Winemaker Notes
A rich ruby red with orange reflections. The nose is deep and complex with notes of dark fruit on the first wave, followed by soft spices, toasted almond, tilled earth and grilled herbs. The nose follows through to the palate, accented by a playful touch of sweet cherry on the close.
Professional Ratings
-
Decanter
To the north of Montalcino, La Mannella is situated in one of the coolest corners of the zone. Plots sits at 270 metres, where the soil alternates from yellow to red, then brown clay and finally river stones. Tight and flinty to begin with, it then reveals a gorgeous purity of lilac and orange florals. Precise and well-sculpted, the palate presents a black cherry backdrop framed by powdered, textured tannins which creep up and build to quite an assertive grasp while remaining polished and elegant. Lovely spaciousness and freshness here.
-
Wine Spectator
Offering black currant, blackberry, floral, mineral and underbrush flavors, this red shows some muscle, ending with a terrific aftertaste of ripe fruit, mineral and vegetal accents. This feels balanced overall, but needs some time for the dense tannins to integrate fully. Best from 2027 through 2043.
-
James Suckling
Pretty sweet-berry and cherry aromas with hints of cedar and crushed stones. Medium body, fine tannins and a fresh finish. Tight and refined. Give it two or three years to open. Best after 2026.
-
Wine Enthusiast
The nose has an abundance of earthy, savory aromas, including old leather, damp soil, mushrooms and balsamic, with just barely sweet undertones of dark chocolate and black cherry. The palate continues to balance dark fruit with that nearly smoky savoriness, while tannins add complexity without disrupting a silken sensation in the mouth.
-
Jeb Dunnuck
Ripe and inviting, the 2019 Brunello Di Montalcino La Mannella displays a ruby color and opens in the glass to notes of raspberries, a touch of blue fruit, candied flowers, menthol, and sweet herbs. Medium to full-bodied, it is easygoing and open on the palate, with supple tannins, a rounded mid-palate, a soft cushion of fruit, and mineral undercurrents. It’s a very elegant and graceful wine with a pliant texture, and although it’s very well made, I think it’s in its prime window for drinking over the mid- and near-term.
Among Italy's elite red grape varieties, Sangiovese has the perfect intersection of bright red fruit and savory earthiness and is responsible for the best red wines of Tuscany. While it is best known as the chief component of Chianti, it is also the main grape in Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and reaches the height of its power and intensity in the complex, long-lived Brunello di Montalcino. Somm Secret—Sangiovese doubles under the alias, Nielluccio, on the French island of Corsica where it produces distinctly floral and refreshing reds and rosés.
Famous for its bold, layered and long-lived red, Brunello di Montalcino, the town of Montalcino is about 70 miles south of Florence, and has a warmer and drier climate than that of its neighbor, Chianti. The Sangiovese grape is king here, as it is in Chianti, but Montalcino has its own clone called Brunello.
The Brunello vineyards of Montalcino blanket the rolling hills surrounding the village and fan out at various elevations, creating the potential for Brunello wines expressing different styles. From the valleys, where deeper deposits of clay are found, come wines typically bolder, more concentrated and rich in opulent black fruit. The hillside vineyards produce wines more concentrated in red fruits and floral aromas; these sites reach up to over 1,600 feet and have shallow soils of rocks and shale.
Brunello di Montalcino by law must be aged a minimum of four years, including two years in barrel before realease and once released, typically needs more time in bottle for its drinking potential to be fully reached. The good news is that Montalcino makes a “baby brother” version. The wines called Rosso di Montalcino are often made from younger vines, aged for about a year before release, offer extraordinary values and are ready to drink young.