2004 Le Pergole Torte Riserva

A real rockstar, the 2004 Le Pergole Torte is hard to taste in this vertical, as it is incredibly young and primary. The signature are there - expressive, soaring aromatics, silky tannins and superb persistence - but the 2004 needs at least a few years to show the full breadth of its personality. As always, the 2004 is lithe, delicate and gracious, with stunning harmony and purity. Today, the 2004 comes across as a slightly more refined version of the 2001, a vintage with which it has quite a bit in common. A few more years of cellaring will only help. The 2004 is a Pergole Torte of pure sensuality. What a wine!

The 2004 Le Pergole Torte (100% Sangioveto) is a special wine. Beautiful dark cherry, spice, mineral and menthol nuances emerge from its layered, beautiful frame. It shows outstanding depth buttressed by finessed, silky tannins in a classic, medium-bodied style. Today the wine remains very primary. The full breadth of its expression will come only with extended cellaring. Readers seeking instant gratification or who want to be blown away by sheer concentration will likely find more pleasure in other wines from this great vintage. Those who are willing to invest the time to appreciate this wine's elegance, finesse and textural beauty will be amply rewarded with a superb bottle of wine.

Skipping over the nonexistent 2005 vintage, our retrospective brought us to the dark and bold 2004 Le Pergole Torte. This wine still appears behind in its evolution. It was a bit closed and shut down from an aromatic point of view. Nothing too bad, but you notice this in the context of the other vintages presented here together. The bouquet shows dark mineral notes of campfire ash and crushed granite with dried berry and crushed peppercorn at the back. There is an inner spiciness to the flavor profile. The mouthfeel is rich and fuller in body compared to most of the other recent vintages. Firm tannins play an important role. Mar 2018, www.robertparker.com