Great things come to those who wait. After much anticipation, we are proud to release Querciabella Gran Selezione 2017.
It’s no secret that in 2007 we embarked upon a Single-cru project. The aim was to showcase Sangiovese’s natural elegance, vitality, and the essential value of what the Latins called Genius Loci. What began as an experiment and a challenge evolved into years of constant but calculated steps to identify our best vineyards in Chianti Classico. We then applied the finest winemaking and maturation practices to enhance the particular influence of origin on the texture, flavour and character of the wine.
After much anticipation, we are excited to be able to share the fruits of our explorations and discoveries: a single vineyard Sangiovese, unique to our hillside in Ruffoli, Greve in Chianti.
Decades of experience with painstaking site selection and small-batch vinification enable us to truly understand and exalt our vineyards,to give them a voice, and to unlock their full potential. We are building our legacy on this incredible work.
—Roberto Lasorte, CEO Querciabella
Capturing the Genius Loci
In Latin, a Genius Loci was the protective spirit of a place. The modern-day usage, however, refers to a location’s distinctive atmosphere and defining characteristics or, in wine terms, the terroir.
Querciabella Gran Selezione 2017 is a wine with a vital connection to a distinct vineyard on the hillside of Ruffoli, where we grow Sangiovese on Galestro soils at over 500 m a.s.l. With its unique character, it captures the essence of this site whilst depicting a grander portrait of Chianti Classico itself.
A bit of background
Discovering the singular beauty of a site, unique in its extraordinary quality, and then transforming it into a bottle of wine is something we have mastered over the years at Querciabella. under the emblem of the Gallo Nero (Black Rooster).
Up until a short time ago, it was not possible to mention on a Gallo Nero (Black Rooster) label the exact origin of the grapes. So, for many years we discreetly continued to explore the extraordinary site-specific qualities of Sangiovese, all the while advocating for a change.
Although this meant waiting over a decade for the evolution of the Chianti Classico appellation rules, at last, we welcome the introduction of specific geographical indications (UGAs), as a decisive step to exalt the unique bond between wine and territory.
A daring talent for greatness
With the 2017 harvest, Sangiovese expressed itself with excellent concentration, poise and a lightness of touch that almost contradicts the long hot dry summer. Our talented winemaker Manfred Ing, inspired by the quality of a parcel of grapes from one of our highest vineyards, felt we could achieve a gentler extraction and a whole new dimension of tannins by applying the “submerged cap” technique found in some of Piedmont’s traditional wines.
This gambit proved to be wonderfully successful: a balanced wine, with a bright personality and delicate tannins that transmit immediate pleasure, showing at the same time a generous capacity for ageing.
