Cortonesi
About Cortonesi (La Mannella)
The Cortonesi family has been making wine since the 1970s, however, at first it was simply for family, friends and neighbours to enjoy. It wasn't until 1985 that they first offered their wines commercially, but they have kept it strictly a family business, still employing traditional practices and only bringing modern technologies that help to the enhance the quality of the wines, not just ease the winemaking process.
Formerly known as La Mannella until renamed “Cortonesi” in 2017, the estate is now run by Tommaso Cortonesi and his siblings after taking over from their father Marco. Cortonesi produces two distinct Brunello wines each year; the first borrows the name La Mannella and fruit comes from nearby the celebrated Montosoli cru, whilst the second special selection is Poggiarelli. This vineyard site is located in the Castelnuovo dell'Abate area (in the southern half of the appellation) with vineyards as high as 420 meters above sea level.
Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Tuscany | 1 | 95 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£533.09 |
|||||
Wine Advocate (95)Softer for sure compared to the 2016 wines, and more abundant in personality, the Cortonesi 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva La Mannella is very expressive of the sunny, warm and luminous growing season. Rich fruit flavors of dark plum, black cherry and cassis are interwoven with spice, sweet tobacco and balsam herb. This wine is fermented in steel for 25 days and is then racked into oak for a long 48-months élevage. This wine is only made in the best years, and it draws its fruit from the estate's oldest vines, which are 37 years old. A mere 3,658 bottles were made. The tannins are a bit bitter and youthful, so give this wine more cellar time. |
|||||||||
|
Tuscany | 1 | 94 (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£319.24 |
|||||
Wine Advocate (94)The Cortonesi 2016 Brunello di Montalcino La Mannella shows 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 2016 vintage with an open and food-friendly personality. There is a playful touch of sweet cherry on the close. Fruit is sourced from the La Mannella zone, one of the coolest growing areas in the appellation at moderate 350 meters above sea level. Winemaking is traditional, using 30-hectoliter Slavonian oak for three years of slow aging, and this reinforces all those fun berry notes on display in the 25,000-bottle release. |
|||||||||
|
Tuscany | 1 | 96+ (WA) |
Inc. VAT
£421.24 |
|||||
Wine Advocate (96+)The Cortonesi 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Poggiarelli draws its fruit from a vineyard planted in the 1970s and replanted in part during the 1990s. Its fruit has made this designate wine since 1998, and like many of the Selezioni (and the Brunello cru expressions), this wine shows a pretty mineral character that lifts above the bright red fruit. It's absolutely true that these special sections from Montalcino are always recognized by their terrain or soil-adjacent aromas. In this case, I can smell those flinty or gravel-like tones from the schistous Galestro rocks. That special aromatic signature is followed by dark fruit and balsam herb, firm tannins and bright acidity. This is a limited 4,000-bottle release. |
Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Tuscany | 1 | 95 (WA) |
In Bond
£425.00 |
|||||
Wine Advocate (95)Softer for sure compared to the 2016 wines, and more abundant in personality, the Cortonesi 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva La Mannella is very expressive of the sunny, warm and luminous growing season. Rich fruit flavors of dark plum, black cherry and cassis are interwoven with spice, sweet tobacco and balsam herb. This wine is fermented in steel for 25 days and is then racked into oak for a long 48-months élevage. This wine is only made in the best years, and it draws its fruit from the estate's oldest vines, which are 37 years old. A mere 3,658 bottles were made. The tannins are a bit bitter and youthful, so give this wine more cellar time. |
|||||||||
|
Tuscany | 1 | 94 (WA) |
In Bond
£250.00 |
|||||
Wine Advocate (94)The Cortonesi 2016 Brunello di Montalcino La Mannella shows 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 2016 vintage with an open and food-friendly personality. There is a playful touch of sweet cherry on the close. Fruit is sourced from the La Mannella zone, one of the coolest growing areas in the appellation at moderate 350 meters above sea level. Winemaking is traditional, using 30-hectoliter Slavonian oak for three years of slow aging, and this reinforces all those fun berry notes on display in the 25,000-bottle release. |
|||||||||
|
Tuscany | 1 | 96+ (WA) |
In Bond
£335.00 |
|||||
Wine Advocate (96+)The Cortonesi 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Poggiarelli draws its fruit from a vineyard planted in the 1970s and replanted in part during the 1990s. Its fruit has made this designate wine since 1998, and like many of the Selezioni (and the Brunello cru expressions), this wine shows a pretty mineral character that lifts above the bright red fruit. It's absolutely true that these special sections from Montalcino are always recognized by their terrain or soil-adjacent aromas. In this case, I can smell those flinty or gravel-like tones from the schistous Galestro rocks. That special aromatic signature is followed by dark fruit and balsam herb, firm tannins and bright acidity. This is a limited 4,000-bottle release. |