2011 WINE ENTHUSIAST BEST BUYS TOP 100: #94
"Round up front, revealing cherry, leather and spice flavors on an elegant, supple frame. The finish is firm and dry. Best from 2012 through 2015. 100,000 cases made." (WS)
"The 2007 Monte Antico is gorgeous in this vintage. Berries, flowers and spices come together nicely in this perfumed, refined Tuscan red. Once again Monte Antico over delivers, and in a big way in this vintage. Monte Antico is 85% Sangiovese, 10% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2014. " (WA)
"From the excellent 2007 vintage, Monte Antico (a blend of 85% Sangiovese with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot) offers easy spice aromas of clove and cinnamon followed by a fresh dose of cherry fruit." (WE)
Winery Notes:
Monte Antico is a proprietary label of Neil & Maria Empson. Three and a half decades of passion and experience have gone into the Empsons’ tribute to the heartland of Italy. Their unique affinity to this extraordinary region has led them to make their own mark on Tuscan soil: with the Maestro of Italian winemakers, Franco Bernabei, they have styled the Tuscan grape per eccellenza and expressed its ultimate potential, complementing it with minor percentages of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Monte Antico (which, incidentally, means “ancient mountain”) comes from choice hillside vineyards on diverse soils – compact, very fine-textured limestone, at an altitude of 400-450 meters above sea level; the classic, clayey/calcareous, rocky galestro, also at altitudes around 400 meters; and clayey/siliceous/calcareous soil, at an altitude of 250-300 meters: a cross-section of Tuscany’s best. The finest selections are cherry-picked according to harvest conditions in the individual terroirs and microclimates. This balanced orchestration of geological diversity makes for the wine’s consistent excellence. |
