La Poderina Brunello di Montalcino Poggio Abate Riserva 2015 (750ml)

 

Rated 95 Points by James Suckling

 

Fascinating aromas of crushed berries, lightly sour cherries and cedar follow through to a full body with deep, rich fruit and layers of ripe, polished tannins.  It really grows on the palate.  Needs two or three years to calm down.  Better after 2023.

 

Rated 93 Points by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

 

This wine from La Poderina takes a different approach (compared to the classic 2016 Brunello also currently up for release).  This wine, the 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Poggio Abate, shows more richness, concentration and more heavily applied oak tones.  Even the sheer weight of the glass bottle that houses this wine underlines the themes of density and darkness.  The oak tannins are on the sour and astringent side, so a few extra years of bottle aging will be required.  This is a release of 6,600 bottles that will be available in May 2021.

 

Rated 90 Points by Wine Enthusiast

 

Aromas recalling stewed prune, violet, eucalyptus and a whiff of nail-polish remover follow over to fleshy palate along with roasted coffee bean, French oak and licorice.  It's fleshy and approachable, with solid, enveloping tannins that leave a rather drying finish.

 

La Poderina Brunello di Montalcino

 

Poggio Abate Riserva 2015

 

La Poderina is located just south of Montalcino in an area renowned for elegant and balanced fruit. In honor of the rich artistic and viticultural history of this area, Poggio Abate’s label features a detail from the local Sant’Antimo abbey, which dates back to the 12th century.

 

Tasting Notes

 

Deep ruby red color. Intense, complex nose with notes of dark berries, licorice and tobacco, together with ethereal, smoky sensations. On the palate it is smooth, with a great structure and balance, full of flavors, especially savory herbs and licorice. Firm tannins and a long powerful finish.

 

Alcohol:  14.5%

 

Food Pairings

 

Ideal with red and white roast meats, poultry, game and aged cheese.

 

Vineyard & Production Information

 

Vineyard Name/Appellation:  Bunello di Montalcino Riserva DOCG

 

Vineyard Size:  38 Ha

 

Soil Composition:  Medium loam with some clay deposits and organic matter

 

Training Method:  Spurred Cordon

 

Elevation:  350 m a.s.l.

 

Vines/hectare:  3,300 (older vineyards); 5,000/Ha

 

Exposure:  South East

 

Age:  16-26 Years

 

Harvest Time:  Early October

 

First Vintage:  2006

 

Production:  8,000 Bottles

 

Winemaking & Aging

 

Varietal Composition:  100% Sangiovese Grosso

 

Fermentation Container:  Stainless steel tanks (15 days at 24-28 °C)

 

Maceration Technique:  Daily pumping over; two delestages during alcoholic fermentation/15-20 days

 

Type of aging container:  500 lt French tonneaux and 30 hl Slavonian big oak casks

 

Length of aging before bottle:  15 Months in French tonneaux + 15 months in Slavonian big oak casks + 6 months in stainless steel tanks

 

Length of bottle aging:  24 Months

 

Tuscany Wine Region

 

Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and Super Tuscans from Bolgheri are some of the world’s most famous wines and are adored by collectors, and they all hail from the gorgeous region of Tuscany.

 

 

La Poderina

 

          Producer Profile

 

Estate owned by:  Unipol Assicurazioni S.p.a.

 

Winemaker:  Riccardo Cotarella

 

Total acreage of vine:  94 (38 Ha)

 

Winery Production:  73,000 Bottles

 

Region:  Toscana

 

La Poderina winery is part of Tenute del Cerro SpA, the Wine Company of Gruppo Unipol, one of the biggest European Insurance Companies. 

 

Tenute del Cerro represents today the fulfillment of a great wine project, which considers agriculture in its best meaning, with a great focus on nature and on its best local expressions, with the aim to enhance the features to produce some of the most Italian excellence, appreciated in the world.

 

Founded in 1988, La Poderina is located in the Castelnuovo dell’Abate zone of Montalcino, an area noted for the elegance and balance of its grapes.  The estate resides southeast of Montalcino’s historic town center and consists of 120 acres.  Specialized in the cultivation of Sangiovese Grosso, La Poderina has 25 acres of vineyards dedicated to the production of Brunello, 11 acres of vineyards dedicated to the production of Rosso di Montalcino and 11 acres of vineyards dedicated to the production of Sangiovese.

 

La Poderina has an integrated philosophy that incorporates innovative techniques in order to further Montalcino’s traditional wines.  To this end, La Poderina ages its wines in both French barriques and larger botti, giving the final wines restrained oak notes that still showcase unique characteristics of this region’s Sangiovese.  Yield levels are careful monitored in order to cultivate concentrated flavor profiles.  Each vine produces yields far below the guidelines set out by the appellation.  La Poderina produces a total of 73,000 bottles annually and offers American wine drinkers a Rosso di Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino and Poggio Abate Brunello di Montalcino Riserva.

 

 

Rated 90 Points by Wine Enthusiast

 

Aromas recalling stewed prune, violet, eucalyptus and a whiff of nail-polish remover follow over to fleshy palate along with roasted coffee bean, French oak and licorice.  It's fleshy and approachable, with solid, enveloping tannins that leave a rather drying finish.