La Querciola Massa Vecchia 2020
Artisanal
Rare wines"La Querciola" is the most representative Sangiovese of the Massa Vecchia winery because it is made from the oldest vineyard on the estate. Fans out notes of ripe red fruit, dried cherries, spices, Mediterranean herbs and a rich note of undergrowth and mushrooms. The sip has substance, determination and elegance, with a rustic accent and a precious mineral note
“La Querciola” is the first vineyard of the estate of Massa Vecchia, planted with Sangiovese and Alicante, Trebbiano and Vermentino, in 1972 by Fabrizio Niccolaini's father and recovered by him when, in 1985, he decided to create the winery together with his wife Patrizia Bertolini. A plot that represents the original spirit of the two winemakers, pioneers in the field of organic farming understood as a philosophy of life and not a harmful commercial trend. This results in a monumental red, an effective example of deep naturalness.
The grapes that Massa Vecchia uses for the creation of “La Querciola” come from vines over 50 years old, cultivated according to a more modern spurred cordon system and with a rather wide planting density, equal to about 2,200 vines per hectare. They are arranged along the slopes that descend from the town of Massa Marittima towards the coast, at an altitude of around 220 meters above sea level. The soil is composed of flaky clays, interspersed with limestone marls and galestro, while the ground is characterized by the presence of palombino, a peculiar ivory-colored limestone building stone from which the so-called Columbine marble originates. All field operations are carried out by hand, using treatments composed solely of natural elements and eliminating the use of synthetic chemical products. The harvest takes place at the moment of perfect fruit ripeness, with a yield of about 40 quintals per hectare, and the winemaking follows a non-interventionist philosophy: the contact with the skins is prolonged throughout the spontaneous fermentation, conducted in open truncated-cone oak or chestnut vats for 3 weeks. Aging takes place in exhausted barrels of various sizes in oak or chestnut and extends for a period of 30 months.
"La Querciola" by Massa Vecchia offers a vivid garnet color with bright ruby reflections. The aromas rise intensely with notes of wild complexity, with unmistakably autumnal hints of mushrooms and undergrowth, notes of red berries, ripe cherry, and finely spiced accords. The accent of certain rusticity is found in the tasting, within a sip of straightforward freshness.that goes hand in hand with an elegant and balanced soft body.