The 2008 A Quo presents a heady array of super-ripe blueberries, blackberries, cassis, minerals and spices that come together in a luxurious, exotic style. There is plenty of round, harmonious fruit to provide outstanding balance, polish and length. The wine continued to open up nicely in the glass, gaining even greater focus and clarity. At this price point I would be a buyer?.by the case. The 2008 A Quo is 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Montepulciano, 20% Sangiovese, 10% Marselan and 10% Alicante Bouschet made from yields of less than 40 hectoliters per hectare, which is pretty much unprecedented for a wine at this price point. Chiarellotto gives the A Quo four months in used French oak barrels. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2020.
I have been following these 2006s from Montepeloso and proprietor Fabio Chiarellotto for three years. Now that the wines are in bottle their true potential is clearly evident. It appears I underestimated the 2006s from barrel, as all three offerings are showstoppers of the highest level. My scores from bottle are in some cases significantly higher than from barrel. The 2007s are also very beautiful; in fact Montepeloso is one of a handful of estates where the 2007s are very close in quality to the 2006s. I tasted the 2007s as final blends just prior to their bottling. Chiarellotto believes his wines shut down for several months after bottling so with his 2007s he added the final dose of SO2 in two stages, in between which he prepared the sample bottles I received. I chose to score the wines in parentheses to indicate that technically they were not fully finished. If history is any indication, I have tended to err on the side of excess caution when judging the wines at this early stage in their lives. This year Chiarellotto also has a new, entry-level wine, A Quo, that is sure to thrill Montepeloso fans looking for an alternative to the higher-end bottlings. In short, these are marvelous Tuscan reds that readers will absolutely not want to miss.
Importer: The Rare Wine Co., Sonoma, CA; tel. (707) 996-4484
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