Montevertine: Le Pergole Torte 1980-2012
There are many pedigreed wines in the world, but some rise above that level and move into the stratosphere of the truly iconic. Montevertine’s Le Pergole Torte is one of those wines because it weaves together so many strands of history and culture. Le Pergole Torte is a wine of tradition and innovation. It is a wine that speaks to the potential of Sangiovese and the unique attributes of Radda in Chianti. But above all else, Pergole Torte is a reflection of its creator. The late Sergio Manetti was an industrialist, an intellectual and a man of deep culture. His spirit permeates through these wines. When I received an invitation to attend a vertical tasting in Siena this past November it took me about a second to make a decision.
Although Sergio Manetti passed away in 2000, his study and library are cleaned daily and remain exactly as he left them. Manetti’s son Martino is at the helm today, but rather than impose anything new, he has left things pretty much untouched. Martino Manetti and current winemaker, Paolo Salvi are the heirs of a rich tradition handed down by celebrated winemaker Giulio Gambelli and long-time estate foreman Bruno Bini.
This remarkable, truly once in a lifetime tasting traced the arc of Le Pergole Torte from the early days to the present through 28 vintages. All of the wines were sourced directly from Montevertine. Many of the wines, especially the early vintages, were served from double magnum, a format few, if any readers, will ever have a chance to taste. For that reason, the greatest value in the tasting notes for those wines is the commentary about the vintages, rather than the actual tasting notes themselves. The wines were served from oldest to youngest, half in the morning session and the other half in the afternoon. The only vintages missing were the 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980 and 1981, of which very few bottles remain. Montevertine did not bottle Le Pergole Torte in 1984, 1989, 1991, 2002 or 2005.
Martino Manetti (center), flanked by Armando Castagno (left) and Giampiero Pulcini (right)
The tasting was moderated with notable passion by Italian wine writers Armando Castagno and Giampiero Pulcini and hosted by the Enoclub of Siena. Wine service was provided by A.I.S., the Italian association of sommeliers. I don’t want to get too far off track – although it would be more than justified – on the point of wine service. Let me just say that Le Pergole Torte is not just one of the great wines of Tuscany. It is one of the great wines of the world. At a bare minimum, it demands a certain level of respect. Service was painfully slow (the result of poor planning), wines were served with sediment and workstations were a mess, among many shortcomings. This is not the fault of the sommeliers working the event – they did the best they could – but rather of the A.I.S. which does not seem to prepare their students with the tools that are now standard among professional sommeliers. But let’s leave that discussion for another day and focus on these splendid wines.
Multimedia: A Conversation with Martino Manetti
Martino Manetti was visibly nervous, and understandably so, considering the substance and historical significance of this event. “There are three people who founded Montevertine,” said Manetti. “Naturally my father was the owner. But there were two other people who brought practical knowledge and know how - Giulio Gambelli, our winemaker, and Bruno Bini, the estate foreman. My dad and Gambelli were childhood friends. They lived on the same street and our families had shops next to each other. Bini was born at Montevertine, in the old house, and was working there when my father bought the estate 1967, which wasn’t really an estate at all, but more of a rural property. My father shared his vision with Bini and asked him if he wanted to stay. Bini said ‘yes’, which made him one of the few locals to keep working in the fields at a time when so many people were moving to the cities. Signor Bruno remained my father’s right hand man until my dad passed away. Then he became my right hand man. Or, more correctly, I became his right-hand man because Bruno made many of the decisions in the vineyard and taught me so many things in the early years.”
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There are many pedigreed wines in the world, but some rise above that level and move into the stratosphere of the truly iconic. Montevertine’s Le Pergole Torte is one of those wines because it weaves together so many strands of history and culture. Le Pergole Torte is a wine of tradition and innovation. It is a wine that speaks to the potential of Sangiovese and the unique attributes of Radda in Chianti. But above all else, Pergole Torte is a reflection of its creator. The late Sergio Manetti was an industrialist, an intellectual and a man of deep culture. His spirit permeates through these wines.
