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Wine Description
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.
