2017 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione
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Tasting notes
100% Sangiovese from Montoro, Pallonaio and Le Piazze. Very dry year. Harvest 26–28 September. The best 1% of production, apparently, making about 2,000 bottles. TA 6.2 g/l, pH 3.36. Deep garnet. Chestnut flavours and lots of tannin. Still very youthful. Great tang! (JR)
Critic scores
Average Score
Walter Speller, jancisrobinson.com
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
Full bottle 1,517 g. Carefully selected from the Ruffoli eastern hillside in Greve. Aged 18 months in French oak barriques and tonneaux. Certified organic. Light nose with a strong suggestion of tangy acidity that's borne out on the palate with its notes of autumn mulch and leather. Pure Sangiovese structure with some smoothness and impressive persistence. Very suave indeed with a bone-dry finish which opens out like a peacock's tale, or a fine burgundy. (JR)
Certified organic by Valoritalia. Suitable for vegans. Lustrous, deep ruby. Subdued raspberry and cherry hinting at proper depth and balsamic notes of cardamom pod, pepper and morocco leather. Lifted. Gorgeous, succulent and fruity, with bags of tannins that support the fruit. Suave and with lots of juice. Perfectly balanced, nothing sticks out. A triumph for this vintage and ageworthy. (WS)
The 2017 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione is ample, rich and quite seductive, which is to say very much in the style of the year. Dark red fruit, spice, leather, tobacco and incense all build as the 2017 shows off its considerable allure. This is so expressive today.
About the producer
Literally translating as “beautiful oak”, Querciabella was created in 1974 by Giuseppe Castiglioni. A pioneer in Chianti, he started farming biodynamically and experimenting with both varieties and winemaking – one result of which was Camartina, the property’s flagship Super Tuscan.