Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Blueberries with hints of hazelnut on the nose. Full body, with well-integrated tannins and citrus acidity. This is a lively and pretty wine in a style that I like. Savory too.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
La Poderina's 2008 Brunello di Montalcino is one of the most delicious wines of the vintage. Freshly cut roses, red berries, cloves and mint are all woven together in a fabric of unusual class. Layers of fruit continue to develop, leading to a rich, creamy finish that is striking in its beauty. A relatively big, fruit-driven wine, the 2008 is all about balance. In this style, it is easily one of the very finest wines made in Montalcino. I have to say, it is also one of the most joyous, exuberant wines I tasted during my week in Montalcino. The 2008 was aged 60% in cask and 40% in barrel for 12 months, followed by another 12 months all in cask.
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Wine Enthusiast
La Poderina is a beautiful, well-managed estate that playfully straddles both a traditional and modern approach to Brunello. Thick black fruit aromas and tangy spice give the wine a soft and opulent first impression. But the firm tannins and bright acidity remind you of its deep Tuscan roots.
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Wine Spectator
Fresh and lively, with a rich texture, showing cherry, plum and spice aromas and flavors. The tannins are present but not intrusive, with a mouthwatering, minerally finish. Best from 2016 through 2029.
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.