By Cortonesi
Poggiarelli Brunello di Montalcino 2018

Tasting Notes
Vibrant and well-built, this wine has the power to match the cherry, leather, and earth aromas and flavors. It shows a beautiful mineral character that lifts above the bright red fruit. Dark fruit, balsam herbs, firm tannins, and bright acidity follow that special aromatic signature.

Viticulture
The grapes for this wine come from the heart of Montalcino, from a premier single vineyard of a little less than 5 acres of family-owned vines situated 492.13 yards (430 meters) high on the southeast side of the city, hence the warmer climate. The well-draining soil is sandy and rocky, made of schistose Galestro rocks with excellent exposure to the sun. The vineyard trellis system is spurred cordon, with the winemaking following the tradition of producing superior Brunello. The single vineyard is surrounded by a forest of oak and holm oak, giving the vineyard a natural protective barrier from harmful elements.

Vinification
After carefully selecting the hand-picked grapes, fermentation occurs with maceration for 20 days in stainless steel vats with selected yeasts. Controlled temperatures between 82.4-89.6 degrees F (28-32 degrees C). The wine then spends 24 months in 500-liter French oak barrels.

Family
Brunello di Montalcino of Tuscany has been called "The King of Wines," and this king is what Cortonesi specializes in. The Cortonesis established La Manella in the 70s, covering 138 acres in one of the most storied areas of Montalcino, but only 19 of those acres are dedicated to producing world-class Brunello. They started commercially selling their wines in 1985. Today, the wines are in the more-than-capable hands of Tommaso Cortonesi, a third-generation winemaker.

Wine Details
Producer: Cortonesi
Region: DOCG Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany
Grapes: 100% Sangiovese
Total Acidity: 5.9 g/l
Residual Sugar: 0 g/l
pH: 3.45
[Information provided by Quintessential Wines]

Cortonesi 2018 Poggiarelli Sangiovese (Brunello di Montalcino)
From: Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy
Rating: 95
Price: $115
Winery: Cortonesi
Region: Tuscany
Alcohol: 14.5%
Variety: Sangiovese
Wine Type: Red
Bottle Size: 750 ml
Issue Date: 12/1/2023
The sweet, warm nose balances delicate notes of cherry, rose and vanilla with savory streaks of soil, leather and brick dust. On the palate, dried cranberries and bitter oranges coax out the cherries' latent tartness, while the tannins are firm yet warm, creating a comforting, reliable foundation.  
Reviewed By: Danielle Callegari

Cortonesi Brunello di Montalcino Poggiarelli 2018
Thursday, Nov 10, 2022
Country: Italy
Region: Tuscany
Vintage: 2018
Score: 95
Wonderfully perfumed with aromas of lavender, rosehip, blueberries, strawberries, sliced orange, chocolate and nutmeg. It’s full-bodied with firm, fine-grained tannins. Creamy and gorgeously textural. Long. Lots to like. Better after 2024.

2018 Cortonesi Brunello di Montalcino Poggiarelli
Rating: 94+
Producer: Cortonesi
Wine Region: Italy, Tuscany, Brunello di Montalcino
Variety: Sangiovese
Color / Type / Sweetness: Red / Table / Dry
Reviewed By: Monica Larner
Drink Date: 2025-2040
The Cortonesi 2018 Brunello di Montalcino Poggiarelli maintains a good sense of freshness and primary fruit. This fact is not to be underestimated, especially in this challenging vintage that started off cool and ended very hot. Poggiarelli opens to a darkly saturated appearance with tart cassis, wild cherry, blue flower and grilled rosemary. The wine is structured and firm with a subdued and elegant finish. You'll like the way this Brunello feels and tastes.
Published: Mar 9, 2023

La Mannella di Cortonesi Brunello di Montalcino Poggiarelli 2018
Score: 94
Price: $115
Wine Type and Color: Red Still
Reviewed By: Bruce Sanderson 
Drinkability: Drink now through 2043
Primary Grape: Sangiovese
Issue: June 30, 2023
Region: Italy / Brunello di Montalcino
Delivers heavy black cherry, blackberry and plum fruit, along with iron, sanguine and tobacco accents to stand up to the dense, beefy tannins. The tannins dominate the finish now, yet this has all the components to evolve gracefully. Best from 2025 through 2043.

Cortonesi, Poggiarelli, Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany 2018
Tasted by: Michaela Morris (at Villa Le Prata, Montalcino, 09 Nov 2022)
Drinking Window: 2025 - 2035
Points: 94
Producer: Cortonesi
Brand: Poggiarelli
Vintage: 2018
Wine Type: Still
Colour: Red
Country: Italy
Region: Tuscany
Appellation: Brunello di Montalcino
Sweetness: Dry
Closure: Cork
Alcohol: 14.50%
Body: Full
Oak: Oaked
Grapes: 100% Sangiovese
Poggiarelli hails from Cortonesi’s holdings in Montalcino’s southeast. [...] the warm, well-drained site fared extremely well in 2018. In fact, this is the best vintage I have tried. Lively and intriguingly scented, it exhibits a classy balance of dark cherry, violets, stone and oak spice. The amply packed palate is neatly encased by sophisticated wood and invigoratingly firm tannins. One of the year’s more powerfully structured wines, it's still somewhat austere yet poised to age gracefully.

2018 Cortonesi Brunello Di Montalcino Poggiarelli
Producer: Cortonesi
Location: Italy, Tuscany, Brunello di Montalcino
Color: Red
Rating: 92
Tasting Date: 3/6/2023
Maturity: 2024 - 2034
Reviewed By: Audrey Frick
Source: Montalcino: The 2018 Brunello and 2017 Riservas
The 2018 Brunello Di Montalcino Poggiarelli takes on more mineral-tinged aromatics, with graphite, black cherry, and smoky earth. It is generous and full on the palate, with blackberry, meaty richness without weight, and velvety tannins. A persistent mineral drive coaxes throughout and propels the wine forward. Drink 2024-2034.

Score: 91
Producer: Cortonesi La Mannella
Year: 2018
Designation: Poggiarelli
Appellation: Brunello di Montalcino
Grape: Sangiovese
Tasting Note: Juicy berry, oak-driven spice and eucalyptus aromas appear on this firm red. It’s youthfully austere, showing flavors recalling coconut, red berry, grilled herb and a hint of star anise encased in tightly knit, close-grained tannins and bright acidity.
Abv: 14.5%
Reviewed By: Kerin O’Keefe 
Tasted: November 2022

2018 Brunello di Montalcino Poggiarelli
Producer: Cortonesi
Place of Origin: Italy, Montalcino, North Tuscany
Color: Red
Grape/Blend: Sangiovese
Rating: 90
Drinking Window: 2024 - 2031
From: 2018 Brunello di Montalcino: The Rubik’s Cube Vintage (Dec 2022)
Savory herbs come together with dusty black cherry and hints of clove as the 2018 Brunello di Montalcino Poggiarelli unfolds in the glass. It’s silky upon entry with a balanced inner sweetness that contrasts its tart wild berry fruit. The 2018 finishes with admirable length and concentration, as fine tannins add youthful poise, and hints of sour citrus and inner florals fade.
By: Eric Guido on October 2022

Cortonesi, I Poggiarelli 2018 Brunello di Montalcino
Producer: Cortonesi
Cuvee: I Poggiarelli
Appellation: Brunello di Montalcino
Region: Toscana
Country: Italy
Colour: Red
Alcohol: 14.5%
Score: 17.5/20
When to Drink: 2026 - 2036
Published on: 12 Dec 2022
Date Tasted: 4 Nov 2022
Reviewer: Walter Speller
Deep ruby with orange tinges. Deep, perfumed and seductive, but not open yet. Similarly finely perfumed palate but with plenty of concentration. Bags of firm, chewy tannins that fit the whole like a glove, and pronounced acidity. I have no doubt that in five years’ time you’d wish you had bought a case of the stuff. (WS)