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Viinin Kuvailu
The Story
Querciabella, in Italian, means “beautiful oak”. Our winery in the Chianti Classico region is surrounded by them and they are intrinsic to the flavour of our entire business.
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.
Querciabella Chianti Classico Riserva is the perfect blend of the estate’s best parcels of Sangiovese from vineyards in Greve, Radda and Gaiole in Chianti. Through a rigorous micro-vinification regime, we are keen to explore and exalt their minute details to bring our varietal expression of Sangiovese to a superior level.
Our refined ability to blend harmoniously single Cru wines is paramount in crafting a Chianti Classico Riserva of great complexity, drinkability and finesse. True to the saying that ‘the whole should be greater than the sum of its parts, we blend Sangiovese from Greve where vineyards range from 350 to 550 metres a.s.l., with grapes from Radda’s high altitude stony sites and Gaiole’s limestone-rich soils. Every plot has different nuances brought out by our vegan biodynamics and then carried through into the cellar with individual fermentation and barreling.
2011 was the first vintage we released as a designated “Riserva” since 1999. The reception from our clients and the press has been outstanding. Daniele Cernilli of Doctor Wine described the 2013 vintage of Querciabella Riserva as the “perfect Chianti Classico” when he awarded the wine 99 points; most recently, Querciabella Riserva 2016 was awarded the highest score in its category by Walter Speller during its extensive report of Chianti Classico Collection.
No animal products or byproducts are used in the production of this wine, making it suitable for vegans and vegetarians.
Appellation: Chianti Classico DOCG Riserva
First vintage: 2011
Variety: 100% Sangiovese
Viticulture: Plant-based biodynamics
Certifications: Vegan, Organic
Average yield (wine): 30 hl/ha
Ageing: 16 months in French oak barriques and tonneaux
Annual production: 10,000 bottles
Average alcohol content: 14.0%
Vineyards: In Greve, our vineyards of Sangiovese enjoy a natural south-orientation. The soils, typically composed of sandstone rocks and sands obtained from the flaking of galestro, are richer in clay at lower altitudes (350 – 400 m a.s.l.) and progressively become looser and more draining as they reach close to 550 m a.s.l. Similar characteristics can be found in Radda (450 m a.s.l.), but the higher presence of galestro slate results in wines of persistent tannins and darker fruit profiles.
At 500 m a.s.l., the soils in Gaiole are rich in calcium carbonate and deliver a riper expression of the Sangiovese fruit and a marked acidity thanks to the presence of limestone rocks, also known as Albarese.
Food pairing: Querciabella Riserva shows the dashing side of Sangiovese with a magnificent body and structural components.
Concentrated and vibrant, this wine suggests a dish that lets its complexity shine like vegan Eggplant Parmigiana or Braised Cannellini beans with escarole and Beyond Meat® sausages.
Vuosikerta 2011
PIEDMONT – Barolo, Barbaresco, Alba, Langhe & Roero
The 2011 vintage will be remembered as unconventional with its very early harvest and not overly high yields in the vineyard.
The winter was par for the course in terms of both temperatures and rainfall, with the latter intensifying above-all in March (an average for the month of 176 mm, compared to approx. 90 mm in 2010), providing a good early supply of water in the soil.
High temperatures in April – with maximums of over 20°C and an average for the month of 16°C compared to 13°C in the previous year – brought the start of the growth season forward. In the Langa and Roero the first stages in the vegetative development occurred at least two weeks earlier than usual. Between the end of June and the beginning of July average daily temperatures were not particularly high (22°C), though this did not slow down the physiological development of the vine.
In short, in terms of climatic indices no significant differences are to be noted with respect to the norm, whereas the heat pattern was unquestionably particular, distinguished as it was by periods of high temperatures and others which were cooler. Healthwise the vintage can certainly be said to have been very positive, requiring no particular intervention by growers and producing healthy grapes with just a few prudent treatments. Worth mentioning is flavescence dorée, which was encountered more this year than in previous vintages. Very high average daily temperatures were recorded during August (as much as 30°C and above). Although this was not an issue for the physiological development of the vine, partly thanks to the water reserves resulting from late spring and early summer rainfall, it did have repercussions on the quantity of the grapes approaching véraison, causing a loss in weight. This was most evident in the early-ripening varieties and on slopes facing south-southwest.
In this climatic context, the ripening of the grapes was fairly uneven, and in some areas there was an overlap in the ideal time for harvesting different varieties. This meant that the skill of growers in identifying the right moment for picking each single vineyard became fundamental. The picking of the white varieties started as early as the beginning of August with the Chardonnay for the base for sparkling wine, and extended through until late September with the Arneis. The result was wines of considerable structure showing surprising bouquets. Dolcetto was generally the variety that found it harder to cope with the summer heat, especially in the more wellexposed positions where the grapes began to dry out, considerably reducing yields. In higher, cooler areas these symptoms had less effect, and though the yields were lower the quality was unquestionably excellent, producing wines with balance and body, and packed with colour.
For the varieties with a longer life cycle, such as Barbera and above-all Nebbiolo, the rain which fell during the first week of September (approx. 20mm) was truly providential, and combined with the lowering of night-time temperatures this allowed for the reaching of excellent balance in the phenolic components of the grapes, facilitating their ripening and resulting in good balance with technological maturity. And it is this balance between the various components which is the most interesting and difficult aspect of this vintage to interpret: the balance between the sugars and acids, without forgetting the critical phenolic component, especially in the medium-long ageing wines. For Barbera, the vintage was very positive: thanks to the heat at the end of August and September, there was a reduction in the variety’s typical acidity, while the sugar content increased slightly along with the phenolic substances which provide excellent structure and balance. Without question, the variety that adapted best to the vintage was, once again, Nebbiolo. The grapes arrived in the winery with all the properties sought after in this area’s great wines: low yields in the vineyard, and an excellent amount of tannins and good colour, as well as a truly interesting aromatic profile. This vintage was certainly very challenging for growers from an agronomical point of view. Choosing the best practices to follow to achieve the right balance between vine, soil and climate was fundamental, as was adapting to the climatic situation and taking action accordingly. Excellent results were achieved where this balance was found, and great wines can justifiably be expected.