Palafreno

“Ecstatic enlightenment.”

Luigi Veronelli

Ex Vinis

February 2003

“The wine is deep yet silky, fruit driven yet with the perfect
touch of toasty oak, enhancing rather than overwhelming.
A thoroughly modern, top-flight wine, at a reasonable price.”

Nicolas Belfrage, MW

December 2002

“Palafreno, although just a newborn, is already a giant.”

Civiltà del Bere

February 2003

Technical information

Variety: Merlot (100%).

Viticulture: Biodynamic since 2000; organic since 1988.

Average production: 3,000 bottles.

Appellation: Toscana IGT

First vintage: 2000

Average yield: 25 hl/ha

Average alcohol content: 14.0% vol.

Ideal serving temperature: 18–20° C (64–68° F)

About this wine

Palafreno, whose first vintage was the glorious 2000,

is a monovarietal Merlot, carefully crafted from the

fruit of some among the best vineyards of the estate

in Greve in Chianti. This wine is only bottled in

the best vintages. Rich, deep, and elegant, this wine

benefits from about 30 minutes of decanting prior to serving.

‘Palafreno’ is an ancient Italian word designating a noble

riding horse used bymedieval knights for travel, parades

or tournaments.

The grapes are carefully selected in the vineyards, and

harvested in 8 kilo crates. They are destemmed,

not crushed, then transferred to three-ton oak fermenters,

where alcoholic fermentation, maceration and malolactic

fermentation take place. Maceration lasts about 18 days.

Afterwards, the wine is transferred to barriques,

where it undergoes élevage for about one year.

At this stage, the best lots, selected through extensive

tasting, are assembled into the final blend, which

undergoes a further six months of élevage.

100% French oak is used; 25% new. The wine is

regularly racked and tasted during barrel maturation.

After bottling, the wine rests for about six months

before release.

Palafreno is released no sooner than 26 months

after harvest. Depending on the vintage, it reaches

maturity between 3 and 5 years after harvest.

The plateau lasts until at least 12 years after harvest.

No animal products or byproducts are used

in the production of this wine making it

suitable for vegans and vegetarians.

Tech sheet

Download the tech sheet here.

Formats

This wine is bottled and packaged exclusively

in the following formats:

0.750 liter [6 bottle wooden case];

1.5 liter [1 bottle wooden case];

3 liter [1 bottle wooden case];

only in oustanding vintages, 6 liter [1 bottle wooden case]

and 12 liter [1 bottle wooden case] are made.

Querciabella, the Querciabella logo, Batàr, Camartina, Mongrana and Palafreno are

registered trademarks of Società Agricola Querciabella SpA.