Chianti Classico Querceto (2024)

About this wine

Aromas show fresh red cherry, wild strawberry and a clear violet note, with a touch of Mediterranean herb and crushed plum. The palate is medium bodied, driven by energetic acidity and fine, slightly grainy tannins that give a neat structure and a clean finish. The wine is made mostly from Sangiovese with a small proportion of complementary grapes, fermented for about ten days and matured for around ten months. The estate sits between 350 and 500 meters above sea level and works parcels around Castellina in Chianti, which contributes to the wine's freshness and mineral lift. Alcohol sits near 13 percent, and the style is focused on clarity of fruit and balance rather than heavy oak.

About the grape

Sangiovese is the backbone of Querceto Chianti Classico and here it comes from estate vineyards planted between about 350 and 510 meters above sea level, where limestone marl and rocky, mineral soils produce a classic Chianti expression. The estate tends Sangiovese with traditional cordone speronato and occasional Guyot training at moderate to high vine densities, and some single vineyard blocks were planted in the late 1990s and early 2000s to concentrate quality. In this bottling Sangiovese is cultivated and selected from specific plots such as Poggio, Campocorto, Campolungo and La Fonte, so the grape plays the lead role while small amounts of complementary varieties have historically been used only to support the structure and perfume of the wine.

Quick facts

• 🏡 The estate is a restored medieval hamlet, transformed into an agriturismo that lets you sleep and taste wine where the vines grow
• 🌱 Querceto adopted sustainable farming in 1998 and has been certified organic since 2012, a long term commitment rather than a marketing line
• ✈️ The family story reaches Los Angeles and Napa, Jacopo lived in LA and he and Mary were married in Napa, giving the winery a surprising American connection
• 🍇 Their Chianti Classico is made solely from estate grown Sangiovese fruit, so each bottle is a direct snapshot of their vineyards
• 🎉 The property has about eleven hectares of vineyards and hosts lively vendemmia dinners and vineyard events among ancient stone buildings

Palate profile

Producer

Querceto di Castellina is a family run estate owned by the Di Battista family, established as a commercial winery and agriturismo in the late 1990s and built around a collection of restored farmhouses. The estate manages roughly 11.5 hectares of vineyards focused on Chianti Classico, and it became certified organic in 2012 after pursuing sustainable farming from early on. Querceto is known for small batch, hand crafted Sangiovese based wines including a Gran Selezione named Sei, and for combining wine production with hospitality and cooking experiences. The estate also produces olive oil and offers guests stays in historic buildings surrounded by vineyards and olive groves.