Querciabella Wins Remarkable Scores and Reviews on Vinous
It is time, finally, for Antonio Galloni of Vinous to return to Chianti Classico, an appellation he highly regards as one of the world’s top terroir. This year’s review — Chianti Classico and Beyond — focuses on new releases from the appellation, with particular attention on the 2017 and 2018 vintages and a first look at 2019. The article on Vinous also brings attention to what Galloni describes as “the first step in dividing Chianti Classico into specific, defined subzones”: the 11 UGA (Unità Geografica Aggiuntiva or Additional Geographical Units) will allow village names on bottle labels of their Gran Selezione wines and will help explain the diversity of the region.
Concurrent with the UGA, the Consorzio has changed the grape variety regulations within the Gran Selezione category, increasing the minimum requirement for Sangiovese to 90%, and limiting the remaining 10% to grapes that are native to the Chianti Classico area.
“I was thrilled to get back to Chianti Classico this past summer. (…) Much has changed, for obvious reasons, but some things haven’t, chief among them my long-held belief that these are some of the greatest sites in the world.”
—Antonio Galloni
Galloni tasted all the wines featured in the article during a trip to Chianti Classico in June 2021, including wines from neighbouring appellations. Querciabella wine range won remarkable scores for the innate elegance and refined style. The complete review is available on Vinous.
Palafreno 2017 · 96/100
“The 2017 Palafreno, 100% Merlot, from vineyards in Greve, is a wild, exotic wine that marries the natural richness of the year with the structure of this site. Blackberry, licorice, cloves and menthol all build in a resonant, super-expressive Merlot that will tempt readers with its considerable powers of seduction. The 2017 is classy and supremely elegant.” —AG
Camartina 2017 · 95/100
“The 2017 Camartina is going to need a few years to open. That will be helpful as the wine ages, but it also means the Camartina does not have the opulence readers are likely to expect in this warm, dry year. Time in the glass brings out brighter tonalities of fruit and floral overtones that give a good idea to where the 2017 is heading.” —AG
Batàr 2019 · 93/100
“The 2019 Batàr offers up an exotic mélange of tangerine peel, pineapple, spice and passionfruit. The move towards a more refined style here has paid off big-time.” —AG
Querciabella Riserva 2018 · 93/100
“The 2018 Chianti Classico Riserva is a wonderfully polished and expressive wine. Dark cherry, spice, tobacco, cedar, dark cherry, leather and tobacco. Darker, virile and intense the Riserva retains the classic Querciabella mid-weight style. I imagine the 2018 will give readers two decades of very fine drinking.” —AG
Querciabella Chianti Classico 2019 · 91/100
“The 2019 Chianti Classico (100% Sangiovese) is laced with the essence of red/purplish berry fruit, spice, cedar and floral notes. Readers will find a classic expression of both the vintage and the house style in this super-appealing mid-weight Classico.” —AG
Mongrana 2019 · 89/100
“Fresh berry fruit, spice and floral notes give this mid-weight red lovely vibrancy and energy. Aging in cement keeps the flavors lively. This charming coastal red has a ton to offer. And its a fabulous value.” —AG
Querciabella Gran Selezione 2017 · 96+/100
“The purity of the Sangiovese fruit is simply mind-blowing. Fine-grained tannins and an impossibly persistent finish round thins out in style. The new Gran Selezione is one of the most compelling young wines I have ever tasted at Querciabella.” —AG
