125 Years of Castello di Querceto is Celebrated with Chianti Classico Gran Selezione La Corte 2019

Posted by Rowena Dumlao - Giardina 2/02/2023

125 Years of Castello di Querceto is Celebrated with Chianti Classico Gran Selezione La Corte 2019

The Francois family of Castello di Querceto celebrates its 125 years as wine producer with the Chianti Classico Gran Selezione La Corte 2019, an elegant Sangiovese cru that interprets the excellence of the 2019 vintage. "All in all, a perfect vintage for our celebration of such an important anniversary," concluded Simone François, fourth generation of a family fiercely proud of its traditions, and one whose long history gives it the ability to see far into its future.

It was in 1897 in Dudda, in the commune of Greve in Chianti, Tuscany, that Carlo Francois purchased Castello di Querceto which was built in the Middle Ages. During that time, estate-grown wine was being made within its cellars from the surrounding vineyards. Recognizing the innate quality of Sangiovese, Carlo began to make monovarietal wine from a small vineyard parcel that was particularly promising. That is the origin of La Corte, a few bottles of which, vintage 1904, are still being kept in the cellar. Then in 1924, Castello di Querceto became a founding producer of the Consorzio Chianti Classico.

The estate’s modern history, however, begins with Alessandro François, and his pioneering concept of the Chianti Classico cru. Since the 1970s, he has been minutely studying every individual plot on the estate, and, confirming the ground-breaking intuitions of his grandfather, he determined that the qualities of that very same parcel merited his first single-vineyard wine. La Corte thus debuted officially in 1978 as an IGT Toscana, produced from that 3.4-hectare vineyard lying at an elevation of 450 meters above sea level planted with a south-southwest sun exposure in sandy soil with little clay.

Chianti Classico Gran Selezione La Corte 2019, which was just released recently in the market, is the fruit of a growing season which proved well-balanced and of impressive quality. Generous rainfall in the spring filled groundwater reserves that helped the vines cope with a dry summer. The heat was not excessive, however, thanks to Castello di Querceto’s elevation and to the significant diurnal temperature variation. Finally, very favorable weather in September and October allowed the winery to push back the start of harvest. The results were ideally-ripe clusters that yielded a taught, clean-edged, pleasurable Sangiovese. Thus, it was a perfect vintage to celebrate the winery's milestone. The fermentation and maceration took place in temperature-controlled steel tanks for about 2 weeks while maturation followed in Tronçais and Allier barriques and tonneaux for 12 months and finally, 6 months in bottle.

In the glass, the ruby red wine exudes with great character with intense notes of black cherries, spices, undergrowth and a hint floral accent. It has decisive flavors in the palate with refined tannins and persistent finish. A display of excellence in the bottle now and in more years ahead.