Querciabella Chianti Classico DOCG

Tuscany, Italy

Vintage:2021 (Current)

2019 (Past) | 2020 (Past) |

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Querciabella Chianti Classico DOCG 2021
  • JD 93
  • JS 93
  • V 93
  • WS 93

Reviews

Wine Spectator 93 Points October 2024, Bruce Sanderson

This red is precise, offering cherry, raspberry, rose, iron and tobacco flavors fused to a steely, dense and vibrant structure. Balanced and intense, building to a long aftertaste infused with fruit and mineral notes. Best from 2026 through 2045.

Jeb Dunnuck 93 Points January 2024, Audrey Frick

A saturated purple/magenta hue, the 2021 Chianti Classico is lush and fresh with aromas of black raspberry, black cherry, violet, and fresh leather. Plush and inviting, with bright acidity along the sides of the palate shining through, it offers a velvety texture with a long finish. It’s polished but not oaky and has a very refined feel, with medium to full body and a long and balanced finish. Drink 2026-2040.

JamesSuckling.com 93 Points June 2023, James Suckling

This has a fresh character with ripe cherries and raspberries as well as dried flowers, bark and stones. Polished and textural with a medium body and vivid acidity. Focused and fresh with chalky tannin structure and a linear finish with notes of citrus and minerals. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.

Vinous Media 93 Points June 2023, Antonio Galloni

The 2021 Chianti Classico is fabulous. Bright and punchy, with terrific resonance, this wine shows just how compelling the vintage is. Readers will find a Chianti Classico of dynamic energy and volume. Dark red cherry, purplish fruit, lavender, rose petal, spice and a gentle kiss of French oak build into the sumptuous, vibrant finish. Superb. The 2021 was aged in 500-liter barrels (5-6% new) for 14 months and is a blend of fruit from Greve, Gaiole and Radda.

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.

A wine and food lover's delight, Querciabella’s Chianti Classico represents the pinnacle of high-altitude, perfectly exposed Sangiovese fruit. A balancing act of crisp, inviting acidity, pure varietal fruit flavor and character deriving from sourcing the grapes from top sites in three of Chianti’s best sub-zones: Greve, Radda, and Gaiole.

In Greve, the Sangiovese enjoys 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 meters) and progressively become looser and more draining as they reach close to 550 meters. Similar characteristics can be found in Radda (450 meters), but the higher presence of galestro slate results in wines of persistent tannins and darker fruit profiles. At 500 meters, 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.

Winemaking

Grapes are carefully selected in the vineyards, and harvested by hand into 9kg crates. They are destemmed, never crushed, then conveyed into temperature-controlled stainless steel vats, where alcoholic fermentation and maceration take place. Maceration lasts about 12 days. After completing full malolactic fermentation, the wine is transferred into barriques and tonneaux.

The wine is regularly racked and tasted during the entire 12-month maturation period. At the end of the élevage, the best lots are selected through extensive tasting and assembled to create the final blend. After bottling, the wine rests for at least three months before release.

No animal products or byproducts are used in the production of this wine, making it suitable for vegans and vegetarians.

Harvest Notes

The unusually mild winter weather and warm and dry conditions in February and March led to an early budburst. Unfortunately, in April, the temperatures dropped and caused some frost damage, resulting in a lower yield. The rest of the spring season was well within the norm, with sufficient rainfall in May. The summer was hot and dry, delaying grape development. Fortunately, without the heat spikes of the previous year and just the right amount of rain at the end of August and mid- September, the beautiful Tuscan sun allowed us to wait for the perfect time to start picking. As a result of a prolonged but harmonious ripening, the wines from the 2021 harvest exhibit the signature vibrancy and finesse that we always strive for.

Food Pairing

Enjoyable now with classic Tuscan dishes as well as fish and sashimi. Will reach maturity four to five years after harvest and will continue to evolve for at least another ten years.

Technical Information

Varietals: 100% Sangiovese

Wine Alcohol: 14%

Titratable Acidity: 6.47 g/L

pH: 3.32

Harvest End Date: October 1, 2021

Bottling Date: October 21, 2021

Aging: 12 months in fine to extra fine-grained oak barriques (225L) and tonneaux (500L)