Montepeloso 2020 'Nardo' Costa Toscana IGT

Montepeloso 2020 'Nardo' Costa Toscana IGT

Item Number: 18077

UPC: 0-815508014899

Country: Italy
Region: Tuscany
Sub Region: Tuscany
Appellation/AVA: Toscana IGT
Estate Grown Wine: Yes
Vintage: 2020
Grape(s): 70% Sangiovese / 15% Malvasia Nera / 15% Cabernet Sauvignon
Type: Wine - Red
Bottle Size: 750 ml
Pack: 6
Closure: Cork
Alc by Vol(%): 15
Viticulture: Practicing Organic
Soil Type: Lime-rich petrified clay & silex
Elevation: 80 meters
Case Production: 700

Winemaking Notes: Grapes are manually harvested from vines 25-40 years in age. Spontaneous fermentation occurs in temperature-controlled vats. Maceration lasts for 20-30 days on the skins, depending on the grape variety. Malolactic fermentation occurs in used French tonneaux. The wine ages for 8-9 months in French tonneaux (65% new) and another 12 months in bottle before release. 

Tasting Notes: The wine explodes on the palate with wild dark cherries, black currant, spices, licorice and leather. Nardo is a bit fuller than Eneo and more polished on the palate; it's smoother and richer yet has exceptional balance and purity. 

Terroir Notes: Tucked away in the hills of Suvereto near Bolgheri on the Tuscan Coast is the 30-hectare Montepeloso estate of which 14 hectares are planted to vines. Fabio Chiarelotto purchased the estate of Montepeloso in 1998, after years working in academia as an historian. While the estate had achieved fame under the former owners, Chiarelotto believed it held the potential to take quality even higher. Looking to the future, Chiarelotto decided to drastically restructure (i.e., cut back) the vines in early 1999. As the estate emerged from those changes, his healthier vineyards and understanding of the wines has positioned this estate to achieve even great renown. Chiarelotto’s focus is to shape coastal Tuscan wine with local varieties. 

In Suvereto, the influences of land and sea interact. The thermal currents generated by a combination of strong solar radiation and local ground conditions, as well as the constant ventilation from coastal winds, exert a welcome cooling effect on the grapes. Despite the Tuscan sun, there is a freshness in the air, which is also apparent in the pronounced salinity of the wines. The strongly mineral composition of the soils in the Colline Metallifere area and the spicy notes of the Mediterranean macchia have a seminal influence on the wines, endowing them with lightness and a distinctive local character. The soil of Montepeloso is rich in minerals, characterized by the silex typical of the area and the scaly Scaglia Toscana (fossilized clay).

Reviews

  • Vinous
    Rating: 92+ (8/1/2023)
    The 2020 Nardo is a wild, powerful wine. Dark red fruit, menthol, licorice, spice, game, grilled herbs, earthiness and tobacco add to an impression of rusticity.
  • The Wine Advocate
    Rating: 93 (6/22/2023)
    The 2020 Nardo is a blend of 70% Sangiovese, 15% Malvasia Nera and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon (with 4,200 bottles released). This wine has an inky core of black fruit with grilled rosemary or curry leaf at the back. You get elegant mineral tones that recall pencil shaving or even a hint of rusty iron. The palate is dry and quite firm with both fruit and oak tannins.