Querciabella Turpino

Toscana IGT, Italy

Vintage:2019 (Current)

2015 (Past) | 2017 (Past) |

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Querciabella Turpino 2019
  • WE 94
  • V 93
  • JS 92

Reviews

Wine Enthusiast 94 Points November 1, 2023, Danielle Callegari

The remarkably layered nose, with the cherries and strawberries of summer flowing into September's new pencils and notebooks, then evolving into the grassy, herbal, slightly floral smell of soil on the last warm day of autumn. The palate is full of cherries before finishing with bitter orange peel and dark chocolate.
 

JamesSuckling.com 92 Points June 13, 2022, James Suckling

Fresh aromas of cherries and orange peel follow through to a medium body with firm tannins and a bright finish. The tannins are a little firm now. Citrusy acidity. From organically grown grapes. Vegan. Try after 2023.

Vinous Media 93 Points June 2022, Antonio Galloni

The 2019 Turpino, Querciabella's top wine from Maremma, is understated and yet quite expressive. Black cherry, plum, mocha, spice and licorice are nicely lifted by a good dose of Cabernet Franc in the blend. This aromatic, layered red holds quite a bit of appeal. I would prefer to drink it over the next handful of years.

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.

Turpino is a newer wine to the Querciabella portfolio with the first vintage in 2007. The Alberese and Grosseto vineyards in Maremma were planted in 2000 with a north-south orientation. The biodynamic approach has proven particularly suited to the acidic, iron-rich soils of Maremma, a mixture of silt and alluvial sand, sparse with areas of gravel and surface pebbles.

Winemaking

After gentle destemming, the grapes are transferred into three and five-ton oak fermenters, where they undergo a brief period of cold maceration in preparation for a slow and natural fermentation process —which is prompted by the presence of ambient (indigenous) yeast —under carefully monitored, temperature-controlled conditions. The completion of primary fermentation leads to a phase of post-fermentation maceration, during which daily tastings serve to track tannin development and stability.

The wine is then separated from the skins by draining the tank by means of gravity flow. Only the resulting ‘free run’ is used when the wine is racked into barrels (French; 225-liter; 20% new oak; tight grain for cabernet franc; tight-to-medium grain for syrah and merlot). Full malolactic fermentation occurs in the barriques followed by 16 months of élevage. Finally, the blend is made and moved into cement tanks for an integration period of 6 to 8 months before bottling. 

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

Harvest Notes

After a mild and dry winter, a cool, wet spring triggered a relatively slow growing season. However, the flowering and fruit set went well, anticipating a phenomenal harvest in quality and quantity. The first week of May saw the temperatures soar in Maremma, and this heat continued through the Summer. It may have been torrid at times, but there were no problems with drought stress thanks to the abundant water reserves after the spring rains. September brought the desired day/night temperature differences, and excellent phenolic ripeness was achieved with beautiful skin-to-pulp ratios.

Food Pairing

The ideal serving temperature is 59-64°F. 

Technical Information

Varietals: 40% Cabernet Franc, 40% Syrah, 20% Merlot

Wine Alcohol: 14%

Titratable Acidity: 5.64 g/L

pH: 3.38

Harvest Start Date: August 29, 2019

Harvest End Date: October 3, 2019

New Oak: 16 months in 20% new fine and extra-fine grained French oak barriques