The 2009 Le Pergole Torte is flat-out great. Layers of fruit wrap around the palate in this flashy, seductive Pergole Torte. There are no hard edges to be found. Sweet red cherries, roses, spices and mint are layered into the silky, radiant finish. The 2009 is a wine of extraordinary elegance. Today the 2009 comes across as a smaller scaled version of the 2007. This is also the first year of biological farming at Montevertine. Despite the heat wave in August, Martino Manetti waited until October 12 to bring the Sangiovese in. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2039. In a week during which I tasted most of the reference point Sangioveses and Sangiovese-based reds, one wine stuck out - Le Pergole Torte. Quite honestly, I had a hard time getting to sleep the night I tasted these wines. They were that viscerally thrilling. Le Pergole Torte isn’t a great Tuscan or Italian wine. It is simply one of the world’s elite wines. Montevertine is located in Radda, one of the coolest, highest-altitude spots in Chianti Classico. When I visited last April, the vineyards were noticeably more backward in their development relative to what I had seen in the other parts of the region. Le Pergole Torte was a groundbreaking wine when it was first conceived by proprietor Sergio Manetti in the early 1970s. At the time, Chianti Classico regulations obligated producers to include white grapes in their wines. Manetti dreamt of something else, a wine that would explore the greatness of Sangiovese. Along with noted oenologist Giulio Gambelli, Manetti created Le Pergole Torte, one of the first 100% Sangioveses made in Chianti Classico. Because it was made outside of appellation laws, the wine carried the humblest of all designations, ‘Vino da Tavola’ But the wine itself was fabulous, and the public soon caught on. In 1990 Manetti bottled a wine that would become an icon, the 1990 Riserva, which was an absurdity on paper, given the inherent contradiction of the terms ‘Vino da Tavola’ and ‘Riserva.’ To add to the irony, years later the Chianti Classico laws were updated. The obligatory use of complimentary white and red grapes was abolished, which meant Le Pergole Torte could be a Chianti Classico, but Manetti never returned to the appellation that had snubbed him. One of the misconceptions about Le Pergole Torte is that it is a single-vineyard wine. That was true of the early years up to the late 1980s. By 1990 Pergole Torte had become a selection of the estate’s best fruit across several parcels, although it wasn’t until 2001 that the fruit was sourced from the same basic complement of vineyards that is used today. Sadly, Sergio Manetti passed away in 2000. Manetti’s son Martino took over and adds that he is fully responsible for every wine beginning with the 2001, where he personally made all the decisions. Le Pergole Torte is vinified in cement. The wine is aged for one year in French oak barrels followed by a second year in cask. Martino Manetti isn’t afraid to call them as he sees them. Manetti describes 1985 and 1997 – both heavily touted years – as overrated. For this tasting, Manetti pulled a selection of vintages from his cellar, all based on their personal significance to him. Montevertine Le Pergole Torte Key Points: 1. 100% Sangiovese from the estate’s best fruit across all of the estate’s vineyards 2. Traditional vinification in cement. Aging first in French oak barrels, then cask 3. A delicate, refined expression of Sangiovese 4. Aging potential: 30+ years

This vintage is very similar to the 2007 edition in terms of intensity, fullness and suppleness. The 2009 Le Pergole Torte shows velvety rich and dark extraction with softly intense aromas of black cherry, spice and grilled rosemary. There's a piquant touch of cheese rind or creamy white chocolate hidden deep somewhere at the back. All of these aromatic elements build in momentum and power to bring the wine a big notch forward in terms of complexity and personality. This is one of the most distinctive wines made in Tuscany, and those singular Montevertine attributes are proudly on display here.

This iconic 100% Sangiovese spends a year in Slavonian oak botte followed by an additional year in 1-year-old barriques. At 10 years old, the 2009 reveals the wild side of Sangiovese yet remains polished. It's a tangle of smoke, dried Mediterranean herbs, tobacco and pot pourri. Smooth and silky but sneaky tannins build and will continue to carry the wine for another 7-8 years.

Deep red. Musky red fruits, smoked meat, aromatic herbs and bitter chocolate on the pure, distinctly Old World nose. Supple, sweet and deep, but with lovely lift and verve to the fine-grained flavors of red berries, truffle and marzipan. Brisk acidity keeps the finish of this full-bodied wine firm and refreshing. The very long finish shows repeating notes of herbs and violet.