Le Pergole Torte is one of the few Sangiovese wines that is spoken of in the same reverential tones as vineyard-designate Pinot Noir from Burgundy.
There are just three reds produced at Montevertine, all of them riffs on Sangiovese from different vineyards on the 18-hectare property, which was originally purchased by steel magnate Sergio Manetti as a country retreat. Upon acquiring the land in 1967, Manetti began planting vineyards straight away, taking advice from his childhood friend, Giulio Gambelli, who was one of Tuscany’s most celebrated winemakers. Gambelli was the acknowledged master of the Sangiovese grape, known for his keen palate, and, along with cellarmaster Bruno Bini, comprised Manetti’s Tuscan Dream Team. When they released the first vintage of Le Pergole Torte in 1977, Manetti commissioned modern artist Alberto Manfredi for the labels, which still feature his images today.
From the beginning, Manetti was focused keenly on Sangiovese—at a time when the laws in the Chianti Classico DOCG required that the wines be blended. Wanting to make a “varietal” Sangiovese, Manetti long ago abandoned any use of Chianti terminology on the labels; the 100% Sangiovese Le Pergole Torte carried the humble vino da tavola (table wine) designation for many years until it was switched to the Toscana I.G.T. (Indicazione Geografica Tipica) classification.
After Sergio Manetti passed away in 2000, his son, Martino, took up the reins of the estate. Since then, he’s navigated his way through the losses of Bruno Bini and Giulio Gambelli. Both men are still referenced on the wine’s label, along with enologist Paolo Salvi, a Gambelli protégé who has not missed a beat in maintaining the house style.
The 2020 is stunning—and poised for a long life in the cellar. It fermented in concrete vats on ambient yeasts and aged for a year in Slavonian oak botti and another year in French oak barriques before bottling. Aromatically, this wine is always one of the most exquisitely perfumed examples of Sangiovese in existence, and this bottling is no exception: In the glass, it’s a deep ruby-red with garnet reflections, with dazzlingly complex aromas of ripe black cherry, red and black plum, violets, tobacco leaf, crushed rocks, leather, rose petals, and wild herbs.
The intensity and focus is just incredible—it’s not a big, chunky wine but rather a lithe, sinewy wine that thrums with potential energy. It needs at least an hour in a decanter to unwind if you choose to open a bottle now, otherwise expect it to broaden and soften in 5-7 years’ time (and well beyond that). It has a 20-year aging window at a minimum, as anyone who collects Le Pergole knows, so do consider stocking up if you’re able. Serve it at 60-65 degrees in Burgundy stems with duck, quail, or any other game birds you like; this is the stuff unforgettable meals are made of!
