“Camartina” Rosso Toscana IGT 2021 (BIO) · MAGNUM in OWC

Agricola Querciabella | Tuscany
Soc. Agr. Querciabella S.p.A. | Via di Barbiano 17 | IT 50022 Greve

09442421 · 1,5 l · 126,00 €/l · Price (DE) incl. VAT, excl. Shipping5 units available

Some wines carry the history of an entire movement within them. Camartina belongs to the handful of Tuscan icons who changed everything in the early 1980s – those rebellious Super Tuscans who did not care about the narrow rules of Chianti Classico and instead pursued their own vision of greatness. 1981 was the birth year of Camartina, and with this wine Querciabella not only laid the foundations for its own success, but also wrote Italian wine history. The name itself is the programme: a fusion of "Casaocci" – the first office on the first hectare of vineyard – and "Martina", the younger daughter of Giuseppe Castiglioni, the visionary founder. What originally began as a Sangiovese-dominated cuvée has undergone a fascinating evolution over the decades. Today, Cabernet Sauvignon is the clear protagonist with seventy per cent, while Sangiovese contributes thirty per cent, the elegant Tuscan linearity that distinguishes Camartina from other Super Tuscans. The reason for this lies in the Ruffoli vineyards near Greve in Chianti, where Cabernet has found a home on the arid sandstone soils, giving it an unusual finesse – lighter, more sophisticated, more refined than elsewhere.

The vineyards are close together, each parcel with its own character: Casaocci Sud with its Galestro soils and southern exposure delivers textbook Cabernet of silky elegance. Poggerino, with its cooler, clay-rich soils, gives the Cabernet backbone and the depth that gives Camartina its legendary ageing potential. The Sangiovese grows in selected sites between 350 and 600 metres, where Galestro and clay in the lower altitudes lend elegance, while higher up the sandstone dominates and gives the Sangiovese juicy vitality. Organically farmed since 1988, consistently plant-based and biodynamic since 2000 – querciabella was a pioneer long before sustainability became a trend. The grapes are harvested by hand, only in optimal vintages, and with micro-vinified small batches. Destemmed, not crushed, they ferment in temperature-controlled stainless steel or concrete tanks before Cabernet and Sangiovese mature separately for 18 months in French barriques – the Cabernet in Liters barrels, the Sangiovese in Liters tonneaux. Camartina only leaves the winery after at least 30 months. Only 10,000 bottles a year, vegan, uncompromising.

In the glass, the 2021 shows why Daniele Cernilli gave it 98 points with "Doppio Faccino": dark, juicy fruit – blackcurrant, blackberry and plum flavours – melds with myrtle, fine floral notes and hints of warm spices, herbs and mint. The Cabernet, which reached perfect maturity in 2021, slowly unfolds its savoury quality and leads both the aromatic profile and the opulent structure. The palate is the real revelation: there is none of the muscular power of many Super Tuscans. Instead, Camartina impresses with the finesse that characterises Querciabella's signature style – supple, precise, with a lively structure and fine, integrated tannins that carry the long, earthy finish like a fine line into the final. Jancis Robinson could not hide her enthusiasm when she tasted a 17-year-old Camartina: "Oo, that is rather lovely!" Camartina may no longer be the most powerful Super Tuscan today – but it is perhaps the most elegant. The Musigny among the Tuscan rebels, a wine that proves that greatness does not always mean power, but sometimes simply perfection. SUPERIORE.DE

"Rich, bright ruby red colour. Full and inviting nose, aromas of dark redcurrants, blackberries and black cherries, underpinned by blood orange. Shows plenty of fine, very well-integrated tannins on the palate, lots of juicy fruit, subtle earthy notes on the final, full-bodied pressure." Falstaff

"The Camartina 2021 is a strong, dense wine. Blue-tinged fruit, graphite, dried cherries, mocha and new leather are gradually taking shape. The 2021 is a little compact today, but I see this as a positive for its long-term prospects. harvestwill have to be patient with this noble, polished wine." Vinous