Decanter: 99 Punkte
The 2016 Tinata shows a beautiful, luminous, deep ruby colour in the glass. I sampled it in a vertical tasting in August 2024, beginning with 2008-2021, and this was a real show-stopper. It has profound textural elegance and is a complete wine with polish and undeniable deliciousness. The bouquet is filled with elderberry and blue fruit aromatics, layered with rich toffee, espresso bean notes, and herbal character. Full-bodied with robust, fine-grained tannins and ample dark berry and currant fruits that are nuanced by fragrant cigar box, white pepper, and charcuterie notes. Multidimensional yet compact and very fresh, with lifted acidity, it is a wine meant for long-term cellaring. It is a pleasure-packed wine. Winemaker Jean Hoefliger met the Webber family, owners of Monteverro, in 2003 at Newton in Napa Valley. The winery is in Capalbio, in the Tuscan Maremma, about a mile from the sea as the crow flies. The estate harbours 24.28 hectares of vines on eroded stony soils, much like the round river rocks of the Rhône Valley. The in-house winemaker is Matthieu Taunay, and Jean Hoefliger has served as a consultant since 2008, the first vintage. The winery is a state-of-the-art facility, allowing for stainless steel, concrete egg, and barrel fermentation. The Tinata is a unique blend for this region of Tuscany and is typically 70% Syrah and 30% Grenache each year. Aged in roughly 80% new French oak for 16 months. The Syrah remains in the barrel the entire time, but the Grenache goes up to concrete tanks halfway through ageing to avoid the oxidative potential of the grape and keep it fresh and lively, layering that quality to the blend.
- Jonathan Cristaldi (08/2024)
