Travel

Querciabella: winery as a maternity unit
«Magnum» №6-7(19) June-July 2007

Having earned his fortune on steel production in Mexico, Giuseppe Castiglioni returned to native Italy and found a heavenly spot amidst the hills of Chianti Classico.

He restored an ancient estate and engaged in a new hobby of growing vines and making wine. According to our observer Eleonora Scholes, in just over thirty years Querciabella wine estate turned into one of Tuscan leaders.

There are many reasons why Querciabella succeeded in making wine. Its founder Giuseppe Castiglioni had a full financial freedom, a tight business grip, an admirable taste (which was partly materialized through a vast collection of wines and art objects) and first-rate consultants including legendary Giacomo Tachis. But even these obvious parts of a success story hide the main reason. Giuseppe Castiglioni was a perfectionist. Having started to make wine, he spared no means, energy or passion to get the best possible product.

This became a fundamental feature of the estate’s philosophy and work. His son Sebastiano and the team continued Castiglioni’s approach. Querciabella today is not only an exemplary place but sort of a barometre to check the latest winemaking practices and technologies. The difference between this and other quality estates is that the most expensive equipment is seen as secondary in comparison to the gifts of nature. The wine must be the purest reflection of terroir. All work in the vineyards and the winery is done to support this aim.

Querciabella team is also a unique collection of people who are faithful to the principles of the estate. Technical manager Dales d’Alessandro and chief winemaker Guido de Santi are the two key persons upon which the quality of the harvest and wine depends. They manage 26 hectares of vineyards, an ultramodern winery and cellars producing about 200,000 bottles.

Since 1999 Querciabella quietly moved to biodynamic farming. The practice was introduced not as a short lived experiment (remember that seven years ago little was heard about biodynamics), but with a firm knowledge that the approach has positive effect on the natural harmony and on wine quality. Today, when biodynamics has become an opening phrase of many estates and nearly a method de rigueur, Querciabella calmly looks at new fashion, doesn’t enter any movements and mentions biodynamics only in connection with its general philosophy of quality.

“It wasn’t difficult for us to switch to biodynamic growing because before we had used organic principles and worked a lot in the vineyards. The hardest change was in mentality”, comments Dales d’Alessandro.

On the vineyards the main work is done with the soil. “Vines are support actors”, notes the technical manager. If this is a new plot, it is first cleared from old growth and sown with seeds of 30-40 herbs and root-crops including rocket salad, carrots and various herbs. There is nothing unusual in it, they say in Querciabella. A balanced growing system is made, and microbiological activity of the soil increases by large. The estate no longer needs to use fertilizers, even organic.

A convincing example awaits on the plot with young Sangiovese vines. They were planted on poor schist. These well drained soils suit Sangiovese very well. The main problem is nutrition. It is solved thanks to soil activity of microorganisms enhanced by biodynamic action. As a result the top rocky layer is enriched with fatty humus.

“With organic approach a problem is solved through natural substances. Biodynamics, on the other hand, works preventively, so that a problem doesn’t arise in the first place”, notes d’Alessandro.

Other vineyard operations are called traditional and involve a lot of manual work. Natural yields stay at 800-1200 grammes per vine. “With our approach low yields are not always seen as the best. If the plant is healthy, it self-regulates optimal yields. When we make it produce less, it gets under stress”.

Respect and understanding of the nature of vines are fundamental parts of Querciabella’s winegrowing philosophy. They are often seen through small things which confirm the estate’s integrity. For example, instead of cutting energetic top shoots, they are fixed around the wire. They find in Querciabella that in this way the plant finds better inner balance. “Harmony and maturity should come first from the vine and then — from the grape”, believes d’Alessandro.

A winery is not an adequate term to describe the place where wine is made. It is rather a maternity unit where best technologies are used not for manipulating but for maximally effective life support. A new part with a fermentation hall was built in 2000. Grapes are brought in 8-kg containers. “During harvesting you won’t see a bee because berries are kept intact”, notes Paola Banchi, sales and marketing manager with a background of a wine engineer.

The grapes are immediately sent to stainless steel vats without pressing. They were designed specially for the estate and are equipped with thermostats and a pigeage system. Fermentation is temperature controlled and the cap is regularly broken. Sebastiano Castiglioni who is closely involved in production process sets the temperature regime and the number of pigeages. He also invented a gentle way for Sangiovese pump-overs which are necessary for release of aromas. A peristaltic pump which was initially designed for pumping blood during heart surgeries is used.

Next to the fermentation hall is the cellar for aging wine in the first year. There are red wines there, while the whites are kept separately. Only top quality French oak barriques are used. Sebastiano Castiglioni regularly visits France and personally chooses material for barrels. Querciabella, by the way, was the second Chianti Classico estate after Tignanello to introduce barrique wine aging.

Another telling detail of perfectionism is that a small room adjoining the cellar contains little quantities of wine identical to that which is kept in different types of barrels. It is added after racking when some wine is lost. Thus Castiglioni ensures maximum purity of base wines which after 12 months will be assembled in a first blend.

Querciabella shares the Bordeaux philosophy of having a combined character of the estate’s vineyards. It is true for all four produced wines. Blending is one the key processes in the winery. During assembling about 120 base wines are used, sometimes up to 180. Sebastiano Castiglioni notes that it is not difficult to make a good wine. The main challenge is to keep the style for a number of years.

The style of wines naturally evolved with time. Querciabella, historic wine of the estate, remains a traditional reflection of Chianti Classico zone. In 1999 Sebastiano Castiglioni abandoned production of riserva wine having concentrated efforts on making best possible Chianti Classico. Today Querciabella wine is firmly positioned in the league of Super Chianti Classico. Presence of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend doesn’t distort the character of Sangiovese which preserves fresh, supple cherry aromas, lively gastronomic acidity and nice tannins.

Conceptually opposite Camartina is a different view on the potential of the Tuscan land. It appeared in 1981 and immediately found a place among the wines of a new supertuscan wave. Cabernet Sauvignon accounts for the major part of the blend and provides noble structure, concentration of flavours and a long life. Paola Banchi calls Camartina the leading brand in terms of energy and drive.

First Palafreno was released six years ago. It was intended to be a demonstration of Merlot potential on the territory of Chianti Classico. Initial releases also included Sangiovese. Only two vintages came on the market so far (2000 and 2001) which met quality standards for production of this wine. From 2004 Palafreno will be a pure Merlot and is likely to be one of a very few wines which prove the greatness of this grape.

Batar, Querciabella’s white wine, has already acquired a mythical status. Made from equal parts of Chardonnay and Pinot Bianco, it contests the position to be the best white wine of Italy. Fermentation and aging go in barrels made of the best French wood (Taransaud Beaune coopers). A special room and cellar are given to Batar production, and its average volume is only 1,700 cases.

In 2000 Sebastiano Castiglioni started a new project on the Tuscan coast in Maremma, though this wine is still considered experimental. Each year 2,000 bottles are reserved. As usual, Castiglioni will not rest until he makes a perfect wine. Querciabella’s philosophy remains invariable.

Querciabella Chianti Classico DOCG
Produced since 1974. Yields don’t exceed 35 hl/ha. Sangiovese dominated with a small addition of Cabernet Sauvignon. Aging 12 months in French oak barrels (10% new and 90% one-year old). Released after 20 months from harvest time. Average production is 130,000 bottles.

Camartina Toscana IGT
Produced since 1981. Yields don’t exceed 35 hl/ha. Blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese. Aging 24 months in French oak barrels (50% new and 50% one-year old) and 6 months in bottle. Average production is 30,000 bottles.

Batar Toscana IGT
Produced since 1988. Yields don’t exceed 25 hl/ha. Blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Bianco. Fermentation and aging 12 months in French oak barrels (50% new and 50% one-year old) and at least 6 months in bottle. месяцев в бутылке. Average production is 20,400 bottles.

Palafreno Toscana IGT
Produced since 2000. Yields don’t exceed 30 hl/ha. Originally a blend of Merlot and Sangiovese, since 2004 — pure Merlot. Aging 18 months in French oak barrels (50% new and 50% one-year old), 4 months in cement vats and 6 months in bottle. Average production is 6,900 bottles.