Querciabella - Chianti 2018
Querciabella is located in Tuscany, Italy. In 1974, Giuseppe Castiglioni, an industrial entrepreneur and lifelong wine lover, bought a single hectare of vineyard on a Tuscan hillside and set about creating an estate. His son, Sebastiano Cossia Castiglioni converted the estate to organic viticulture in 1988, making Querciabella one of the first winery in Italy to employ this practice. In the year 2000, Sebastiano introduced a 100% plant‑based approach to biodynamics that forbids the use of animal products on the vineyards or in the cellars. Once again, Querciabella was an innovator in the industry and an inspiration in the region. Today, the vineyards spread over 100 hectares; 74 hectares in the Chianti Classico DOCG and 32 hectares in the Maremma DOC.
Querciabella Chianti Classico has been the centrepiece of Querciabella’s winemaking operations since the winery’s debut. The 2018 is made from Sangiovese harvested from high altitude vineyards in three of the finest communes of the appellation: Greve, Radda and Gaiole in Chianti. Each expression of Sangiovese brings specific nuances to the blend: Greve delivers a fresher fruit and vibrancy; Radda exhibits persistent tannins, a good lift of acidity and darker fruit notes due to the high presence of galestro in the soil; in Gaiole, wines show riper fruit aromas, more density and the highest acidity of all three thanks to the alberese soils. The wine is aged for 12 months in fine to extra fine-grained oak barriques(225 litres) and tonneaux (500 litres), 10% of which are new. The 2018 vintage is one of the most harmonious vintages of the last decade due to regular weather patterns and a prolonged ripening season that lasted well into perfect Autumn days. The wine will reach maturity 4 to 5 years after harvest and will continue to evolve for at least another 10 years.
Grape variety: 100% Sangiovese