2019 Montepeloso Eneo

Blackcurrant and cherry aromas with fresh flowers and orange peel follow through to a medium to full body with ultra-fine tannins that are integrated beautifully in the wine, leaving a bright, focused impression. Attractive to drink now, but will show even more quality in 2023 and onwards. 94pts Suckling

The 2019 Eneo is a wine of notable focus and drive. Black cherry, leather, tobacco, incense, smoke, dried herbs and gravel infuse the 2019 with striking layers of complexity. Firm but well-integrated tannins give the wine energy as well as proportion. There’s a ton to like, but readers need to be patient, as the 2019 needs time to soften. 94pts Galloni

Suvereto, one of the warmer micro-climates on the Tuscan coast just south of Bolgheri, is an area that is relatively new to many. Despite its long winemaking and farming history going back as far as 1000 AD, the Suvereto DOC was only officially recognized in 2000. Set in the fertile Val di Cornia, clay soils and proximity to the sea give an intensity to the flavors, producing ripe and direct wines typically made from Cabernet, Merlot, and the local Sangiovese.

In 1998, Fabio Chiarelotto purchased Montepeloso, the estate was already well on its way to international stardom. However, Chiarelotto could have rested on that reputation, but he felt that the way the vines had been planted and trained, the site would never reach its full potential. And so he spent 8 years reshaping the vineyards. He retrained, pruned, and even re-grafted many vines, Fabio was committed to perfection, pulling up thousands of low quality vines and replacing them with varietals more suited to the windy warmth of Suvereto.

The terroir itself is extraordinary: hillsides around the town of Suvereto. The zone’s petrified clay soils, and its proximity to the sea, give a startling intensity of flavor to wines. It’s little wonder that a half dozen estates have sprung up over the past 20 years though, by contrast, most are planted in the heavier clays of the valley floor. His obsession is such that we find few others with which to compare him. But he perhaps most reminds us of the great Montalcino iconoclast Gianfranco Soldera.

This tremendous property that lies just above the famous Tua Rita in the micro-climate of Suvereto, near Bolgheri, in the Maremma lies one of Tuscan’s elite properties, Montepeloso. The man behind Montepeloso is the great Fabio Chiarelotto who has emerged as one of the towering winemakers of the Tuscan coast. This is a great drinking wine, superbly rich, marvelously supple with a cashmere finish. I often get requests from friends and customers who are in a restaurant and send me a picture of the restaurants wine lists asking me to pick out a great wine. If this wine is on the list, it’s the wine I recommend every time. The 2019 Montepeloso Eneo is one of the finest vintages I have tasted. The critics agree with the wine getting three 94pt scores by Parker’s WA, Galloni at Vinous and James Suckling. Eneo is the middle tear wine that is the smart buy that has become something truly special under Chiarelotto’s stewardship from this very special part of Tuscany. A great wine entering its drinking window and to be enjoyed for many years to come. Please Enjoy!