2012 Cortonesi Brunello di Montalcino Cortonesi 750 ml

On Par With Legendary Biondi-Santi

That Brunello in the decanter you wish there was more of in the cellar? A couple bottles for each time you pull the corks? That’s going to be this superb 2012 Cortonesi Poggiarelli Brunello di Montalcino. This is the first vintage to bear the “Cortonesi” label rather than the family’s former “La Mannella” name, and it does so proudly: James Suckling lobbed a glowing 95 points on the Poggiarelli, which was good enough to put the “generous and structured” wine on equal footing with the legendary Biondi-Santi Brunello ($190). Suckling cheered 2012 as a “rockstar vintage” for Brunello, so it is no surprise that this wine, grown in the rocky marl of the Cortonesis’ Poggiarelli Cru, has garnered such praise. This label may be new, but it is backed by a stellar Brunello family and brand. By now Wine Access clients know that 2012 was a “gorgeous year for Brunellos,” as the venerable Suckling has said. Brunello lovers should stock up, elsewhere $95, from Wine Access today only $59.99.

The Cortonesi family did not have to change a thing. They have been producing excellent Brunello di Montalcino under the La Mannella label since the 1990s. But the clan has been firmly planted in Montalcino since before WWII, and is so inextricably tied to their Castelnuovo dell’Abate estate that they decided their brand should reflect those bonds. So in 2017, the Cortonesis adopted their family name as their “new” marque, and bravely retired the La Mannella brand they had built over two decades. Now, the La Mannella moniker endures as the name of Cortonesi’s classic Brunello.

And Poggiarelli stands apart. This well-exposed Cru in the southeast corner of the Cortonesi property is primarily rocky marl, which differs from the clay and sandstone of the larger La Mannella plot. Although the Cortonesis enjoyed great success combining both terroirs into one Brunello, they realized that their vineyard plots were too unique to continue blending into one estate Brunello. They were destined to thrive on their own.  

The 2012 Cortonesi Poggiarelli Brunello proves that this Cru can stand alone, and then some. James Suckling elevated the wine into the big leagues with a stunning 95-point score. The Cortonesi family could not have hoped for a more auspicious debut for their new label — and Wine Access clients could not hope for a better opportunity to sock away some 95-point Brunello from a top-notch producer. Only 400 cases were made for the world, so don’t delay.

Jonathan Cristaldi

Editor-in-Chief, Wine Access