Querciabella, Chianti Classico 2018

Vineyards: The vineyards are located in Greve in Chianti, Radda in Chianti and Gaiole in Chianti.
In Greve, the vineyards of Sangiovese enjoy 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 m a.s.l.) and progressively become looser and more draining as they reach close to 550 m a.s.l.
Similar characteristics can be found in Radda (450 m a.s.l.), but the higher presence of galestro slate results in wines of persistent tannins and darker fruit profiles.
At 500 m a.s.l., 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.

Organic since 1988, biodynamic since 2000.

Winemaking: After hand-picking the grapes, they were destemmed but not crushed and fermented in stainless steel as well as oak casks where it also went through malolactic conversion. Twelve months of aging took place in fine to extra fine-grained oak barriques (225 l) and tonneaux (500 l), of which 10% new.

No animal products or byproducts are used during any phase of grape growing
and wine making.

The name Querciabella is entirely appropriate to this estate in Chianti, which is surrounded by a sheltering forest of magnificent trees. Sebastiano Castiglioni is at the helm of one of the most innovative wineries in Italy, spearheading vegan and biodynamic practices in his two estates. Helped by the incredibly talented South African winemaker Manfred Ing, Querciabella are releasing not only some of the purest expressions of Chianti Classico but also venturing into Super-Tuscan territory with Camartina and Palafreno. Querciabella are also responsible for one of the most acclaimed Italian whites, Batar, alongside a range of exciting Maremma wines.