2015 Brunello di Montalcino
Estimated value
Buying options
Tasting notes
The 2015 Brunello di Montalcino by La Poderina does not disappoint. This is a nicely layered expression, with tart berry notes followed by toasted nut, garden soil and dusty mineral or limestone that add pretty contouring and framing to the dark fruit at the core. Those mineral notes recall chalkboard or pencil shaving, and that wide spectrum of aromatic layering also stacks up tall, with lifted and focused intensity. Tight and linear, this is a very elegant wine that shouldn't be too hard to find with some 70,000 bottles produced.
Critic scores
Average Score
Walter Speller, jancisrobinson.com
James Suckling
More reviews and scores
Peppery overtones, cranberry and tart cherries define the bouquet of the 2015 Brunello di Montalcino from La Poderina, as notes of olive, leather, pine resin, cumin and crushed stone develop in the glass. On the palate, notes of herbal-tinged black cherry and crushed violets, along with cooling acids and minerals keep things lively. The finish is remarkably long, resonating on the same peppery top notes found on the bouquet, yet with the added kick of zesty spices, brisk acids, and a hint of youthful tannin that lingers on. This is a singular expression of Brunello, which is hard to place within the region or its terroir, but there’s an attractive quality to its unique profile that I enjoy quite a bit.
Tasted blind. Concentrated ruby with orange tinges. Sweet, dark fruit with hints of vanilla. Vanilla-laced dark fruit and creamy vanilla notes on the finish. I’d thought those days were finally over …. (WS)
This has a lifted, toffee quality to it with hearty Christmas spices, spearmint tea, dried boysenberries and strawberry jam. The full-bodied palate has stocky, robust tannins that coat the mouth in layers of nearly overripe fruit and sweeping alcohol. But a dash of acidity on the finish reins in this powerful Brunello. Drink from 2023.