The 2005 Gabbro presents the elegant, finessed side of its personality. Expressive aromatics meld into layers of black cherries, violets, chocolate, new leather and spices, with terrific persistence and plenty of style. This is a rich, full-bodied wine, but it comes across as remarkably well-balanced. It is the most successful of the estate’s 2005s and should begin drinking well relatively early. Gabbro is 100% old vine Cabernet Sauvignon. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2020. Suvereto is one of the warmer micro-climates in Tuscany’s Maremma. Growers here can easily achieve ripeness and make big, full-bodied wines. Elegance, on the other hand, is much more elusive. I can’t think of too many other producers who manage to reconcile these two seemingly disparate characteristics better than proprietor Fabio Chiarelotto at Montepeloso. The winery is as bare-bones as readers are likely to find anywhere, yet some of the region’s most finessed wines come from these cramped quarters. Chiarelotto’s 2005 are very successful, but his 2006s are simply off the charts. In fact they have remained almost as fresh and primary as they were when I first tasted them from tank late that year! The 2006s reviewed below are samples of the final blends taken as the wines awaited imminent bottling. If the finished wines capture the essence of what I tasted, these will be the finest wines yet from Montepeloso. Readers should note that Chiarelotto is always hesitant to discuss the exact blends in his wines as he feels those discussions take attention away from the specific merits of the terroirs he works with, so the descriptions of the grapes in these wines should be taken as an approximation. Importer: The Rare Wine Co., Sonoma, CA; tel. (707) 996-4484