Querciavalle Chianti Classico Riserva 1999

This Querciavalle is another bottle I picked up at the Consorzio in Siena - I am not sure why - either I recognized the label or the name or had it confused with Querciabella (a better known producer). Either way it looked good and the price must have been right. There isn't much to be found about the winery or the wine on the web, which makes me think the production is probably not that big. What this all leads too is that I was not expecting much, so I was more than pleasantly surprised by this wine. I decanted it for over an hour, and it was a beautiful, brilliant, bright and clear ruby-sapphire when poured. The nose was a little light (my wife wanted to know if she was crazy to say "honey" - I didn't answer her), but on the palate it was full of ripe fruit - not as peppery or black cherry as many of the Chianti I have had recently, with a hint of earth, smoke and jam (strawberry, raspberry?), and quite smooth. It seems to have plenty of life left and would probably last a good while longer in the bottle. Very good overall and I would recommend it if you can find any in the states (probably around $25 to $30 a bottle).

Last update: October 16, 2023 10:26 AM