Cortonesi La Mannella Brunello di Montalcino 2017
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A luscious, deep red-ruby Brunello with bountiful and intense aromas of dark fruit with dried cherry, blackcurrant and plum. On a second wave of aromas, you encounter softer spice with toasted almond, tilled earth and grilled herb. This is a classic expression of the crisp but sunny 2017 vintage with an open and food-friendly personality. There is a playful touch of sweet cherry on the close. The fruit is sourced from the La Mannella zone.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
New leather, ripe black-skinned fruit, tobacco and menthol are just some of the aromas you'll find in this delicious red. Full-bodied and elegantly structured, the accessible palate delivers dried cherry, raspberry jam, licorice and a hint of white pepper set against velvety tannins. Drink 2023–2029.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2017 Brunello di Montalcino La Mannella shows exciting depth, power and length. It stands tall as a fine example of Brunello made in the not-always-easy 2017 vintage. Even its appearance is especially attractive, given its dark but glossy garnet shine. The wine's aromas unwind slowly, starting with dark fruit and plum, but carefully transition to spice, smoke and cedar. There is tension and grip on the finish.
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James Suckling
Extremely refined and together 2017, with round, fine tannins that show tension and balance. Medium to full body, creamy texture and a delicious finish. Savory and juicy.
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Wine Spectator
There's ample fleshiness to the structure of this generous red. Cherry, raspberry, plum, floral and leather flavors ply the rich texture, while dusty, resonant tannins roam the lingering finish. Offers fine succulence and harmony. Best from 2025 through 2042.
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2018-
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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.