2018 Nardo

Located in the hills of Suvereto, near Bolgheri on the Tuscan coast, Montepeloso is one of the region’s most respected wineries. In 1998 Fabio Chiarelotto, a Swiss-Italian, trained historian acquired the estate with the aim to bring out the best from the terroir-driven varietals.

Fabio grows Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, along with an impressive range of local varieties, including Sangiovese, Montepulciano, Marselan (a new breed of Cabernet and Grenache Noir), Malvasia Nera and Alicante Bouschet. The Montepeloso vineyards are partly terraced and spread across gently undulating slopes. Gabbro is certainly the most renown of the vineyards with some of the vines dating back to the sixties.

Fabio practices organic viticulture and follows a strict grape selection with up to “three harvests” when necessary: one green, one to eliminate less than perfect grapes and finally the ‘real’ harvest. In the cellar, Fabio conducts relatively short macerations, fermentation with natural yeasts, ageing in oak barrels and he bottles without filtration.

Nardo is a perfect expression of the Montepulciano, Sangiovese and Malvasia Nera vines grown on a strictly limited selection of the oldest terroirs. This uncompromising concentration on the finest grapes of each vintage produces a world-class Italian-Mediterranean wine of stupendous quality. NARDO is matured for 18 months in 40% new 400-litre barrels. Subsequently, the wine is matured for nine months in the bottle before being released for sale. The wine explodes on the palate with hints of wild dark cherries and black currant with notes of spices and mediterranean herbs. Dark and powerful yet very elegant, Nardo impresses for ist exceptional balance and purity.

Proprietor Fabio Chiarelotto and longtime winemaker Fabrizio Moltard ratchet things up with their stellar 2018 Nardo. Super-ripe black cherry, plum, gravel, spice, underbrush, menthol, licorice and scorched earth give the 2018 its distinct, sepia-toned personality. Dark and brooding in the glass, with imposing tannins, the 2018 is a flat-out stunner. Give it a few years in bottle first. Nardo is built around a core of Sangiovese, with Montepulciano, Alicante and Malvasia Nera. Chiarelotto has reduced the presence of Montepulciano in the blend. If the 2018 is any indication, that choice looks to be spot on.

Antonio Galloni  - 96 Points

James Suckling - 94 points

Robert Parker - 95 points