As is the case at most if not all properties in Chianti Classico, 2005 is not a great vintage. There will be no 2005 Pergole Torte. Instead, all of the estate’s best fruit went into the 2005 Montevertine (Sangioveto, Canaiolo, Colorino). The wine is sweet and generous on the palate, where pretty notes of over-ripe, candied cherries, spices, leather and cured meat come to life. There is a nice weight to the wine but the presence of somewhat advanced aromas and flavors suggest it won’t be an especially long-lived effort. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2017. Readers looking for delicate, perfumed Sangiovese and Sangiovese-based wines need look no further than Montevertine. The estate is located in Radda, one of the cooler, fresher micro-climates in Tuscany. The wines have always required bottle age to develop, yet these are wines that showcase an aromatic side of Sangiovese that shares much in common with Pinot Noir and Nebbiolo, rather than the more overt fruit-driven wines that are made elsewhere. Readers who have visited the property know the facilities are cramped. As a result of space constraints all the wines see multiple bottlings and small variations are therefore possible. Importer: Rosenthal Wine Merchants, Pine Plains, NY; tel. (800) 910-1990

A little lean and short for this well-respected producer, but this shows some attractive berry and plum character. Clean. Sangiovese, Canaiolo and Colorino. Drink now. 2,000 cases made. -JS