The organic 2018 Camartina is 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Sangiovese. A consistent performer vintage after vintage, this Tuscan blend shows an exotic quality, with barbecue spice or steak sauce that frame a core of supple dark fruit. But the aromas don't stop there. It unfolds to show balsam herb, blue flower and grilled rosemary. The wine is packaged in bulky glass, and 10,000 bottles were produced.

This is a finely streamlined wine that emphasizes freshness and linearity despite the more robust fruit profile so easily obtained in this warm and sunny vintage. Made with organic fruit, the Querciabella 2015 Camartina is a blend of mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with a smaller part Sangiovese. That this wine is so elegantly subdued comes as an unexpected and appreciated surprise, especially if you plan a meat pairing with fragrant herbs such as wild sage or rosemary.

The 2010 Camartina offers many beautiful surprises. This blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Sangiovese is a structured and powerful wine, but it offers elegance and balance as well. This classic vintage has done its part to shape a wine that offers bright fruit intensity, delineated aromas of blueberry and spice, and a richly velvety sensation in the mouth. You can hold this wine for the next ten years.

The 2008 Camartina (70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Sangiovese) comes across as rather understated in this vintage. Dark fruit, spices, leather and tobacco are some of the aromas and flavors that take shape in the glass. Mineral notes appear later to frame the long, vibrant finish. The 2008 shows lovely balance in a relatively subdued style for this wine. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2023. It’s not exactly as though Querciabella needed to re-invent itself, the wines had been outstanding for years, but that is exactly what is happening at this historic estate in Greve. Full credit must go to proprietor Sebastiano Castiglioni for his vision, unwavering commitment to quality and hiring of Luca Currado of Vietti to oversee the project. Querciabella recently completed the acquisition of additional vineyards in Castellina, which now gives the estate land in three different villages within Chianti Classico. The new vines are part of a project underway to make a series of single-vineyard Sangioveses from the estate’s top vineyards. Within Querciabella itself, the flagship Camartina is increasingly a vehicle for Sangiovese, which frees up the Merlot for the Palafreno. It is truly impressive to see what Castiglione and Currado have managed to achieve in just a few years, especially considering the last two vintages have not been among the most favorable. Importer: Maison Marques & Domaines, Oakland, CA; tel. (510) 587-2000