Agricola Querciabella's 2011 Batàr is made from organically and biodynamically farmed Chardonnay and Pinot Bianco in Greve in Chianti. Batàr is one of the best white wines to emerge from this Sangiovese-heavy corner of Chianti Classico. The bouquet shows ripe tones of apricot, honey, dried oregano and passion fruit. It offers a good level of complexity to keep your interest. A creamy mouthfeel is capped by spicy endnotes and toasted almond.

The 2010 Batar wraps around the palate with juicy peaches, apricots, flowers, spices and French oak. This is a decidedly ripe, opulent style for a cold year. Querciabella has made gigantic strides with their Sangiovese program over the last few years; perhaps that is why this Pinot Blanc/Chardonnay blend seems a bit stuck in the past. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2014. Querciabella is located in the hillsides of Greve, one of the most beautiful corners of Chianti Classico. Proprietor Sebastiano Cossia Castiglione, one of the most thoughtful and conscientious owners in Italy, has quietly sought to ramp up the quality of his wines in a big way. Castiglione has enlisted the services of Vietti's Luca Currado to help him reach a number of ambitious goals. Recently acquired vineyards that give birth to single-village wines will start appearing in the estate's lineup as soon as next year. These new releases are a step in a new direction, although 2010 was not the easiest of years, especially for the reds. The estate did not make its flagships Camartina and Palafreno in 2009. Importer: Maison Marques & Domaines, Oakland, CA; tel. (510) 587-2000

The 2009 Batar shows good up-front fleshiness in its juicy apricots, peaches and light floral honey although some of the initial depth in the wine tapers off on the finish. Batar has a track record of developing beautifully in bottle. It will be interesting to see the direction the 2009 takes. Today, it appears a measure of minerality is lacking in comparison to the finest vintages. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2014. 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

This oak-aged blend of equal parts Pinot Bianco and Chardonnay opens with a beautifully intense bouquet of vanilla bean, peach cobbler and citrus mousse. White almond and toasted spice make for rich accents on the long fresh finish.——M.L.(3/1/2012)—— 90