1997 Querciabella Camartina
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Tasting notes
Up to 60% Sangiovese. Deep ruby with orange tinged rim. Blood orange, hint of graphite, cherry and hint of blackcurrant. Very complex. Beginning of tobacco. Powerfully tannic too, with minerally notes. Seems built for eternity. (WS)
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Walter Speller, jancisrobinson.com
More reviews and scores
A superb blend of Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon, the stunning, barrique-aged 1997 Camartina offers toasty, pain grille, and smoky new oak scents as well as a black cherry liqueur-infused aroma. Full-bodied, with low acidity, considerable glycerin, and a multi-layered, concentrated, fat, opulent finish, this hedonistic, seductive effort is capable of lasting for a decade. Importer: Robert Chadderdon Selections, New York, NY; tel. (212) 757-8185
Ruby with purple highlights. Warm but nicely focused aromas of jammy cassis fused with vanilla and caramel from the oak. Sweet blackcurrant and plum are boosted by warming alcohol, which intensifies and lengthens the flavors. Concentrated, layered, complex and elegant. Quite long on the aftertaste. One of the top producers in Chianti Classico: nothing but quality comes out of these cellars. Camartina, along with Tignanello, is Tuscany's leading sangiovese/cabernet blend, and Querciabella's Batar, a barrel-fermented blend of pinot blanc and chardonnay, is one of central Italy's finest white wines.
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.