Wine Advisor
Montevertine, Le Pergole Torte 2010
Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2010 Le Pergole Torte has all the makings of another strong vintage for this wine. Today the firm tannins convey an impression of reticence, yet there is a silkiness to the fruit that is highly appealing. It will be interesting to see which direction the 2010 takes over the coming years. Today, it appears the cold season and late harvest were a bit challenging for a microclimate that is already on the cool side. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2035. In a week during which I tasted most of the reference point Sangioveses and Sangiovese-based reds, one wine stuck out - Le Pergole Torte. Quite honestly, I had a hard time getting to sleep the night I tasted these wines. They were that viscerally thrilling. Le Pergole Torte isn’t a great Tuscan or Italian wine. It is simply one of the world’s elite wines. Montevertine is located in Radda, one of the coolest, highest-altitude spots in Chianti Classico. When I visited last April, the vineyards were noticeably more backward in their development relative to what I had seen in the other parts of the region. Le Pergole Torte was a groundbreaking wine when it was first conceived by proprietor Sergio Manetti in the early 1970s. At the time, Chianti Classico regulations obligated producers to include white grapes in their wines. Manetti dreamt of something else, a wine that would explore the greatness of Sangiovese. Along with noted oenologist Giulio Gambelli, Manetti created Le Pergole Torte, one of the first 100% Sangioveses made in Chianti Classico. Because it was made outside of appellation laws, the wine carried the humblest of all designations, ‘Vino da Tavola’ But the wine itself was fabulous, and the public soon caught on. In 1990 Manetti bottled a wine that would become an icon, the 1990 Riserva, which was an absurdity on paper, given the inherent contradiction of the terms ‘Vino da Tavola’ and ‘Riserva.’ To add to the irony, years later the Chianti Classico laws were updated. The obligatory use of complimentary white and red grapes was abolished, which meant Le Pergole Torte could be a Chianti Classico, but Manetti never returned to the appellation that had snubbed him. One of the misconceptions about Le Pergole Torte is that it is a single-vineyard wine. That was true of the early years up to the late 1980s. By 1990 Pergole Torte had become a selection of the estate’s best fruit across several parcels, although it wasn’t until 2001 that the fruit was sourced from the same basic complement of vineyards that is used today. Sadly, Sergio Manetti passed away in 2000. Manetti’s son Martino took over and adds that he is fully responsible for every wine beginning with the 2001, where he personally made all the decisions. Le Pergole Torte is vinified in cement. The wine is aged for one year in French oak barrels followed by a second year in cask. Martino Manetti isn’t afraid to call them as he sees them. Manetti describes 1985 and 1997 – both heavily touted years – as overrated. For this tasting, Manetti pulled a selection of vintages from his cellar, all based on their personal significance to him. Montevertine Le Pergole Torte Key Points: 1. 100% Sangiovese from the estate’s best fruit across all of the estate’s vineyards 2. Traditional vinification in cement. Aging first in French oak barrels, then cask 3. A delicate, refined expression of Sangiovese 4. Aging potential: 30+ years
Reviewed by: Monica Larner
It is impossible not to be completely smitten by the 2010 Le Pergole Torte. This is a huge wine but not in the way you might think. It is oversized in ambition, personality and purity but not in terms of mass or volume. Indeed, the wine is streamlined, tightly knit and zippy. It offers a complete picture of Sangiovese, with the purity of fruit flavors, the balsam herb and the crisp acidity that this Tuscan grape is celebrated for. Dried violets and wild roses also appear in supporting roles. The mouthfeel is characterized by a subtle sense of fullness and volume. This wine is at the start of a long aging road ahead.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
Today, the 2010 Le Pergole Torte is lifted, gracious and quite inward, all of which suggest it has closed down significantly over the last few years. Crushed rose petals, sweet red berries, mint and white pepper all lift from the glass. The purity and textural brilliance here are both striking, but readers will have to wait a few years before the 2010 fully opens up.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
All I can say is that the 2010 Le Pergole Torte is going to be fascinating to follow. It isn't as obvious as the 2006, 2007 or 2009, nor as reticent as the 2008, the 2010 is endowed with gorgeous symmetry, even if it reveals just the barest hint of its potential today. Over the last year, the 2010 has put on some weight, but remains shy and not in the mood to say much. The wine's inner perfume and silky tannins and exceptional balance suggest the 2010 will develop beautifully in the cellar. The 2010 Pergole Torte is exceptionally beautiful and polished, though not as obvious in style as some of the other great recent vintages. I can't think of too many other wines from Tuscany I would prefer to buy for cellaring than Le Pergole Torte.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2010 Le Pergole Torte from Montevertine surveys the heavyweights in the flight from the likes of Costanti and Soldera and says, “Bring it on.” It elicits the word “wow” on the nose, equipped with breath-taking purity and killer delineation and focus, aromatics piled high with dark berry fruit, pinecones, cedar, a hint of Valrhona chocolate and punnets of freshly picked strawberry. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly grainy tannins, layers of black fruit mixed with white pepper and clove, harmonious and cerebral on the finish. This fabulous, multi-faceted Tuscan wine will give 20 or 30 years of drinking pleasure.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
It is impossible not to be completely smitten by the 2010 Le Pergole Torte. This is a huge wine but not in the way you might think. It is oversized in ambition, personality and purity but not in terms of mass or volume. Indeed, the wine is streamlined, tightly knit and zippy. It offers a complete picture of Sangiovese, with the purity of fruit flavors, the balsam herb and the crisp acidity that this Tuscan grape is celebrated for. Dried violets and wild roses also appear in supporting roles. The mouthfeel is characterized by a subtle sense of fullness and volume. This wine is at the start of a long aging road ahead.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2010 Le Pergole Torte has all the makings of another strong vintage for this wine. Today the firm tannins convey an impression of reticence, yet there is a silkiness to the fruit that is highly appealing It will be interesting to see which direction the 2010 takes over the coming years. Today, it appears the cold season and late harvest was a bit challenging for a microclimate that is already on the cool side.
About the Producer
Montevertein is located in the heart of the Chianti hills, in the town of Lada, Chianti, at 425 meters above sea level. The winery grows only the indigenous grape varieties of the Chianti region: Sangiovese, Canajolo and Corolino. At Montevertine, simplicity, respect, extreme attention to detail and expertise are the guiding principles that inspire our daily work. The winery's winemaking methods are very traditional and have remained so since the first harvest. Hand-picked grapes are fermented in glassed concrete vats without temperature control, and pumping is done twice daily to keep the cap of the skins moist and thus more gently extract the tannins from the skins. After racking, malolactic fermentation begins in glassed concrete vats. Once fermentation is complete, the wine is left in barrels for approximately two years. The wines are aged in 5.5 to 18 hectoliter Slavonian and Ariel oak barrels and 225 liter Ariel oak barrels. The wines of the winery are never filtered, they are bottled by gravity.