Querciabella Batar 2021

Still organic white wine from Tuscany IGT, 14% ABV, produced by Querciabella. Blend: 50% Chardonnay, 50% Pinot Bianco. 0.75 L bottle, 2021 vintage. A wine born from a passion for biodynamics, with grapes harvested in Greve in Chianti. Between 1988 and 1991, the wine was called Bâtard-Pinot, and was a blend of Pinot Bianco and Pinot Gris. Between 1992 and 1994, the name was Bâtard (without the ‘-Pinot’), because Chardonnay had been added to the blend. In 1995, the name was changed to Batàr, to avoid confusion with the French AOC of Burgundy, whose name contains the word ‘Bâtard’. The juice is slowly extracted using a press, very gently. Fermentation takes place in barriques for 9 to 12 months. 100% French oak barrels, primarily from Tronçais and Vosges, with some from Allier (30% new and 70% one-year-old). The bouquet is exuberantly elegant and expansive, with hints of freshly cut wheat, propolis and honey, broom flower, and laburnum. The fruity edge is expressed in intricate flourishes of yellow plum and quince jam. On the palate, the flavor is immense and not grainy. A creamy texture completely tames the heat of the 14% alcohol. The finish features notes of floral spice (saffron).