2021 Montevertine

Martino Manetti presented some of the most intriguing 2021s and 2022s I tasted for this report. At this stage, the 2022s come across as more typical for the estate than the 2021s, which are decidedly potent wines. “We had more rain and more even maturation in 2021 than we did in 2022, where ripening took place later. In 2022, the warm, dry season delayed ripening. Harvest started on October 5, which is late by today’s standards,” Martino Manetti commented. “The challenge in 2021 was in taming the huge tannins,” added Paolo Salvi, the estate’s longtime consulting oenologist.

Martino Manetti excelled in both 2020 and 2021. The 2020s are shaping up to be modern-day classics. They offer a stunning mix of precision and power, tempered by a more moderate growing season. The 2021s are a bit richer but also show tremendous harmony. I tasted all the 2021s from cask after a first blending of all the lots.

As has been the case for a number of years, I continue to be impressed by the Montevertine, a wine that sometimes gets less attention than the flagship Pergole Torte. This is the first year that benefits from the inclusion of a new vineyard at the other end of town that was previously leased by Istine. Not much has changed here in terms of winemaking. Alcoholic fermentation takes place in cement, using indigenous yeasts. Malolactic fermentation follows, also in cement. The wines are racked off their lees and racked into oak in the early part of the following year. Montevertine spends two years in cask, whereas Pergole Torte sees a year in French oak barrique followed by a year in cask.