If you love rich, dark red wines, you might enjoy San Felice Pugnitello Toscana IGT 2021 from Italy. We fell in love with its dark beauty, heady aromatics, full body, and velvety smoothness. We paired it with filet mignon and tempura onion rings and added a wine reduction sauce on the plate to concentrate the flavors of this gorgeous wine. Saluti!
If the name Pugnitello does not ring any bells when it comes to grape varieties, it is because it is an ancient grape native to the Tuscany region. It is not a grape that is found in most wines; however, it is beautiful and a standout with its deep, rich color, heady aromatics, full-body, and velvety smoothness on the finish. The name in Italian translates as little fist, due to the shape of its bunches.
San Felice notes “Following its rediscovery, it has been researched in collaboration with the universities of Florence and Pisa, in San Felice’s experimental vineyard. The wine is the fruit of 20 years of study and experimentation focused on saving native Tuscan grapes from extinction. Pugnitello is noteworthy for its distinctive characteristics, smoothness, and full-bodied concentration.”
San Felice Pugnitello Toscana IGT 2021 Information
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Grape Varietal:
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100% Pugnitello
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Country:
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Italy
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Region:
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Tuscany
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Alcohol:
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13.5%
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Total Acidity:
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5,6 g/l
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Residual Sugar:
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<0,5 g/l
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Serving Temperature:
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64 degrees Fahrenheit/18 degrees Celsius
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Cellaring:
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15-20 years
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Produced by:
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San Felice
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Estate Bottled by:
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Società Agricola San Felice S.P.A.
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Imported by:
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Total Beverage Solution, Mt. Pleasant, SC, USA
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Retail:
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$50/bottle
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Bottle Notes: “Pugnitelo, an ancient grape variety with a small fist-shaped bunch, is closely linked to San Felice’s talent for research, with its distinctive characters of originality, softness, aromatics complexity and longevity, it is released in purity.”
Technical Notes: “The 2021 vintage was characterized by a regular seasonal pattern. The harvest was in line with previous years, with high quality and healthy grapes. The grapes were harvested in the first week in October. Vinification and Maturation Notes: 20–25-day fermentation on the skins at 86 degrees Fahrenheit/30 degrees Celsius, followed by malolactic fermentation and 18-20 months maturation in 225-litre French oak barriques, then 8 months aging in the bottle.”
Tasting Notes: The color is velvety, deep, dark ruby red. Heady aromatics greet the nose with sensuous earthy, dark, and tobacco notes that deliciously follow on the palate. This is a stunning wine that tempts and entices the palate with each sip. While we drank a bottle of the 2021 vintage late in 2025, 4 years into its cellaring, it can be cellared for a period of 15-20 years, so this is a wine that you might like to pick up several bottles, some to drink now, and then again over time.
Pairing Suggestions: Meat-sauced first courses, roast poultry, and veal.
Luxury Experience – Wine Pairing – Filet Mignon, Tempura Onion Rings
The Pairing: Luxury Experience – Filet Minon and Tempura Onion Rings – We paired this rich wine with filet mignon with tempura onions rings and reduced wine sauce on the plate for extra flavor.
For the wine sauce, we added 1 cup (8-ounces) of beef bouillon and 2-ounces of the San Felice Pugnitello Toscana IGT 2021 to a small saucepan, brought the liquid to a boil, and reduced it to 4 ounces (one half cup), to create an intense, rich and flavorful sauce to enhance the flavors of the meat and bring out the nuances of the wine.
Presentation: We placed the filet mignon in the center of the plate, placed the tempura onion rings around the meat, and added a wine sauce dot on the plate in the center of each of the onion rings.
Until next time, Saluti and Buon appetito!
For more information on San Felice and their impressive collection of wines, please visit their website: www.sanfelice.com
San Felice
Società Agricola San Felice S.p.A.
Località San Felice, 53019 Castelnuovo Berardegna (Siena)
Italy
Telephone: +39-0577-39911
Fax: +39-0577-359223
Email: info@sanfelice.com
Website: www.sanfelice.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/SanFeliceOfficial
Instagram: www.Instagram.com/sanfelice_official @sanfelice_official
Imported By: Total Beverage Solution
Website: www.TotalBeverageSolution.com
Instagram: www.Instagram.com/tbsbrands/?hl=en @tbsbrands
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