Querciabella, Batàr, Tuscany, Italy, 2020

Overview of the Wine
Founded in 1974, Querciabella enjoys the acclaim of the world’s most discriminating critics and consumers for wines such as Camartina, Batàr, Palafreno and Querciabella Chianti Classico. In its uncompromising pursuit of quality, sustainability and authenticity, Querciabella has continually honed its approach to biodynamic viticulture for over a decade. With vineyards located throughout Tuscany’s Chianti Classico and Maremma areas, Querciabella exemplifies the mindful preservation of tradition through forward-thinking, albeit completely natural winemaking.

Querciabella’s Chianti Classico represents the pinnacle of high-altitude, perfectly exposed Sangiovese fruit. A beautiful balancing act of crisp, inviting acidity, pure varietal fruit flavor and character deriving from sourcing the grapes from top sites in three of the the denomination’s best sub-zones. A wine and food lovers’ delight.

Vegan:
At Querciabella, we stand firmly against the harming of animals, and abhor the cruelty and exploitation that are inherent in factory farming, but also in “organic” animal farming.

No animal products or byproducts are used in the production of this wine, making it suitable for vegans and vegetarians

Winemaker
Manfred Eng

Grape / Blend
50% Chardonnay, 50% Pinot Blanc

Origin
Tuscany, Italy

Winemakers' Tasting Notes
A year of uncertainty, 2020 was marked in the vineyards by the cold spell that hit the young buds in April, thus limiting the vintage’s volume. The persistent dry and hot weather conditions that followed lasted well into the summer, requiring meticulous canopy management to regulate the ratio between vegetation and developing bunches. Fortunately, timely rains in mid-august turned a laborious year into an excellent vintage that delivered incredibly fragrant musts, sweet and balanced to the taste.

Enjoyable upon release, though it is recommended to wait four years after harvest for more complex notes to emerge. This wine continues to develop and evolve for over 20 years. The ideal serving temperature is 43° to 47°F.

95 Points - Decanter
The 2020 vintage is more herbal than usual, with sage, thyme and a citrussy character, then its typical peach kernel core. The attack is full, silky, concentrated and textured, yet vibrant on the finish.One of the most sought after white wines of Italy, with proven ability to age, Batàr originates from vineyards in Ruffoli, in Greve in Chianti, some of which reach 600m. The Chardonnay and Pinot Bianco grapes are fermented and aged for nine months in French oak. It's a very classic white SuperTuscan (first vintage was 1988) with a stylish Corton-Charlemagne attitude.

94 Points - James Suckling
Intense nose of cedar, smoked almond, mango puree, papaya and lemon pie. Full-bodied, dense and creamy with delicious praline and pie-crust character, balanced by just the right amount of lemony acidity. From organically grown grapes. Vegan. Drink now.

93 Points - Vinous
The 2020 Batàr, Querciabella's Chardonnay/Pinot Blanc white, is laced with hints of tangerine oil, jasmine, spice and pear. Light tropical accents appear later, adding gorgeous nuance throughout. The move towards high elevation vineyards and picking earlier yields a Batàr endowed with terrific freshness and plenty of style.

93 Points - Wine Advocate
I have not tasted this wine in a while, and it's a delight to come back to it now. Compared to older vintages, I find this blend of equal parts Pinot Bianco and Chardonnay to be quite improved. The organic 2020 Batàr (with 20,000 bottles made) offers fresh, citrusy tones with lemon curd and candied peach. This barrique-aged white also offers mid-weight density and plenty of orchard fruit, saffron and light spice. It concludes with fresh acidity.

Product Size: 750ml