La Mannella di Cortonesi Brunello di Montalcino Poggiarelli 2019
The Cortonesi family established the La Mannella estate in the 1970s on 138 historic acres in the heart of Montalcino, their first commercial vintage release beginning in 1985.
Today, third-generation winemaker Tommaso Cortonesi leads the estate with a rigorously technical and quality-driven philosophy. Recognized by Monica Larner of The Wine Advocate as part of a group of “technicians” shaping modern Brunello, Tommaso represents a new generation of producers—combining formal enological training, analytical precision, and a deep understanding of what the customer wants.
The grapes for this wine come from the heart of Montalcino, from a Grand Cru single vineyard of a little less than 5 acres called Poggiarelli situated 1,400 feet high on the southeast side of the city, hence a warmer climate, but with cooler evenings due to the elevation. The well-draining soil is sandy and rocky, made of schistose Galestro rocks with excellent exposure to the sun. This single vineyard is surrounded on all its sides by a forest of oak and holm oak giving the vineyard a natural barrier of protection from harmful elements.
The La Mannella di Cortonesi Brunello di Montalcino Poggiarelli 2019 hails from a superior vintage for Brunello, one of the best of the 2010’s. This wine is just beginning to open up and show us the true character of the harvest, it is a deep, powerful wine, full of fruit, but with the classic structure that gave this noble appellation all of its reputation. Still young but evolving, it’s a wine for the now with a steak and the later…with a steak
