Azienda Agricola : La Querce : A vineyard reflecting the sense of place of Chianti Colli Fiorentin

From the 1960s the goal of La Querce was to produce high-quality products of their terroir. 42 hectares of the estate, located in the heart of Chianti Colli Fiorentini, are vines and olive trees, which are cultivated respecting traditions and using innovations. The most of vines planted are local Sangioves

e, Canaiolo and Colorino varieties. Some of the estate olive groves have more than 100 years old and give exceptional olive oil.

VertdeVin: You are located in the Chianti Colli Fiorentini area. What are the peculiarities of the terroir in this part of Chianti?
Marco Ferretti: In Chianti Colli Fiorentini there are 4 zones with different soils. The smallest zone is Holocene alluvial deposits with clayey-sandy formations due to the Arno river and its tributaries. The second zone formed in the Pleistocene with soils in the Valdarno basins that present gravelly clayey sediments. In the westernmost part of the Chianti Colli Fiorentini area are the Pliocene Hills with soils with calcareous conglomerates called Albarese. The Miocene Hills are the largest part of the Chianti Colli Fiorentini territory where there is also the Impruneta area where our La Querce estate is located with soils with a medium-textured structure with a presence of marl, a particular clay with an important presence of iron oxide that gives a characteristic red colour to the soils.
Our south-facing vineyard, with this red clay soil, makes it possible to produce wines with structure and mineral and fruity notes even with our work in the vineyard and cellar.

What is the philosophy behind your winery?
M.F.: Since 1960, when Gino Marchi bought the farm, the quest to improve the quality of the grapes and thus of the wines has always been the goal, all this while seeking a balance between tradition and innovation, limiting chemical interventions as much as possible so that the plants live in their best natural balance. From 2019 we are certified organic for both grape and olive production and for our wines and extra virgin olive oil.

Chianti is a wine with a long history, but today many consumers choose New World wines, which are softer and rounder. How can Chianti attract new fans?
M.F.: Our philosophy leads us to continue tradition but also to innovate, because the evolution that man seeks has always existed also in agriculture. For this reason, since Chianti has always been a wine produced in blends where Sangiovese is the
preponderant part but is also blended with other vines, we have added a small percentage, maximum 5 %, of Merlot. This combined with a good ripening of the Sangiovese and proper fermentation with its own natural indigenous yeasts leads to a more drinkable Chianti that expresses itself with fresh, soft fruit.

Sangiovese is the soul of Chianti. What is a classic Sangiovese for you?
M.F.: Sangiovese is quite a multifaceted grape variety that depends a lot on the type of ripening at which it is harvested to the fermentation with more or less time and then to the type of ageing it does before and after being bottled. For me, when it is produced in the best situation, it must still be a wine that has the capacity to age over time so as to enjoy all those more intriguing nuances of flowers, fruits and spices in the glass.

Thanks to Marco Ferretti for sharing his passion
Valéria Tenison

Azienda Agricola La Querce
Via Imprunetana per Tavarnuzze, 41
50023 Impruneta (Firenze) Italy
www.laquerce.com