Querciabella Chianti Classico DOCG

Tuscany, Italy

Vintage:2017 (Past)

2018 (Current) | 2019 (Pending)

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Querciabella Chianti Classico DOCG 2017
  • V 92
  • JS 91
  • WE 90
  • JR 17+/20

Reviews

Wine Enthusiast

90 Points

March 1, 2021, Kerin O'Keefe

“Fragrant purple flower, menthol and spice aromas lift out of the glass. It's linear and elegantly structured, offering ripe Marasca cherry, orange zest, licorice and espresso flavors alongside polished, fine-grained tannins. Drink through 2023.”

JancisRobinson.com

17+/20 Points

February 17, 2020, Walter Speller

“Youthful ruby. Classy nose of sweet red fruit, oak and stones and hints of mint. Elegant, juicy and almost a little linear. A wine that contradicts the torrid vintage.”

Vinous Media

92 Points

August 2019, Antonio Galloni

“The 2017 Chianti Classico is bright, floral and beautifully lifted, with lovely red berry and rose petal character. Pliant and supple, with terrific balance, the Querciabella 2017 is one of the more refined, restrained Chianti Classicos readers will come across in this vintage, with Radda very much driving the personality of the wine in its aromatic and red fruit profile. The 2017 finishes with terrific energy and nuance. This is the second vintage in which most of the wine was aged predominantly in 500L barrels and 30HL casks.”

JamesSuckling.com

91 Points

July 20, 2019, James Suckling

“This is a little jammy with lots of ripe fruit and both blueberry and chocolate character. Rich and flavorful, but still fresh and energetic. Shows the warmth of the vintage. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold.”

Overview

Founded in 1974, Querciabella enjoys the acclaim of the world’s most discriminating critics and consumers for wines such as Camartina, Batàr, Palafreno and Querciabella Chianti Classico. In its uncompromising pursuit of quality, sustainability and authenticity, Querciabella has continually honed its approach to biodynamic viticulture for over a decade. With vineyards located throughout Tuscany’s Chianti Classico and Maremma areas, Querciabella exemplifies the mindful preservation of tradition through forward-thinking, albeit completely natural winemaking.

Querciabella’s Chianti Classico represents the pinnacle of high-altitude, perfectly exposed Sangiovese fruit. A balancing act of crisp, inviting acidity, pure varietal fruit flavor and character deriving from sourcing the grapes from top sites in three of the the denomination’s best sub-zones. A wine and food lovers’ delight.

Winemaking

Grapes are carefully selected in the vineyards, and harvested by hand into 9kg crates. They are destemmed, never crushed, then conveyed into temperature-controlled stainless steel vats, where alcoholic fermentation and maceration take place. Maceration lasts about 12 days. After completing full malolactic fermentation, the wine is transferred into barriques and tonneaux.

The wine is regularly racked and tasted during the entire maturation period, which may last up to 14 months. At the end of the élevage, the best lots are selected through extensive tasting and assembled to create the final blend. After bottling, the wine rests for at least three months before release.

No animal products or byproducts are used in the production of this wine, making it suitable for vegans and vegetarians.

Harvest Notes

The 2017 vintage is one of the driest on records. The scarcity of rain, a cold winter, and a long, hot summer limited bunches and berries development, but also kept disease pressure low. Thanks to near-perfect autumn conditions, we harvested healthy grapes with vibrant profiles and depth. The high skin-to-juice ratio of the berries and ripe tannins made it a fine start for elegant wines of tension and structure. Harvest dates: September 6–October 10.

Food Pairing

Enjoyable now with classic Tuscan dishes as well as fish and sashimi. Will reach maturity four to five years after harvest and will continue to evolve for at least another ten years.

Technical Information

Varietals: 100% Sangiovese

Wine Alcohol: 13.5%

Aging: 12 months in fine to extra fine-grained oak barriques (225L) and tonneaux (500L) of which 10% new.