Querciabella - Chianti Classico 2019
Querciabella is located in Tuscany , Italy . In 1974, Giuseppe Castiglioni , an industrial entrepreneur and lifelong wine lover, bought a single hectare of vines 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 wineries in Italy to employ this practice. In 2000, Sebastiano introduced a vegetal approach to biodynamics which prohibited the use of animal products in the vineyards or in the cellar. Once again Querciabella has been an industry innovator and an inspiration to the region. Today, the vineyard covers 100 hectares; 74 hectares in Chianti Classico DOCG and 32 hectares in Maremma DOC.
Querciabella Chianti Classico has been the centerpiece of Querciabella's winemaking operations since its inception. The 2018 is made from Sangiovese harvested from high altitude vineyards in three of the most beautiful communes of the appellation: Greve, Radda and Gaiole in Chianti. Each expression of Sangiovese brings specific nuances to the blend: Greve offers a fresher and more dynamic fruit; Radda presents persistent tannins, a good dose of acidity and more candied fruit notes due to the strong presence of galestro in the soil; in Gaiole, the wines have riper fruit aromas, more density and the highest acidity of the three thanks to the alberese soils. The wine is aged for 12 months in fine to extra fine grain oak barrels (225 litres) and barrels (500 litres) of which 10% are new . The 2019 vintage started with another mild winter followed by a wet spring however, flowering and fruit set went well anticipating a phenomenal harvest in both quality and quantity. The first week of May saw temperatures soar and this heat continued throughout the summer bringing the grapes excellent phenolic maturity.
Varietal: 100% Sangiovese