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Viinin Kuvailu
The Story
Batàr is a name that has evolved over time. Between 1988 and 1991, the wine was called Bâtard-Pinot and was a blend of Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris. Between 1992 and 1994, the name was Bâtard (without ‘-Pinot’), because Chardonnay had been added to the blend. In 1995 the name was changed to Batàr, in order to avoid confusion with French AOCs of Burgundy, whose names contain the word ‘Bâtard’ (Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet, Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet and Bâtard-Montrachet).
The label was designed by Sebastiano Cossia Castiglioni, and features exclusive artwork from Italian painter Bernardino Luino.
The typeface Simona was designed by Jane Patterson and John Downer for Querciabella’s exclusive and proprietary use.
Appellation: Toscana IGT
First vintage: 1988
Grapes: Chardonnay & Pinot Bianco
Viticulture: Plant-based biodynamics
Certifications: Vegan, Organic
Average yield (wine): 25 hl/ha
Vinification: Barrel-fermented, 9 months in French oak
Annual production: 15,000 bottles
Average alcohol content: 13.5% vol.
Vineyards:
Batàr originates from vineyards situated close to the winery in Ruffoli, Greve in Chianti, between 350–600 m above sea level.
The Chardonnay comes from two distinct sites: the south-facing slopes of Casaocci Sud and the winery’s higher vineyard, Il Pallonaio. At 350 m a.sl., the galestro soils of the Casaocci Sud vineyard are flakey, hardened schist-rich clays that confer ideal fruit concentration and intense floral notes. Reaching an elevation of 600 m a.s.l., the galestro soils of Il Pallonaio, with their high presence of sandstone, give the Chardonnay grapes distinct, flinty gun-smoke minerality, lime zing, freshness, and tension.
Batàr’s Pinot Blanc grows on the cooler north-facing slopes beneath our cellar at 400 m a.s.l. where the galestro has broken down into its clay and schist components. These denser soils add to the wine its characteristic textural richness, creaminess and volume along with pleasant citrus notes.
Background:
“A white Tuscan wine that is just as prized as the top red wines of the region”, Batàr enjoys the cult following of an iconic wine.
Widely recognised by critics around the world as the ultimate white Super Tuscan and one of Italy’s greatest white wines, the illustrious Hugh Johnson once described it as “a dream of a white” worth comparing with a Burgundy Grand Cru. In the words of Jancis Robinson MW OBE more like a “particularly successful Corton-Charlemagne than Bâtard-Montrachet”.
Reminiscent of Burgundy, no doubt, yet with unmistakable Tuscan authenticity. Vintage after vintage, Querciabella’s forward-thinking winemaking has evolved beyond the hedonistic idea of succeeding at growing foreign white grapes, albeit noble, in a stronghold of red wines to focus on expressing a specific sense of place. Clearly, Batàr’s inherent vitality and classic minerality derive from the high elevation vineyards of Ruffoli and the Galestro soil typical of Chianti Classico’s best sites.
The legendary ability of Batàr to defy age and improve over time requires a careful combination of hand-selected grapes of Chardonnay and Pinot Bianco, a punctual micro-vinification regime and patient maturation in barrel. The extended time spent on lees in premium French barriques allows the individual lots to develop their best expression. Only when optimal élevage is complete, the final blend comes together through extensive sampling. Further ageing in bottle, before its release, puts the seal on the layered texture that defines Batàr’s proverbial mouthfeel.
Since 2010, much gentler lees contact and reduced reliance on new oak have defined a distinct freshness and brought to the fore citrus and exotic fruit, with creamy notes now providing a beguiling background.
No animal products or byproducts are used in the production of this wine, making it suitable for vegans and vegetarians.
Vuosikerta 2018
ITALY 2018 - Evaluation Report
After the gloom of 2017, 2018 saw Italy bounce back, with abundant and healthy harvests in all major wine regions. The total harvest increased by 24% compared to the annus horribilis of 2017, which corresponds to an average year. Typically, picking began about a week later than the exceptionally early 2017 harvest.
Trentino-Alto Adige: 2018 saw a 23% increase in volume compared to the 2017 harvest. Heavy rains at the end of August threatened to compromise the harvest, but a return to warmer weather has allowed to produce healthy grapes. In Mezzacorona in Trentino, the reports from 2018 are extremely positive. Volumes are up 10% compared to average and even more compared to the two previous vintages. Budding took place two weeks later than usual, which made it possible to avoid the risk of spring frosts, which, together with balanced precipitation and continued warm and sunny weather, made it possible to create conditions ideal for a successful harvest. Picking began in mid-August with Chardonnay for Rotari wines and early indications of quality are good, with fresh, aromatic whites and elegant, well-balanced reds expected.
Veneto: After near-perfect conditions during the 2018 growing season, Prosecco producers are hailing this harvest as one of the best ever, certainly in terms of size, with Canevel reporting a ten percent increase in volume compared to 2017. A hot summer followed by a cooler period with some rain in the weeks preceding the harvest allowed the grapes to develop good levels of concentration and acidity. In Masi, volumes returned to average levels after the short 2017 harvest, increasing by ten percent compared to the previous year. The spring was warm and sunny, interspersed with periods of abundant rain, promoting good growth. In total, the precipitation was not higher than the seasonal average and the sparse clusters, due to poor flowering, allowed air to circulate freely around the grapes, which helped avoid the risk of mold. Quality is expected to be particularly high for Amarone from the Valpolicella region as cool, dry weather in September and October provided the ideal conditions for the grape drying process, while Soave also saw an average crop of healthy grapes harvested.
Friuli-Venezia Giulia: Friuli experienced a good harvest, with volumes up sharply compared to 2017. Record temperatures at the start of August accelerated the harvest and provided perfect conditions for picking ripe grapes and healthy. Masi began harvesting Pinot Grigio and Verduzzo on August 16 and completed picking Merlot and Refosco during the last week of September, recording a 15% increase in size compared to 2017.
Piedmont: Piedmont had an extremely successful 2018, with volumes up 35% compared to the previous year. The harvest has been a success across the region, with Barbera and Nebbiolo all looking good as well as the increasingly prominent Cortese.
Tuscany and Umbria: Chianti Classico was able to report an extremely successful vintage, with a regular growing season and no extreme weather events leading to a good harvest of healthy and ripe but fresh grapes. Antinori reports that the season passed without excessive heat and with enough rain to encourage plant growth. The harvest size was more normal following the shortages of 2017 and the wines themselves are elegant, with silky tannins, rather than large and powerful as they were in 2017. Bolgheri experienced wet conditions which presented a risk of mildew, which always required careful work in the vineyard.
Marche & Abruzzo: In Matelica, Bisci recorded a slight increase in production. A cold winter was followed by an average spring. The summer was relatively hot, but the extreme heat of 2017 was not felt and precipitation increased compared to the previous year, which helped avoid stress on the vines. The result was a good harvest of ripe and healthy grapes. To the south, in the Montepulciano country, La Valentina experienced a steady winter, with frequent spring and summer rainstorms in Montalcino being just as problematic, with a greater proportion of the crop lost to disease. Umbria saw a 40% increase in volume compared to the previous vintage