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Super Tuscans have earned their place among Italyโs greatest wines, but critics often label them โinternationalโ โ a backhanded compliment suggesting they lack true Tuscan soul. After all, these wines rely on French varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, grown in a warm climate, much like what youโd find in California or Chile.
Thatโs fair to an extent. But as always with wine, the truth is more nuanced, and not all Super Tuscans chase international appeal. Enter Montepeloso, proving that โSuperโ doesnโt have to mean โinternational.โ
Super Tuscans were born in Maremma, away from Chiantiโs rigid rules and along the Tuscan coast, which proved ideal for Bordeaux varieties. The movement began in Bolgheri, where gravel soils mirror Bordeauxโs Mรฉdoc, and in the 1940s, Mario Incisa della Rocchetta planted Cabernet Sauvignon at Tenuta San Guido for personal use. It wasnโt until the 1970s that friends convinced him to release his wines commercially, creating one of Italyโs most famous wines.
Founded in the 1990s, Montepeloso set out to craft a more Tuscan expression of the Super Tuscan ideal. They chose Suvereto, south of Bolgheri, where cool Mediterranean breezes keep vineyards fresh. The terroir here isnโt gravel but clay, limestone, schist, silex, and iron, creating wines with a wilder, earthier personality.
The land is unmistakably Tuscan, perfumed with scrubby wild herbs known as โMacchiaโโrosemary, juniper, thyme, and myrtle. Locals say Macchia is Tuscanyโs real terroir, flavoring everything from wild boar to Montepelosoโs wines.
Montepeloso follows this same philosophy in the vineyard. Yes, Cabernet, Merlot, and Syrah grow here, but they take a backseat to Sangiovese, Tuscanyโs noble grape (along with Alicante and Malvasia Nera). Barriques are used, but never new barrels โ a deliberate decision to avoid the classic Cabernet + new oak formula seemingly designed to impress international yacht owners.
Professional Reviews
Antonio Galloni
Details
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Grape Variety
Montepulciano , Red Blend , Sangiovese
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Vintage
2022
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Size
750ml
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Farming Practice
Biodynamic
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Style
Earthy , Fruity
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Sweetness
Dry
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Body
Medium Bodied