Montepeloso

Tucked away in the hills of Suvereto near the Tyrrhenian coast - one of the hottest areas of Tuscany - is the picturesque Montepeloso winery of Swiss Fabio Chiarelotto. Because of the high sun exposure and the Mediterranean climate, dense and concentrated fashionable wines are produced here with almost no problem. "Producing wines rich in finesse, on the other hand, is a real challenge," the ambitious winemaker tells us in conversation.

In fact, Fabio cares very little about market trends that determine the production of some neighbouring wineries. Since taking over Montepeloso in 1994, his main concern has been to capture the Val di Cornia growing region and its complex cultivation in the glass. He skilfully exploits the special conditions of the terroir and has always worked in harmony with nature according to the rules of organic viticulture.

In order to realise his sustainable vision, however, the trained historian first had to tear out a large part of the vines in order to plant not only Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon on suitable sites - as many winegrowers in the Maremma do - but also unconventional varieties such as Marselan and Alicante Bouschet or Montepulciano from the other side of the Apennines. All grape varieties that can ripen magnificently in the hot climate of southern Tuscany and the predominant calcareous clay and slate soils.

As a true self-taught winemaker, Chiarelotto has always had the right feeling for the most suitable grape varieties that would enable him to produce a fine, elegant style of wine here. For this reason, some of his wines can be described as powerful, but never heavy or lush. After his first breakthrough in 2002 with his award-winning Cabernet Sauvignon Gabbro, the winemaker also further developed his talent for blending, creating his equally expressive red wines Nardo, Eneo and A Quo.

The extraordinary names of these four top wines have long been a household name on the wine scene and are in absolutely no way inferior to the famous competition from Bolgheri. In order to improve each vintage, the oenological department is supervised by the expert Fabrizio Moltard, who has worked for Angelo Gaja, among others. In addition, since 2007, the Swiss entrepreneur Silvio Denz has been involved in the winery, sharing Fabio's passion and allowing him the necessary space to further develop his ingenious vision. And so it is not surprising that these Maremma wines have little to do with what is usually known from southern Tuscany. SUPERIORE.DE