La Poderina "Poggio Abate" Brunello di Montalcino Riserva DOCG 2011
(Tuscany, Italy) - [WE 94]

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Notes from the Winemaker:

“Poggio Abate” is a special Brunello di Montalcino, with some unique characteristics; it is made from the best vineyards located near the famous Sant’Antimo Abbey. With a deep ruby red colour, with a bouquet of black cherries and red berries, it has a more complex level for the balance of vanilla and tabacco notes, through the use of barriques. Served at 18°C in large wine glasses, it is excellent with roast and stewed red meats, roasted game and aged cheese. With this wine la Poderina pays a tribute to Montalcino and its natural and artistic evidences.

Grapes: 100% Sangiovese (Brunello)
Maturing capacity in bottle: 18/20 years
Maturing: 15 months in French oak tonneaux followed by 15 months in large Slavonian oak casks. After 6 months in stainless steel, it is left 24 months in bottle.
After 6 months in stainless steel, it is left 18 months in bottl

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94 Points - Wine Enthusiast Magazine:
"Baked plum, exotic spice, forest floor, pressed violet and balsamic aromas lead the way. The big juicy palate offers fleshy wild cherry, crushed raspberry, mocha and vanilla while velvety tannins provide both support and finesse. Thanks to the succulent fruit, you won't detect the hefty alcohol. Drink 2018–2026." - Kerin O’Keefe (5/1/2017)

89 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate:
"Packaged in a heavy glass bottle, the 2011 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Poggio Abate wants to transmit brawn and might. It does, but the fruit is very ripe and takes away from the finer nuances you should expect from Sangiovese. In fact, this vintage is too much of a good thing. Its overdone personality takes away from some of the magic and leaves traces of heaviness and flatness instead. Very ripe Sangiovese tends to put forth sour flavors and you taste those here. The background is thickly layered with oak-driven tones of allspice and cinnamon. The alcohol is measured at 15%. Ultimately, this wine did not deliver the balance I expected." - Monica Larner (28th Feb 2017)

89 Points - Wine Spectator Magazine:
"Tough, chewy tannins clamp down on the plum, vanilla and chocolate notes in this compact red. More tannic and one-dimensional than its peers at this point. Best from 2019 through 2029. 500 cases made." – BS (Jun 30, 2017)

Antonio Galloni's Vinous:
"Bright dark red-ruby. Superripe aromas of black cherry, plune nectar, licorice, menthol and maple syrup. Then dense, thick and ripe, with a port-like roasted quality carrying through on the medium-long back end. This large-scaled wine is ripe and thick but not exactly fruity (the wine's fruit is currently suppressed by its extreme ripeness). Finishes with hints of peppery spices, a whiff of alcohol, and mountingly gritty tannins that hit late. I hate to sound overly-critical, but I think it’s a shame there was felt to be a need for such a heavy, silly bottle. In some markets, such as Canadian monopolies, excessively (needlessly) heavy bottles are marked down and have a harder time earning a slot on store shelves, so this is not a moot point for the winery. Fans of sheer size will like this wine much more than I." - Ian D'Agata (Mar 2017)