Montevertine Le Pergole Torte 2018

Drink now or cellar for up to 29 years. Decant 2 hours before serving.

The legendary Montevertine estate in Radda-in-Chianti began life as the summer house of steel magnate Sergio Manetti who purchased the then-neglected property back in 1967. With the help of local expert Bruno Bini, Sergio recognized the potential of the site’s high altitude plots and began planting vineyards. His wines proved so successful that Sergio quickly gave up his high-profile career to become a full-time wine producer.

This new project wasn’t all plain sailing, though. Sergio’s determination to produce breathtaking wines with a genuine sense of place quickly led to conflict with the rulemakers of the Chianti Classico DOCG. Instead of conforming to rules that insisted he include a proportion Trebbiano in his wines, Sergio took the maverick route of simply labelling his wines Rosso di Toscana.

Widely regarded today as one of Italy’s finest red wines, Le Pergole Torte is only made with fruit from Montevertine’s oldest Sangiovese vines. After careful vinification the wine spends one year in 50-hectolitre Slavonian oak barrels before being transferred to used French oak barrels for an additional six months. The result is an incredibly long-lived wine which offers bright cherry, dried flowers, cigar box and rich earthy aromas which carry through on to the palate. Well-developed tannins make the Le Pergole Torte a pleasure to drink even at such a young age, although an additional decade of cellar ageing will enhance the wine’s savoury and leathery character and add even greater finesse. Enjoy alongside a fine steak or osso bucco for a decadent treat.