2013 Monteverro Tinata Toscana IGT 750 ml

Flying Winemakers’ Svelte New Tuscan Red

Michel Rolland and Jean Hoefliger are two master winemakers. Hoefliger is best known for his work at Napa’s Alpha Omega and his two 100-point wines at The Debate. Rolland, of course, is the “Flying Winemaker” known for his Midas touch with wines all over the world, like Harlan Estate, Valandraud, and Château Angélus. Swiss couple Georg and Julia Weber sought out both men to help guide their coastal Tuscan estate, Monteverro, to greatness. Time and again these wines are a clear standout in our judging panel. Especially the 2013 Monteverro Tinata—a new sophisticated, svelte, lithe Super Tuscan blend with dense concentration, a creamy palate, fresh acidity and velvety tannins. It’s a red that takes aim at the region’s most regal wines: It is what Sassicaia would be, had it been inspired by Guigal and Beaucastel rather than by the greats of Bordeaux. As twin 94-point scores from James Suckling and Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate suggest, this wine from a 95-point vintage is on par with the blends that have made Super Tuscans world famous.

The World of Fine Wine nails it in their article titled “Monteverro, A Story of Wine and Passion” saying, “The right soil, the perfect work team, a great passion, a good deal of commitment and tenacity, and an ‘enlightened’ estate make Monteverro a reality of excellence.”

From this all-star team and stunning estate comes “Tinata”—something new: a blend of Syrah and Grenache from the red clay soils on six hillside acres. Like the great Super Tuscans, the wine combines both Old and New World influence: 40% sees new French oak, and 30% does a stint in Châteaunuef-inspired concrete, a regimen that yields an “especially opulent and full-bodied,” “richly textured and generous,” wine, according to the Wine Advocate. James Suckling calls Tinata “extremely long and refined,” and with just two words, deftly advocates the drinking and the buying of this masterpiece: “Why wait?”

Jonathan Cristaldi

Editor-in-Chief, Wine Access

Contributing Writer, Food & Wine