QUERCIABELLA

Recently, in November, my wife and I went for a little rest and relaxation in Tuscany, one of my favourite places in Italy, with a great number of friends wine-growers.

As I already said, this time it was not only for visiting the wineries but as usual I could not resist to go and say hello to some friends in the Chianti Classico region, like the family Manetti of Tenuta Fontodi and of course Paolo Di Marchi from Isole e Olena.

This time I will not describe the wines of these wineries (great as ever), because everyone knows them already.

An other winery I know for a number of years is the winery of Querciabella in Greve in Chianti, never visited before (why???) ,  and is imported by one of my favourite wine-importers in Belgium with wines from over the world, themselves also wine-producers in the Bordeaux region in France (Rabotvins),

Querciabella is situated in the beautiful surroundings of Greve in Chianti, on top of the hill of the unique landscape of Tuscany, with 83 Ha vineyards for Chianti Classico and surrounding the estate in Panzano and also in Gaiole, Radda and in Maremma (32 Ha).

It takes a great effort to arrive on top of the hill because off the “non” existing road, quit steep with numerous potholes and bad road, one better go’s by a 4 X 4.

Querciabella is founded in 1974 and reigned by Sebastiano Castiglioni, born in Milan in 1966 and introduced very young to wine by his father Giuseppe.

With his passion to make great wine and a strong commitment to the environment, he reformed the company in 1988 to organic viticulture and later in 2000 to the bio-dynamic mode of wine-making. Querciabella is one of the biggest companies in the region working this way.

For a long time I did not believe in this type of wine-making and tasted only a few wines worth mentioning at that time. One really had to search for a good made wine this way. If its worth to spending much more to buy this sort of wine one has to make his own decision.

However the wines of Querciabella are worth tasting and drinking because I think they have one of the best and most succulent Chianti’s in this region.

We ware welcomed by one of the wine-makers, Mr Manfred Ing, with experience in winemaking in several countries.

We visited of course the different wine cellars, from the collecting the grapes to the maturation cellars, nice modern steel tanks with temp. control, some even in wood, wooden maturation (botte grande) of different size and off course the barriques cellar with barrels from different barrique-makers.

The cellars are quite separated from each other which means they have to transfer the wine quite a bit.

Already they began the malolactic fermentation for some of the wines.

Then it was time to taste some wines, not before on special demand, to taste some Sangiovese out of barrique from the year 2015, not yet commercialised.

We tasted 3 Sangiovese 2015 out of barrel from Taransaud, so still not ready for bottling from 3 different vineyards; Greve; Radda and Gaiole. It is quite stunning to experience the difference in the wines, fermented in the same way.

The one from Greve was very succulent, nice in balance with hidden elegant tanines, a bit “easy” but with enough body and content.

The one from Radda had more strict tanines and a bit drying but good body

The one from Gaiole had a little less content but more colour with good soft tanines and good length.

To bad we did not have enough time to make an assembly to make “the perfect Chianti”, an other time perhaps.

It was time to go to the tasting room to taste (again) the wines now on the market:

• Mongrana 2014 : Toscana IGT ; Maremma ; vineyards Albarese and Grosseto; 50 % Sangiovese, 25 % Cabernet Sauvignon and 25 % Merlot:

Very nice easy to drink international taste wine with enough content to accompany easy dishes

• Chianti Classico 2014 : 100 % Sangiovese from the communes of Greve, Panzano, Gaiole and Radda:

Beautiful colour, very nice ripe fruit and good fresh balance, good length, already enjoyable and will last a number of years to go;  to go with easy dishes

• Chianti Classico Riserva 2013 : 100 % Sangiovese from Greve (Ruffoli), Gaiole and Radda:

Even in a, for me, hot year, this wine is a success in taste and balance. Nice deep colour, very succulent and enjoyable already, full body, nice tanines and acidity, alcohol not to high; This is for me an ideal wine for very good dishes and even without dishes, can go for a great number of years.

• Turpino 2011 ; Toscana IGT ;  Greve in Chianti; Ruffoli; Albarese; Grosseto ; Maremma ; from Cabernet Franc, Syrah and Merlot

Very good and aromatic fruit with great taste and impressive balance. Even if I don’t search for this sort of “international” wines in Italy I fully enjoyed this full bodied and elegant wine.

• Camartina 2011 ; Toscana IGT; 70 % Cabernet Sauvignon ; 30 % Sangiovese From Greve in Chianti.

As a fully committed Cabernet Sauvignon fanatic it is stunning to see what one can do in Tuscany with ripe Cabernet and refining with Sangiovese. Great outstanding “French – Italian” wine with great length and balance. Now already enjoyable but with many years to go.

• Batar 2014 ; Tosca IGT ; Ruffoli, Greve in Chianti ; 50 % Chardonnay ; 50 % Pinot Blanc.

Superb Chardonnay with of course notes of the “sweeter” fruit and mineral from the Pinot, good balance, length and aftertaste, perhaps a little bit to much wood.

• We did not taste the Palafreno; why : ?? We forget  ???

A nice end to a beautiful visit and tasting of one of the better or superb wine houses.