2007 Montepeloso Nardo

The 2007 Nardo bursts onto the palate with an array of fresh, vibrant cherries, strawberries and flowers. The wine turns darker and weightier in the glass, with sweet, candied aromas that emerge, leading to a sensual, totally alluring finish. Silky tannins frame the explosive fruit with superb elegance. In 2007 the final blend was 35% Montepulciano, 35% Sangiovese, 22% Marselan and 8% Alicante Bouschet. The wine was aged in a combination of new and old barriques and larger demi-muids. Today Nardo comes across as the most accessible of Montepeloso’s 2007s. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2027. These impeccable, gorgeous 2007s from Montepeloso and proprietor Fabio Chiarellotto all came in at the high end of the ranges I published in Issue 184 based on samples I tasted just before the wines were bottled. The only real changes are in the drinking dates, which I have pushed back for all the wines, as they have firmed up a bit in bottle, something that is quite normal. Montepeloso is one of the emerging stars of the Tuscan coast. There isn’t too much more to say, except that these are reference-point wines that readers who love the best that Tuscany has to offer will not want to be without. Importer: The Rare Wine Co., Sonoma, CA; tel. (707) 996-4484

The 2007 Nardo is incredibly alive and vivid in the glass. The wine literally sparkles on the palate with a level of clarity that is exceedingly rare in this vintage. Super-ripe red cherries, licorice and spices emerge in a style that shows tons of concentration while somehow avoiding any sense of heaviness. Nardo is impeccably balanced throughout and shows awesome harmony in its opulent yet well-defined aromas and flavors. Simply put, this is elegance personified. In 2007, yields were miniscule, and came in at under 25 hectoliters per hectare. The final blend was 35% Montepulciano, 35% Sangiovese, 22% Marselan and 8% Alicante Bouschet. The wine was aged in a combination of new and old barriques and larger demi-muids.