Sangiovese
Dry
750ml
14.50% alc./vol

Cortonesi 'La Mannella' Brunello di Montalcino 2019

97+ Points - Gardini Notes
95 points - Wine Align

$98.95per bottle ($593.70per case)
6 bottles per case

Rich & Bold

The Cortonesi family has been a cornerstone of the Montalcino region for decades. Established in the 1970s, their estate spans 138 acres in one of the area's most storied regions, with 19 acres dedicated to producing world-class Brunello. The family began commercially selling their wine in 1985, and today, third-generation winemaker Tommaso Cortonesi continues the tradition. Tommaso combines his long-standing family traditions with modern technologies to craft some of the finest expressions of Tuscan Sangiovese.

'La Mannella' is crafted exclusively from grapes harvested in the southeast, where the soil is a mix of clay and sandstone. The wine is aged in 30-hectoliter Slavonian oak barrels, which allow for extended aging without imparting excessive aromas to better preserve the primary characteristics of the grapes and the uniqueness of each vintage. 2019 reveals fragrantly spiced dark-berried fruits with notes of seared herbs and tobacco, underscored by vibrant acidity and freshness.

We recommend pairing this Brunello with bold meals: oxtail, a beautiful steak, rich stews or game paired with mushroom sauces. The spicy aromas of the wine will enhance the flavours of the food.

Press Reviews

Gardini Notes

97+ Points

From the historic farm, the product of an excellent work between the countryside and the cellar, an emblematic Brunello: raspberry on the nose, touches of nutmeg, then caper fruit and ginger. Slightly salty on the palate, finish with notes of raspberry and sweet spices. Great length.

Wine Align

95 points - Michael Godel

Tomasso Cortonesi's quip is messaged through the mouth of Francesco Ripaccioli: "When you have no space you have money. So you build a cellar and then you have space - but you have no money." Appropriate irony from a northwestern Montalcinese winemaker whose La Mannella history has been one of Tetris - but that will soon change. The quality of his wines from this property arrive at peak form with an outstanding 2019 and going forward new cellar space will help to raise the bar. A bar set by these two Brunello boys who bottle in May because "that's when the Annata are ready." Also allows a rest period for six months in bottle ahead of Benvenuto Brunello and eight before a January release. Tomasso's '19 is fragrant but the kind at dusk on a cool November day in Montalcino, just like an hour ago. The most natural sweetness in a La Mannella sangiovese that has ever been noted and that makes for a Brunello you can find early gratification, but deeper down is the understanding concerning a sangiovese with fortified structure. Purely, expressly La Mannella, fresh and of a Brunello with great purpose. Drink 2027-2038. Tasted November 2023.

92 points - John Szabo, MS

A creamy and ripe, lightly lactic and wood-influenced Brunello in the Cortonesi house style, rarely tight and angular, often approachable and velvety, like this example. It's a sleek and sophisticated example in a forward and enjoyable style - should please widely over the mid term - 2026-2036. Tasted November 2023.