When I wrote my feature on legendary Chianti producer Querciabella a few years back, I mentioned that I felt their Mongrana Rosso bottling, made from relatively new vineyards in the coastal region of Maremma, may well be the finest value in Tuscan red wine for the cellar to be found anywhere in Italy. Their beautifully refined 2022 version has done nothing to dissuade me of this notion! The wine comes in at 13.5 percent octane in this vintage and is composed from its now traditional cépages of fifty percent sangiovese and twenty-five percent each of merlot and cabernet sauvignon. The wine’s refined aromatic constellation wafts from the glass in a mix of sweet dark berries, cassis, cigar wrapper, dark soil tones, fresh oregano and a topnote of distant bonfire. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and still quite tightly-knit, with a good core of fruit, fine soil transparency and grip, firm tannins and lovely balance on the long and promising finish. This is a structured vintage of Mongrana and will need plenty of cellaring to soften up its undercarriage of tannin, but in due course, it will be a lovely wine. 2035-2065. 

A sweet, floral, slightly tangy nose presents notes of cherry blossom, raspberry, potting soil, citrus peel and pepper. The fruit notes deepen on a palate of cherry, wild strawberry, raspberry jam and blood orange, as tannins grip at the edges of your tongue, before acid lifts a cool, peppery finish. 

Black cherry and plum fruit signals this rich, round red. Boysenberry, eucalyptus and lavender notes chime in as this remains focused on the long finish. Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2027.

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.

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.