Castello di Querceto

The François family acquired the Querceto estate in 1897, marking the start of more than 125 years of single-family ownership. The François were originally French and had settled in Tuscany in the 18th century, eventually integrating into the Tuscan agricultural and viticultural community. Carlo François, grandfather of the current generation, transformed the estate from a country retreat into a serious working winery in the early 20th century. By 1911, Castello di Querceto had earned its first international wine award, signaling the estate's emerging quality reputation. In 1924, when 33 Chianti Classico growers gathered in Radda to found the Consorzio del Chianti Classico (now the appellation's governing body), Castello di Querceto was among the founding signatories, placing it at the institutional origin of the modern appellation. The transformative modern era began in the late 1970s under Alessandro François, grandson of Carlo, who together with his wife Maria Antonietta Corsi undertook a radical renovation of the estate. Alessandro pioneered Chianti Classico's single-vineyard cru concept with Il Picchio and La Corte bottlings, anticipating by decades the formal Gran Selezione tier introduced in 2014.

• François family ownership since 1897; originally French, settled in Tuscany 18th century
• Carlo François transformed estate from retreat to working winery in early 20th century; first international wine award 1911
• Founding member of Consorzio del Chianti Classico in 1924 in Radda (one of the 33 original signatories)
• Alessandro François pioneered single-vineyard cru concept (Il Picchio, La Corte) in the late 1970s, anticipating the 2014 Gran Selezione tier

Castello di Querceto's 190 hectares of land are distributed across the slopes of the upper Dudda valley in the Greve UGA, from Sugame pass through Lucolena toward Mt. San Michele. The estate's 65 hectares of vineyards sit at elevations ranging from 300 to 550 metres, with the higher Lucolena parcels producing the cooler-climate, more aromatic Sangiovese that defines the estate's cru bottlings. Soils are dominated by Galestro and Alberese, the calcareous schist and limestone marl characteristic of the upper Greve hills, with intermixed sandstone (macigno) in some upper parcels. The estate maintains substantial woodland buffers (oak and chestnut forests) that contribute to biodiversity, natural pest control, and the estate's identity as a steward of the upper Greve UGA landscape. Plantings are dominated by Sangiovese, supplemented by Canaiolo, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot for the IGT and historic blending traditions.

• 190-hectare estate distributed across upper Dudda valley from Sugame pass through Lucolena toward Mt. San Michele
• 65 hectares of vines at 300 to 550 metres elevation; higher Lucolena parcels produce cooler-climate, aromatic Sangiovese for cru bottlings
• Galestro and Alberese soils dominate; intermixed sandstone (macigno) in upper parcels
• Substantial oak and chestnut forests support biodiversity and define estate identity as upper Greve UGA steward

Castello di Querceto winemaking style sits at the intersection of traditional Chianti Classico structure and modernist single-vineyard cru philosophy. Alessandro François's pioneering work in the 1970s established the estate's identity as one of the appellation's earliest practitioners of vineyard-specific bottling and selective French-oak aging for top cuvées. The contemporary winemaking program continues this hybrid approach: fermentations in temperature-controlled stainless steel with controlled extractions, parcel-by-parcel vinification for the cru bottlings, and a mixed aging regime that uses large Slavonian oak botti for the Annata, mixed botti and selected barriques for the Riserva, and exclusively French oak (with selected new-oak percentages) for the Gran Selezione Il Picchio and La Corte. The house style sits in the structured, age-worthy Greve camp with clear Sangiovese fruit, firm tannic structure from the high-elevation Lucolena vineyards, and the savory mineral signature characteristic of upper Greve terroir.

• Alessandro François's 1970s pioneering single-vineyard cru work established estate identity as early vineyard-specific practitioner
• Parcel-by-parcel vinification for the cru bottlings (Il Picchio, La Corte) in temperature-controlled stainless steel
• Mixed aging regime: large Slavonian botti for Annata, mixed for Riserva, exclusively French oak for Gran Selezione
• Structured, age-worthy Greve house style with clear Sangiovese fruit and high-elevation Lucolena vineyard signature

The estate produces a tiered range built around the cru concept that Alessandro François pioneered. Castello di Querceto Chianti Classico DOCG is the core estate wine, a Sangiovese-dominant expression assembled from across the estate's vineyards. Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG adds extended aging. The flagship Gran Selezione tier includes Il Picchio (the original cru launched in the 1970s, named for the woodpecker symbol of the estate) and La Corte (a parallel cru from a separate distinguished parcel). Outside the DOCG tier, the estate produces IGT Toscana bottlings including Il Sole di Alessandro (a Cabernet Sauvignon-led Super Tuscan named in honor of Alessandro François) and other international varietal expressions. Traditional Vin Santo del Chianti Classico DOC rounds out the range. The estate's wines are distributed in more than 50 countries, with the cru bottlings serving as the international flagship.

• Castello di Querceto Chianti Classico DOCG: core estate wine in structured Greve house style
• Il Picchio Chianti Classico Gran Selezione DOCG: original 1970s cru, named for the woodpecker estate symbol
• La Corte Chianti Classico Gran Selezione DOCG: parallel cru from separate distinguished parcel
• Il Sole di Alessandro IGT Toscana (Cabernet-led Super Tuscan) and traditional Vin Santo del Chianti Classico DOC

Castello di Querceto holds a distinctive position in Chianti Classico as one of the appellation's earliest practitioners of the single-vineyard cru concept that has become institutionalized through the Gran Selezione tier and the UGA system. The estate's founding-member status in the 1924 Consorzio places it at the institutional origin of the modern appellation, and Alessandro François's 1970s cru pioneering work helped establish the principle that vineyard-specific bottling has a meaningful place in Chianti Classico's quality hierarchy, well before the formal Gran Selezione tier was introduced in 2014. Within the Greve UGA, the estate sits alongside Vignamaggio, Vicchiomaggio, Castello di Verrazzano, and Querciabella as the village's principal anchors. The François family's continuous ownership since 1897 (now 128+ years) ranks among the longer single-family lineages in the appellation, contributing to the estate's identity as a heritage producer with strong institutional ties to Chianti Classico's modern development.

• Founding member of 1924 Consorzio del Chianti Classico places estate at institutional origin of the modern appellation
• Alessandro François's 1970s cru pioneering work anticipated the 2014 Gran Selezione tier by decades
• Greve UGA anchor alongside Vignamaggio, Vicchiomaggio, Castello di Verrazzano, Querciabella
• François family ownership since 1897 (128+ years) gives unusual continuity and heritage status