an innovative estate, partly because of its ability to spot trends before they develop and partly because of its intense research and experimentation. At the same time, however, its production style accentuates the uniqueness and typical character of its territory by retaining a close attachment to tradition.

We've long enjoyed their Chianti's and Rosso's. For their Brunello, the Campogiovanni vineyards are situated on the southern side of Montalcino, where the unique combination of microclimate and soil composition create the ideal ripening conditions for sangiovese. Campogiovanni is a traditional Brunello, conditioned for an average of three years in Slavonian oak barrels and 500-liter tonneaux, and then for 12 months in the bottle. It stands out for its finesse and longevity.

The 2010 San Felice Brunello di Montalcino Campogiovanni is something you should consider adding to your collection. 96 points from James Suckling: "Perfect aromas to this red with licorice, stone, peach pit, plum, leather and iron. Full body, fine, silky tannins that support a deep, rich fruit concentration showing black fruit, Tuscan dust and oyster shell. Needs four or five years to soften but an amazing finish."

95 points from Wine Spectator. "Black cherry, black currant, cedar and tobacco flavors highlight this firm, dense red. This has the fruit, structure and harmony to develop, with a juicy finish and a lingering wild herb and mineral aftertaste. Best from 2018 through 2033."

While our weekly feature is the 750ml size; this is also available in the 1.5 liter Magnum size.