Querciabella Batàr

Vintage:2022 (Current)

2020 (Past) | 2021 (Past) |

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Querciabella Batàr 2022
  • V 92
  • JR 17/20

Reviews

JancisRobinson.com 17/20 Points December 2024, Jancis Robinson

Mid yellowish straw. Waxy and herbal on the nose with good structure and rich palate entry but with density counterbalanced by suitable acidity. A hint of lime on the end. Broad-beamed and long but I'd love to see this with a little more bottle age and development. I have based my suggested drinking dates on the results of this tasting. This is a white to accompany all sorts of savoury dishes – with creamy sauces perhaps.

Vinous Media 92 Points July 2024, Antonio Galloni

The 2022 Batàr is airy, fresh and nuanced. Hints of tangerine oil, mint, lemon peel, almond and dried flowers are all nicely lifted in this aromatic, refreshing white. The style continues to move in the direction of energy and vibrancy. These days, there's minimal lees-stirring and just a hint of new oak, a response to changing climate conditions and stylistic preferences. This is beautifully done and also quite expressive, especially for a wine that was just bottled.

Overview

Founded in 1974, Querciabella enjoys the acclaim of the world’s most discriminating critics and consumers for wines such as Camartina, Batàr, Palafreno and Querciabella Chianti Classico. In its uncompromising pursuit of quality, sustainability and authenticity, Querciabella has continually honed its approach to biodynamic viticulture for over a decade. With vineyards located throughout Tuscany’s Chianti Classico and Maremma areas, Querciabella exemplifies the mindful preservation of tradition through forward-thinking, albeit completely natural, winemaking. 

Vintage after vintage, Querciabella’s forward-thinking winemaking has evolved beyond the hedonistic idea of succeeding at growing foreign white grapes, albeit noble, in a stronghold of red wines to focus on expressing a specific sense of place. Clearly, Batàr’s inherent vitality and classic minerality derive from the high elevation vineyards of Ruffoli and the Galestro soil typical of Chianti Classico’s best sites.

Winemaking

Batàr’s Chardonnay owes its flinty minerality and precision to the prevalence of galestro in two distinct south-facing sites: Casaocci Sud, at an altitude of 350 meters, and Il Pallonaio, Querciabella’s highest vineyards at 600 meters, where more sandstones are present. The Pinot Bianco grows on cooler north-facing plots around 400 meters, where the galestro has broken down into clay and schist. These denser and fresher soils contribute to shaping the renown textural quality of Batàr. The vineyards from which Batàr is sourced have been cultivated organically since 1988, and in 2000 have undergone a full conversion to biodynamic techniques.

Grapes are harvested by hand in 9kg crates. Once alcoholic and malolactic fermentation are complete, Batàr continues to mature in the same barriques on its own yeast for nine months. Bâtonnage is carried out weekly. Fine and extra fine-grained French oak Burgundy barriques (228 liters) are used, 20% new.

Harvest Notes

Batàr 2022 dazzles with a vivacity that defies the vintage’s intensity. The growing season presented extremes and challenges: following a warm winter that prompted early vine development, our high altitude vineyards narrowly avoided late spring frost damage. A scorching summer with record-breaking temperatures and minimal rainfall pushed the vines to their limits, but timely August rains rejuvenated them, leading to an exceptional white grape harvest.

Food Pairing

Enjoyable upon release, though it is recommended to wait four years after harvest for more complex notes to emerge. This wine continues to develop and evolve for over 20 years. The ideal serving temperature is 43° to 47°F.
 

Technical Information

Varietals: 50% Chardonnay, 50% Pinot Blanc

Wine Alcohol: 14%

Titratable Acidity: 4.93 g/L

pH: 3.29

Harvest Start Date: August 29, 2022

Harvest End Date: September 13, 2022

New Oak: 20%