Querca al Poggio Estate:
Querca al Poggio is situated about 400 metres a.s.l. at Monsanto, in the municipality of Barberino Val d'Elsa.
Owned by the Rossi family, the property extends over 100 hectares of woodland nature reserve where vines and olive trees are cultivated to organic farming protocols.
In 1997, Michela and Vittorio embarked on an extensive renewal programme of wine operations, from gradual replanting of the fifteen hectares under vine to rationalisation of the cellars and the introduction of meticulously selected mid-sized oak containers to conserve the original features of the sangiovese and other traditional nature varieties grown on the estate.
The heart of the winery is a nineteenth century farming settlement and what was once a monastery belonging to the Vallombrosan brothers from nearby Badia a Passignano.
Sangiovese has been joined in the new vineyards by plantings of ciliegiolo, colorino, canaiolo and malvasia nera. We have sought to combine new planting techniques with the latest findings on clones and rootstock to respect the local territory and bring out the full potential of the varieties. Wherever possible, we have used budwood from estate vines for regrafting.
Vineyards are located on the hill, half overlooking the north valley towards Barberino Val d'Elsa and half looking south towards Castellina. The structure of the limestone and clay soil with sections of schist and calcareous-clay galestro, and the special location of the vineyards afforded by the geological formation of the hill itself, ensure sunlight and low humidity while the woodland setting encourages a healthful site climate.
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Quattro Theory Chardonnay Napa Valley is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
VISION: Working with cool-climate fruit, Landon achieves a Napa Valley Chardonnay that is more traditional in style with balanced acidity, minimal oak and non-malolactic fermentation to highlight a full range of varietal fruit expression, taking inspiration from the coastal Chardonnays of Sonoma County.
VINEYARDS: The grapes for this Chardonnay are sourced from two vineyards: three blocks in our estate Vista Montone Vineyard located just east of Carneros, and Frasamani, a long-term grower partner vineyard located in the southernmost part of Carneros. These sites were selected for the variety of vineyard aspects (N, NE) and various vine age, soils and clones, which offer a complex palette of aromas, flavors and textures. The grapes are harvested by hand at night in small lots over a few weeks, picked when perfectly poised to achieve the vision for our wine style. GROWING SEASON: 2022 brought dry conditions given the persisting drought. Harvest started earlier given the warm temperatures with the fruit showcasing balanced acidity and freshness with remarkable flavors and textures. Even though yields were down, quality was excellent.
WINEMAKING: Our cellar is set up to handle each lot individually through the winemaking process, with every step intentionally designed to emphasize the natural aromatic and varietal character with minimal intervention. Each pick is whole-cluster pressed over two hours, with 23 check ins to ensure desired style— a gentle, yet labor-intensive program to help retain natural acidity and to isolate the exact desired press of juice. The juice is gently pumped to stainless-steel tanks then chilled to undergo cold stabulation for 5 days, keeping the light juice lees in suspension to enhance aromatics. The juice is then racked off the lees to each vessel and individually inoculated to begin a cold fermentation to completely dry, and then rests on the lees (yeast) for 6 months for a final build of body and flavors before the blend is assembled.
EXPERIENCE: With its expressive flavors and restrained oak presence, this Chardonnay offers the balance, structure and complexity to make it a perfect white wine option to go with food or enjoyed on its own. This wine’s range of fruit flavors includes crisp Asian pear, to stone fruit to tropical fruit. Suggested pairings include pan-seared scallops, butternut squash ravioli and mushroom and mozzarella pizza.
Review:
Bright, fresh green apples in the nose and tangy, appetizing lemon zest and kiwis on the palate give this lively wine a palate-cleansing expression that will be fantastic for pairing with fish, shellfish and poultry.
-Wine Enthusiast 93 Points
Chavy-Chouet Bourgogne Rouge La Taupe is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
Chavy-Chouet's Pinot Noir is classified as humble Bourgogne Rouge, but the fruit for it comes from an excellent single-vineyard site near Pommard. La Taupe's parcel was once part of the Pommard AOC.
The wine is juicy with a great mouthfeel. It has classic Bourgogne Rouge aromas, with a candied cherry character as well as strawberry, raspberry and spice, yet the structure and length of finish reminds one of a Pommard - ripe & rich with a bigger body.
Average age of the vines: 70 years old.
Density of planting: 10,000 vines per hectare.
Soil: clay
100% distemmed.
Very little intervention. Less pigeage (punch down of the cap) but some remontage (pump-over)