2007 Montepeloso Gabbro

The 2007 Gabbro (Cabernet Sauvignon) is flat-out great. Layers of dark fruit, smoke, cured meat, cassis and grilled herbs come to life as this powerful, muscular wine gradually reveals the depth of its pedigree and sheer class. Despite its size, the 2007 Gabbro possesses exquisite complexity and a long, nuanced finish. Scents of tar, licorice and smoke provide the final exclamation points on what is truly a memorable wine. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2027. 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 Gabbro (100% Cabernet Sauvignon) possesses awesome richness and purity in an incredibly vibrant, well-articulated style. Today the wine remains extremely youthful and unevolved, although hints of varietal dark fruit, blueberry jam, licorice, leather, cassis and minerals occasionally come through on the long finish. This is a seamless, opulent Gabbro, and while the 2007 may lack some of the structure and complexity of the 2006, it isn't too far off the mark from that profound wine, and should provide more pleasure in the immediate future. In a few years' time, the 2007 Gabbro promises to be a superb, kaleidoscopic Tuscan red. In 2007 yields were around 25 hectoliter per hectare and the wine was aged in 100% new French oak, which is beautifully integrated, even at this early stage in the wine's life.