Vineyards Magazine

The Castello di Querceto and the land that surrounds it are rich in history. If in the past the Castello’s role was to stand guard on the via Cassia Imperiale, one of ancient Rome’s main ‘highways’ in order to defend its territory.

The Castello di Querceto is today run by Alessandro and Antonietta François. Together they have worked to position the Castello’s wines within the top flight of Chianti’s producers.

The Castello’s vineyards are positioned on two sides of a valley: from the Passo del Sugame and, beyond Dudda, towards Lucolena and Monte San Michele.

The vines are trained in what, for Chianti, are the traditional methods: the horizontal Cordon spur trained onto wires at 60 cms, and the Guyot.

Sangiovese takes first place among the red varieties, but there are also smaller plantings of Canaiolo, Colorino, Mammolo, Ciliegiolo, Malvasia Nera, as well as Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, and Merlot. As for the whites, they are the traditional Malvasia del Chianti and Trebbiano Toscano, now joined also by Chardonnay.

The vines are grown with only two interests in mind: top quality grapes, and the ecological compatibility of their production.

We tasted: Chianti Classico Castello di Querceto Riserva 2013

The Chianti Classico Riserva is produced from a selection from all of the 60 hectares of vineyards. Of 90% Sangiovese, the remaining 10% is made up of Canaiolo and other traditional autochthonous red grape varieties.

The maturation is made in oak barrels for 10 -12 months and refinement in bottle for a minimum of 4 months.

 It is a brilliant ruby-red, very balanced, with soft and elegant body. In the nose appear notes of berries and liquorice. The food pairing matches perfectly with roasted meats and seasoned cheese.