This is spiced and racy with dark cherries, currants, savory herbs, walnuts and sandalwood. Medium- to full-bodied with ripe, powdery tannins, juicy acidity and a mineral backbone on the palate. Bright and fruit-forward in the finish. Drink or hold.

The San Felice 2019 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Il Grigio (made with 80% Sangiovese and 20% complementary indigenous grapes) stands out due to its velvety richness and expressive flavor profile. The wine delivers measured intensity with bright purple and black fruits, a good sense of energy and drive, and some lingering spiciness on the close. It is rich but not heavy. Production is 30,000 bottles.

The 2018 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Il Grigio offers a solid medium-term drinking window, and the wine should continue to evolve over the next few years. There is a rusty mineral note of red brick or iron ore at the start, and the bouquet eventually reverts to black fruit, spice and crushed flowers. This vintage shows more tannic firmness and structure to hold it together, imparting an elegant and polished impression to the palate.

The 2017 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Il Grigio has some faded fruit (and a lighter ruby color) as a result of the hot vintage. There is dried cherry, crème de cassis and baked plum. Savory spice and earthy tones also appear. However, the wine bounces back to life in the palate thanks to natural acidity from high-elevation vineyards (located at 450 to 470 meters above sea level) and gentle tannins. The blend is 80% Sangiovese with 20% complementary grapes, including Abrusco (a wild cousin of Colorino), Pugnitello, Malvasia Nera, Ciliegiolo and Mazzese. Surprisingly, the alcohol content at 13.5% is less compared to 2018. This is a more accessible wine with 26,000 bottles released.

A strong release of 40,000 bottles, the San Felice 2016 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Il Grigio reveals a dark garnet color with medium rich concentration. The bouquet is centered on dark fruit with some dried tones of earth, tarry smoke and crushed rose. The fruit aromas are on the dry and lean side, and the tannins are also a bit evolved. For these reasons, I suggest a near-term drinking window so that you can grasp the fruit while it is still freshest.