2010 La Poderina Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Poggio Abate 750 ml

“The Wizard” and 2010’s Magic Brunello di Montalcino Vintage

Over the past couple years, we’ve found that collectors of the monumental 2010 Brunello di Montalcino vintage tend to fall into two camps. Some are willing to trade deeper shades of ruby for more aromatic lift, opting for elegance over power. Others are drawn to the darker, more brooding examples, bottles that will greatly benefit from another 5-7 years of cellar slumber before a cork is pulled.

In a year that Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate described as the best of the new millennium, combining the freshness and structure of the 2006s with the broad opulence of the 2007s, there’s no wrong answer.

However, if you’re in the first camp, today’s offer may not be in your Brunello sweet spot. If you’re in the second, La Poderina’s powerhouse 2010 Brunello di Montalcino Poggio Abate Riserva could well be your wine of the year.

The La Poderina winery occupies a prized patch of land in southwest Montalcino, tucked away in the sunny Castelnuovo dell’Abate subzone, where the fruit is famed for its elegance and balance. Here, superstar consulting winemaker Riccardo Cotarella works his magic on 25 acres of Brunello vines. Cotarella’s fame in Italy, where he is revered as “Il Mago” (“The Wizard”) is second to none; Robert Parker named him “one of the most influential wine personalities in the world.” Known for producing sinewy, powerful reds, Cotarella pushes the envelope on concentration, then often postpones harvest to maximize natural sugar content and concentration.

Hailed by Vinous’ Antonio Galloni as “one of Montalcino’s best kept secrets,” La Poderina has tended to keep a low profile, despite lavish praise from critics. Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate called it “one of my favorite Montalcino properties … the house style is exuberant and flashy, yet the wines boast impeccable balance.”

In 2010, The Wine Advocate awarded the winery some of its highest praise yet, pouring 94 points on the Poggio Abate release. “It shows power and elegance in equal measure,” raved Parker’s publication, “full of pretty surprises.”

A quick synopsis of the most extraordinary growing season of the new millennium will help explain why La Poderina crafted the finest wine yet to come off this fantastic estate — and one of the most powerful Brunellos of 2010.

Ample rainfall from March to May was accompanied by unseasonably warm weather. Vines got off to a fast start. While yields were fairly small, leaf canopies were healthy, as was the fruit set. The summer continued to be warm, but absent the heat spikes that often wreak havoc in Montalcino. Highs hovered around 90 degrees. There was little rainfall. As temperatures cooled in mid-September, Cotarella delayed picking, without any concern for overripeness or desiccation. Sugars inched up, while acids and tannins remained firm. Sugars continued to climb incrementally throughout the Indian summer as acids remained vibrant and tannins firm. The call to harvest was made in October, under perfect conditions.

The 2010 La Poderina Brunello Poggio Abate Riserva DOCG is deep ruby-red in color. Explosive aromatically, featuring a mix of crushed dark berries, tobacco, licorice, and sweet herbs. Rich, forward, and powerfully structured, with gobs of primary-fruit flash, chewy and almost briery in texture, this is a terrifically muscular 2010 that, while drinking well on release, will greatly benefit from a half-dozen years of cellar slumber.

Prices for the magnificent 2010 vintage have predictably soared. The highest-rated 2010 Brunellos are fetching well over $100/bottle. With a 94-point score, La Poderina’s 2010 easily goes for $80 at most wine stores. For a brief window today, we’re offering it for just $58. Only 480 bottles. Shipping included on 4. If you’re a Brunello collector, this is a killer bargain and a MUST buy.