With fruit from a 4.5-hectare vineyard that is distinguished by mineral-rich clay soils, the Castello di Querceto 2008 Chianti Classico Riserva Il Picchio offers a broad and rich personality that wraps heavily over the palate. This vintage saw a cool spring and summer that delayed ripening by about two weeks. However, the wine's richness feels muddled. There are dense layers of mature blackberry, prune, earth and spice. The wine lacks definition, but there is intact primary fruit even at this advanced age.

This wine was upgraded to Grand Selezione status starting with the 2011 vintage. The 2007 Chianti Classico Riserva Il Picchio represents a great vintage before that extra appellation was added to the Chianti Classico denomination. The Il Picchio vineyard is a three-hectare property that is completely surrounded by thick forests and chestnut trees. It has reddish soils that are heavier than the classic soil profiles found in the region. This results in darker, more concentrated wines. This vintage reveals bold intensity and luscious fruit flavors.

The 2006 Chianti Classico Riserva Il Picchio is a serious step up from the preceding wines in this lineup. This single-vineyard selection emerges from the glass with an intense, virtually opaque color and masses of dark, sumptuous fruit. The explosiveness of the fruit saturates the palate, but there is enough acidity from the Sangiovese to lend drive and focus to the finish. Smoke, new leather and licorice add the final layers of complexity to this dark, brooding Riserva. This is a beautiful effort from Castello di Querceto. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2026. Proprietor Alessandro Francois makes a wide range of wines, but the stars are his single-vineyard bottlings. This year, the wines are more variable than in the past, but to be fair, some of the less interesting bottles are from the challenging 2005 harvest. Importer (all wines except Cignale): Prestige Wine Imports, New York, NY; tel. (212) 229-0080. Importer (Cignale only): Empson, USA, Alexandria, VA; tel. (703) 684-0900

The 2005 Chianti Classico Riserva Il Picchio is mostly Sangiovese at 95% with tiny parts Canaiolo, Colorino, Mammolo and Malvasia Nera. This vineyard was planted in 1983 and is rich in minerals and magnesium. This vintage shows lots of balsam definition with dried rose, savory spice, cola and dried fruit. This was my favorite of the three vintages (2007, 2005 and 2003) presented in this mini vertical. I liked its feminine personality, its smooth tannins and the polished mouthfeel. The texture is lean, but what it lacks in density it makes up for in elegance.

Riserva Il Picchio is a standout wine with dense concentration and a modern approach. The aromas are intense, immediate and recall black cherry, chocolate and cedar. Power, richness and the wine’s bold delivery make this an excellent companion to red meat or aged cheeses.——M.L.(6/1/2009)—— 92