The 2021 edition of Montevertine's legendary "Le Pergole Torte" is about to land, and once again, this legendary estate has made a wine of epic proportions. Those who collect this every year will be absolutely remiss if you do not add this to your cellar! Another vintage that will go down as one of the highest rated vintage of this wine in its 50 year history.
A quick background on the estate and why it's not called "Chianti": It's situated in the heart of Chianti Classico, near Radda (highest elevation in Chianti Classico), on a historic hilltop hamlet called Montevertine that dates back to the 11th century and was used then as a defense fortress. In the 60s, it was purchased by Sergio Manetti as a second home. It was planted to 6 acres of biodynamically-farmed vines. By the early 70s, local praise for the quality of his wines made Sergio leave his day job to focus on growing and producing this wine. This became a bit of a problem. Back then, the Chianti Consortium had rules for the wineries of the region--all Chianti wines must be made with a percentage of the white grape Trebbiano. Sergio wanted nothing to do with this and wanted to keep his wines pure, utilizing almost 100% Sangiovese with small amounts of Canaiolo and Colorino. So he backed out of the Consortium, and to this day his wines are simply labeled as "Rosso di Toscana", forgoing the Chianti Classico label. The vast majority of producers were unwilling to take this step because of the market visibility labeling their wine as Chianti brought. But Montevertine doesn't even make enough wine to have to worry about not selling it all. And frankly, the wines are so singular that labeling them Chianti would almost be a travesty.
Wine lovers and critics like Eric Asimov and Antonio Galloni have praised Montervertine for years, saying tasting their wines have "taken their breath away" and have called the estate "truly iconic". This reputation rests largely on Le Pergole Torte, Montevertine's top wine. Le Pergole Torte is a selection of their oldest and best vines It is without a doubt one of the greatest wines of Italy. There is something extremely special about this wine. It combines purity and elegance with all of the rustic fruit of Sangiovese. I often say that Montervertine drinks like the Burgundy of Italy. They are aromatic and lifted wines, wines you could smell for hours before even taking a sip. There's nothing hard-edged about them, they are seamless from front to back. And while all of their wines are great, Le Pergole Torte is revelatory.
The 2021 Chianti Classico vintage is considered a "magnificent" and "brilliant" vintage by Vinous, with many wines hitting "breathtaking peaks of excellence" and exhibiting striking aromatics, layered fruit, and energy. in the case of Montevertine, they managed to keep their hallmark finesse and make a wine of epic proportions, once again. Decades of experience crafting some of the most pristinely elegant wines in Italy – coupled with helpfully high-elevation vineyards – allowed them to harness the power of the vintage and use it to their advantage.
The 2021 Pergole is a wine that will go down as another monumental Pergole Torte, and another one to lay down for decades.
in addition to the 2021 Pergole Torte in 750ml, magnum, and jeroboam, we have a very small amount of some back vintage Montevertine Rosso in magnums!
99 Points, JS: Black cherry, black truffle and bark. Fresh earth and pine cone. It’s medium-bodied with extremely integrated tannins that are so vivid and so pure, like essence of Sangiovese. Strength with balance. Best in three to four years.
98 points, Vinous: The 2021 Le Pergole Torte is a real stunner. Rich, deep and beautifully layered in the glass, the 2021 is captivating from the very first taste. In bottle, this is quite a bit more reticent than it was as a barrel sample, which, in my view, is a positive. Even so, readers should be prepared to cellar the 2021 for a number of years at a minimum. (AG) 98+
97 points, Wine Advocate: Beautifully saturated and rich in terms of complexity (but not in extraction), the Montevertine 2021 Le Pergole Torte remains focused and elegantly streamlined with a very bright-red cherry element that defines this classic vintage. There are tart fruit flavors to close, followed by firm but silky tannins. A hint of the skins also comes through on the bouquet and adds a little more weight and substance. This wine (which is worked in cement vats, oak cask and Allier barrique) finishes with polished slate-like mineral nuances. This is a 29,000-bottle release.
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