World’s renowned wine critic Antonio Galloni finds plenty to admire in Querciabella’s next vintage releases.
It’s not a secret that in 2007 we embarked upon a Single-cru project to identify our best vineyards in Chianti Classico. Through the finest winemaking practices and ideal maturation, the intention was to reflect the particular influence of origin on the texture, flavour, and character of the resulting Sangiovese bottlings.
Vintage after vintage, we have continued to explore the qualities of Sangiovese discreetly but determinedly, advocating for a change in the rules that govern the Chianti Classico appellation that would allow the provenance of the vineyard under the emblem of the Black Rooster. Finally, with the imminent introduction of the UGA, we are a step closer to our final goal: the official recognition of the unique bond between wine and territory.
Querciabella Gran Selezione 2017 is our first release of pure Sangiovese with a vital connection to a specific vineyard site. Its unique character captures the Genius Loci of the hillside of Ruffoli, on the eastern side of the valley above Greve in Chianti, whilst depicting a grander portrait of Chianti Classico itself.
With the 2017 harvest, Sangiovese expressed itself with excellent concentration but with poise and a lightness of touch that almost belied the long hot, dry summer. Manfred, our talented winemaker, was particularly impressed by a parcel of grapes from one of our highest vineyards and felt we could achieve a gentler extraction and a whole new dimension of tannins by applying the “submerged cap” technique, traditional of Piedmont’s finest 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 vigorous capacity for ageing.