Querciabella Chianti Classico Riserva
Tuscany, Italy
Vintage:2015 (Past)
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Reviews
Wine & Spirits 90 Points
“This sangiovese includes fruit from biodynamically farmed plots in the Greve, Gaiole and Radda. It shows good freshness for the vintage, with a pleasantly tart edge to the red and black cherry flavors, and muscular tannins that will benefit from a year or two of cellaring.”
Wine Spectator 94 Points
“This red is solid, with a dense structure supporting flavors of cherry, plum, iron and tobacco. Powerful, yet stays within a slim frame, expanding a little on the earth-and mineral-tinged aftertaste. Best from 2021 through 2036.”
Decanter 93 Points
“Biodynamically farmed, organically certified, vegetarian and vegan friendly: this ticks all the boxes. A blend of selected lots from parcels in Greve, Gaiole and Radda-in-Chianti, Querciabella's Riserva is barrique-aged in 20% new wood. The oak is effortlessly digested by the dense, concentrated fruit and imparts subtle toast and cedar nuances. Clean, focussed and precise red forest berries are at the fore. The tannins are still rather imposing but are ultimately refined and balanced, and time will allow the wine to reveal its full personality.”
Vinous Media 90+ Points
“The 2015 Chianti Classico Riserva is one of the more reticent wines of the vintage. There is good depth and structure in the glass, but the tannins are a bit firm, while the wine is quite unyielding. It will be interesting to see if the 2015 opens up with time in the glass. My impression today is that the tannins may be a bit too big for the wine's mid-weight frame. We will see.”
Overview
Querciabella Chianti Classico Riserva is the perfect blend of the estate’s best parcels of Sangiovese from vineyards in Greve, Radda and Gaiole in Chianti. Through meticulous site selection and a rigorous micro-vinification regime, winemaker Manfred Ing is keen to explore and exalt their minute details to bring our varietal expression of Sangiovese to a superior level.
A new take on a past tradition, which culminated with the 1999 vintage, Querciabella's Chianti Classico Riserva returned to the Querciabella range with limited bottlings of the 2011 vintage.
Winemaking
The Riserva, a blend of exceptional lots of grapes from the communes of Greve, Radda and Gaiole, is one of the fruits of an unprecedented effort led by Querciabella to identify the finest sub-zones for the cultivation of Sangiovese across the region.
The grapes are picked by hand using 9kg crates. Élevage is carried out in 225-liter French oak barrels and 500-liter tonneaux for 14-16 months, of which 20% are new.
No animal products or byproducts are used in the production of this wine, making it suitable for vegans and vegetarians.
Harvest Notes
Ample rain and cool temperatures in the wineter were followed by dry, perfect spring conditions which lead to even bud burst throughout the valley. Summer was dry with sporadic rainfall. Heat spike early in the summer kept bunches small, resulting in a lower yield and beautiful fruit concentration with lively acidity.
Food Pairing
Enjoyable now. Will reach maturity five to six years after harvest and will continue to evolve for at least another fifteen years. The ideal serving temperature is 57° to 64°F.
Technical Information
Varietals: 100% Sangiovese
Wine Alcohol: 14.5%
Titratable Acidity: 5.45 g/L
pH: 3.45
Harvest Start Date: September 12, 2015
Harvest End Date: October 7, 2015
Aging: 14-16 months in fine to extra fine-grained French oak barrels and tonneaux of which 20% new