93 Points from James Suckling – This is very different to other 2017 Rosso di Montalcinos, showing a dark-purple color. It packs a lot more concentration on the nose, too, framing notes of brambleberries, fresh herbs and vanilla. Full-bodied with lots of chewy tannins and a fruit-driven but grainy finish. Drink now.

The “La Mannella” farm, owned by the Cortonesi family, covers a surface of 56 hectars (138 acres), eight (19 acres) of which especially devoted to the production of “Brunello di Montalcino”. Its wine-making activity started at the beginning of the seventies, and its vineyards are placed in one of the most valuable areas of the region, both north and south-east from Montalcino. It is a young company, in fact their first bottled vintage is from 1990. It is strictly a family business. And works according to the tradition, employing also modern technologies, that help enhancing the quality of the products made. The favorable location of its vineyards, and the rocky soil where they are planted, all contribute to the making of a deep and elegant Brunello, a grape well suited also for a long ageing.