Pure Sangiovese fruit sits front and center in this transparent, complex and utterly compelling 2013 Le Pergole Torte. High-toned red fruits dance with baking spices, cigar wrapper, touches of roasted game, crushed flower petals and wet river rocks--but as gorgeous as this Pergole Torte is, don’t be in a hurry to drink it. Classic and structured, the ’13 Pergole Torte bristles with chewy tannins and electric acidity that will need some time for true enjoyment, but wine lovers with patience will be handsomely rewarded in a haf-decade or so down the line. Widely acknowledged as the finest expression of Sangiovese, Montevertine's flagship wine gives the grape its due, placing it alongside Burgundy's Pinot Noir in terms of age-ability, finesse and nuance. Vinified in cement, the wine first ages for a year in cask and then a year in barrique before being bottled, where the wine rests for at least six months before release.
- Country: Italy
- Region: Toscana
- Sub-Region/Appellation: Toscana IGT
Founded by Sergio Manetti in 1967 as a hobby, Montevertine has passed far beyond the realm of a casual pastime and into Toscana’s upper echelon, given Manetti’s devotion to expressing the inherent quality of Sangiovese. As he believed in Sangiovese’s ability to realize a wine of quality on a solo basis, Manetti took issue with the attention lavished on the Super-Tuscan contingent. Moreover, he also objected to the Chianti Classico appellation’s criteria for aging and permitted grapes (prior to the change issued in 1996). He believed that the DOC’s efforts to cultivate a wine of universal appeal undermined Sangiovese’s image, implying that the grape’s nature precluded its expression as a single-varietal wine.
Upon withdrawing from the consortium in 1981, Manetti undertook production of various bottlings that honored his conception of Sangiovese, validating its performance sans the use of the international set and introducing only minor amounts of Canaiolo for his Rosso bottling. Manetti passed away a few years ago, leaving the estate to his son, Martino. While some feared that Martino would alter the profile of the wines, he has wholly adhered to his father’s principles, providing wines that maintain fidelity to Sergio’s vision.
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