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Country: | Italy |
Regions: | Tuscany Brunello di Montalcino |
Winery: | Famiglia Cotarella |
Grape Type: | Sangiovese |
Organic: | Yes |
Vintage: | 2016 |
Bottle Size: | 750 ml |
Deep ruby red, strong, lively. The bouquet is very intense and complex, fruity and spicy, with red fruit, jam and licorice shades; great prospects of future development. This wine has great structure in the acid-tannin components, well supported by the soft ones; extremely persistent.
Review:
Rich and dense, with cherry, raspberry, black currant, violet, mineral and spice flavors. Shows a spine of acidity that provides definition and keeps this red vibrant from beginning to end. Balanced, long and shows excellent potential. Best from 2025 through 2042. 250 cases made, 100 cases imported.
-Wine Spectator 96 Points
Le Macioche is a beautiful but small wine estate in the heart of the Montalcino winemaking zone. Of the estate’s six hectares, only three are planted to vineyards producing Brunello di Montalcino with another one hectare devoted to olive groves. Le Macioche derives its name from the Sienese Macioca or Strawberry Tree, which is the primary type of tree found in the woods surrounding the estate. After being purchased and renovated by a young couple in the 1980’s, Cantina Le Macioche became known throughout the area for producing a wine of considerable power, but with significantly more elegance than its immediate neighbors. It was this unique character that first drew the Cotarella family to follow the Brunello wines of Le Macioche. Then in 2017, shortly after leadership of Famiglia Cotarella was passed to next generation—Dominga, Marta, and Enrica—the opportunity for this dynamic Italian winemaking family to enter Montalcino arrived. Although this change represents an exciting new chapter for both the Cotarella family and Le Macioche, the traditions and character of both will serve as the basis for this next generation.
Le Macioche sits in the center of the Montalcino appellation, just about 5 minutes due southeast from Montalcino. Nestled in a prestigious neighborhood among such prominent addresses as San Polo and Fattoria dei Barbi, Le Macioche is unique in that its four sections of Brunello vineyard, spread over 7.5 acres, are all exposed to the Southwest. This, along with the elevation of roughly 1,400 feet above sea level, ensures both exceptional ripening and constant ventilation throughout each growing season. Such auspicious conditions have enabled Le Macioche to safely exercise organic farming practices with the 2018 vintage marking the estate’s full organic certification.
Le Macioche has always held a reputation for producing wines that display a degree of elegance and finesse. Winemaking at the estate is intended to provide this unique terroir the best possible opportunity to express itself clearly. Fermentations are carried out by yeasts indigenous to the property in temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks. The wine is then transferred, according to tradition, into large casks of Slavonian oak where it undergoes the malolactic conversion and further refinement. The wine experiences a brief fining with Bentonite clay, but is always bottled unfiltered to preserve character. With the estate’s 2017 purchase by the Cotarella family, winemaking remains highly faithful to the estate’s past. Minor updates, like a pre-fermentation cold-soak, are intended to enhance the components of elegance for which the wine has always been known without altering its character.
Bella Union by Far Niente Napa Cabernet Sauvignon is made from Napa Cabernet Sauvignon.
With its blackberry patch aromatics followed by hints of raspberry preserves and accents of leather, there’s a ripe, pure fruit quality to this stunning new vintage. Generous layers of red fruit flavors fill the entry while subtle cocoa and baking spice undertones linger on the midpalate. Resolved tannins enhance the almost-velvety texture throughout the entire wine, and fresh botanical notes add vibrance to a finish that is at once long, luscious, and lifted
Duckhorn Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 2 % Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot.
CONCHA Y TORO Cabernet Sauvignon Puente Alto Don Melchor is made from 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, 1% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot.
Deep violet in color, intense, and with a great aromatic complexity of red fruits together with floral notes of violets and roses. On the palate, it is a tasty wine with a soft spell and a superb freshness, along with the elegance and power so characteristic of Puente Alto. It is a wine with a velvety texture, lush body, and a very long and persistent finish.
Review:
Deep and serious with black olives, blackberries, blueberries, tobacco leaf, sweet red capsicum, ash, dried meat and a hint of black chocolate. This is a more direct, full-bodied Don Melchor, filled with solid blackberries and wrapped by tight, fine-grained tannins. Long and deep. 92% cabernet sauvignon, 6% cabernet franc, 1% merlot and 1% petit verdot. Better after 2024.
-James Suckling 97 Points
Poggio San Polo Podernovi Brunello di Montalcino is made from 100 percent Sangiovese.
Podernovi, San Polo’s new single vineyard Brunello, makes its debut with the extraordinary 2015 vintage. Crafted with Sangiovese grapes grown in the vineyard synonymous with the wine, it is among the most beautiful and archetypal of Montalcino. Podernovi is an elegant and poignant Brunello.
The winter was not particularly cold, and spring arrived slightly earlier than usual, with temperatures slightly above average, giving the vines’ shoots the opportunity to uniformly develop. The following weeks saw frequent rainfall, which allowed the land to build water reserves, alternating with periods of dry weather, enabling the vines to continue growing without any problems. The damp conditions during flowering led to the formation of bunches that were slightly more sparse than usual and with rather small berries, ideal preconditions for reaching harvest time with perfectly ripe and healthy grapes. However, the feature that will make vintage 2016 particularly memorable is the excellent temperature range that characterized the months of July, August and September, with sunny days and cool, breezy nights. We therefore reached the beginning of October with grapes that exhibited a superb combination of maturity, acidity and aromatic potential, perfect conditions for the production of wines with a distinct personality and a great balance of concentration, elegance and longevity; a perfect reflection of the production philosophy of San Polo.
Review:
A mix of wild herb, Tuscan scrub, rose, cherry and earth flavors mark this sleek red, which tiptoes between elegance and power, with a layer of chalky tannins underlying it all. With air, the ripe cherry and plum fruit comes forward. Best from 2025 through 2047. 100 cases imported.
-Wine Spectator 95 Points
Aromas of forest floor, grilled herb, camphor and pipe tobacco mingle on the nose of this full-bodied red. The firm, elegantly structured palate offers juicy Marasca cherry, red currant, licorice and coffee bean. Tightly wound, fine-grained tannins and fresh acidity grip the close and lend an ageworthy structure. Drink 2026–2041.
-Wine Enthusiast 95 Points Cellar Selection
Delicately perfumed and finessed, the San Polo 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Podernovi is very floral and lifted in personality. This vintage is very different than the inaugural 2015 vintage. I remember the previous release for its darker and blacker quality of fruit. This cooler vintage is more lithe and lighthearted, with building aromatic intensity that unfolds with caution and care. Once you've had the wine in your glass, it reveals a succession of sour cherry, wild rose and fresh lavender bud. There are light mineral dustings as well, and the wine is ultimately quite solid and structured. This bodes well for its aging evolution. Fruit comes from a two-hectare parcel in a cool and high position some 450 meters above sea level. The soils are clayey with schistous Galestro. Production is 13,000 bottles.
-Wine Advocate 95+ Points
A mix of wild herb, Tuscan scrub, rose, cherry and earth flavors mark this sleek red, which tiptoes between elegance and power, with a layer of chalky tannins underlying it all. With air, the ripe cherry and plum fruit comes forward. Best from 2025 through 2047. 100 cases imported. –BS
-James Suckling 95 Points
This is a phenomenal new red from San Polo with superb depth and intensity with plum, wet earth and black truffle. Full body. Chewy and ripe tannins and a long and flavorful finish. The depth and beautiful is gorgeous. Needs three or four years to come together. Better after 2022.
-Flastaff 95 Points
This fresh and vibrant Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is brimming with aromas of blackberry, mulberry, cassis, and violet. On the palate, bright flavors of cranberry, red plum, cherry, and lavender are intertwined with supple tannins, balanced acidity, and a long, smooth finish.
Morlet Family Vineyards La Proportion Doree is made from made from Sémillon (65%), Sauvignon Blanc (33%) and Muscadelle (2%).
A harmonious blend of the three classic white Bordeaux varietals grown in the Golden State’s Sonoma County, this unique cuvée was handcrafted using classical winemaking techniques inspired from Pessac-Léognan. As in architectural arts, it is ‘The Golden Ratio’ or ‘La Proportion Dorée.’ Bright yellow. Intense bouquet of candied lemon, muscat, and honeysuckle flavors intermixed with sweet notes of ripened apricot and fresh quince. Full-bodied, seamless, refined and complex.
Review:
Luc Morlet has 100 Muscadelle vines, planted in 1953, which he co-ferments with the Sauvignon Blanc to produce this stunning wine. This is all barrel fermented with native yeast. This barrel sample of 2019 La Proportion Doree is composed of 69% Semillon, 30% Sauvignon Blanc and 1% Muscadelle. It prances out of the glass with gregarious scents of white peaches, pear tart and preserved lemons plus nuances of lime leaves, crushed rocks and honeycomb. The medium to full-bodied palate is tightly wound at this nascent stage, revealing layers of stone fruit and citrusy flavors with mineral accents and a long, savory finish. 780 cases are due to be made.
-Wine Advocate 97-99 Points
A blend of 69% Semillon, 30% Sauvignon Blanc, and 1% Muscadelle, the just about pure perfection 2019 La Proportion Doree reveals a vivid gold hue as well as a kaleidoscopic array of crushed citrus, honeyed lime, white flowers, green almonds, and crushed stone-like minerality. Beautifully complex, seamless, full-bodied, and concentrated on the palate, it has an incredible texture, bright acidity, and a brilliant finish. Hats off to winemaker Luc Morlet – no one does Bordeaux Blanc in California better.
-Jeb Dunnuck 99 Points
Le Macioche Brunello di Montalcino DOCG is made from 100 percent Sangiovese.
Sitting at 450 metres, Le Macioche is located just southeast of the town of Montalcino. Half of the estate’s six hectares of vineyards are registered for Brunello production. The 2017 vintage represents the first under ownership of the Cotarella family. An appealing mix of cocoa and balsamic herbs greets the nose. Mid-weight and juicy, the palate takes on accents of underbrush and there is great fruit purity and firmness of structure. The finish is savoury with just a hint of those drying tannins that mark the vintage.
-Decanter 93 Points
Capanna Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2015
TYPE: DOCG
BLEND: 100% Sangiovese carefully selected in the oldest vineyards and only of the best harvests.
VINIFICATION:
Alcoholic fermentation with maceration of the skins (30-35 days) at a controlled temperature and spontaneous malolactic fermentation, both in truncated cone-shaped Slavonian oak vats.
AGEING:
In Slavonian oak casks of 10 to 25 hl for over 40 months; followed by ageing in bottles for at least 15 months.
NOTES:
Colour: deep ruby red, strong, lively.
Bouquet: very intense and complex, fruity and spicy, with red fruit, jam and liquorice shades; great prospects of future development.
Taste: great structure in the acid-tannin components, well supported by the soft ones; extremely persistent.
Food pairings: roast red meats, game and very aged cheeses.
Review:
Powerful, sparkling garnet red. Rich, very appealing nose with notes of ripe raspberries and fresh plums, some liquorice and fine spice notes in the background. Grippy, fine-meshed tannin on the palate, builds up in many layers, salty, good tension, very long finish in the finish.
- Falstaff 98 Points
Pinone Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is made from 100% Sangiovese.
Deep ruby-red with garnet hues. Intense fresh aromas of cherries and raspberry. Full, round and silky with aromas of blackberry and plum. Full-bodied and elegant with fine tannins and spicy oak notes in the finish.
Average age of the vines is 20 years.
Wine went through malolactic fermetation.
It was slightly filtered before bottling.
Pasta with meat sauce, red meats and game.
Reviews:
"This shows wonderful precision and focus on the nose with dried flowers, crushed stones and dark-berry character. Full body, firm and chewy tannins and a long and intense finish. Some pine needles and dried spices on the finish. Needs time to soften. Try in 2021."
- James Suckling (April 2018), 94 pts
"Pinino dates back to 1874, when it was established by Tito Costani beneath the Montosoli hill. Today it is co-owned by an Austrian couple and a Spanish couple, working with consulting oenologist Paolo Vagaggini. Touches of flint and incense counter more overt notes of balsamic herbs and dark cherry. Silky, layered tannins build on the palate to become surprisingly powerful. This will need a couple of years before approaching. Drinking Window 2020 - 2032."
- Decanter (February 2018), 91 pts
Poggio San Polo Podernovi Brunello di Montalcino is made from Sangiovese.
Intense ruby red in color with garnet hues, clear and glossy. The bouquet exhibits typical aromas of violets and small red berries. Subtle nuances of forest undergrowth, aromatic wood, a touch of vanilla and jammy mixed fruit then give way to subtle hints of coffee. This Brunello is intense, persistent, broad and heady. Full-bodied and warm on the palate, with a densely-woven texture and robust body, it has a persistent finish with well-rounded tannins. The particular features of the terroir at San Polo produce a Brunello with a capacity for lengthy aging, while patient cellaring enhances the wine during ageing in the bottle.
Review:
Lovely purity of fruit with ultra fine tannins and depth, finesse and complexity. Black cherries, cedar and some flowers. It’s full-bodied with very fine tannins that drive the finish. Give it a year or two to open more, but already so enticing. Drink or hold.
-James Suckling 96 Points
The San Polo 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva (with 8,000 bottles produced) is a textured wine with hearty fruit and touches of smoked meat and spice. At its core, the wine offers dark fruit, blackberry and ripe plum. The rich fruitiness of the wine cedes to campfire ash, mahogany and furniture wax. These results are sultry and even a bit flashy, with distant background tones of teriyaki and plum sauce. The wine is fermented in cylindrical oak fermenters and aged in oak for three years. We'll see this bottle hitting the market sometime after February 2021.
-Wine Advocate 95 Points
Poggio San Polo Podernovi Brunello di Montalcino is made from 100 percent Sangiovese.
Podernovi, San Polo’s new single vineyard Brunello, makes its debut with the extraordinary 2015 vintage. Crafted with Sangiovese grapes grown in the vineyard synonymous with the wine, it is among the most beautiful and archetypal of Montalcino. Podernovi is an elegant and poignant Brunello.
The winter was not particularly cold, and spring arrived slightly earlier than usual, with temperatures slightly above average, giving the vines’ shoots the opportunity to uniformly develop. The following weeks saw frequent rainfall, which allowed the land to build water reserves, alternating with periods of dry weather, enabling the vines to continue growing without any problems. The damp conditions during flowering led to the formation of bunches that were slightly more sparse than usual and with rather small berries, ideal preconditions for reaching harvest time with perfectly ripe and healthy grapes. However, the feature that will make vintage 2016 particularly memorable is the excellent temperature range that characterized the months of July, August and September, with sunny days and cool, breezy nights. We therefore reached the beginning of October with grapes that exhibited a superb combination of maturity, acidity and aromatic potential, perfect conditions for the production of wines with a distinct personality and a great balance of concentration, elegance and longevity; a perfect reflection of the production philosophy of San Polo.
Review:
A mix of wild herb, Tuscan scrub, rose, cherry and earth flavors mark this sleek red, which tiptoes between elegance and power, with a layer of chalky tannins underlying it all. With air, the ripe cherry and plum fruit comes forward. Best from 2025 through 2047. 100 cases imported.
-Wine Spectator 95 Points
Aromas of forest floor, grilled herb, camphor and pipe tobacco mingle on the nose of this full-bodied red. The firm, elegantly structured palate offers juicy Marasca cherry, red currant, licorice and coffee bean. Tightly wound, fine-grained tannins and fresh acidity grip the close and lend an ageworthy structure. Drink 2026–2041.
-Wine Enthusiast 95 Points Cellar Selection
Delicately perfumed and finessed, the San Polo 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Podernovi is very floral and lifted in personality. This vintage is very different than the inaugural 2015 vintage. I remember the previous release for its darker and blacker quality of fruit. This cooler vintage is more lithe and lighthearted, with building aromatic intensity that unfolds with caution and care. Once you've had the wine in your glass, it reveals a succession of sour cherry, wild rose and fresh lavender bud. There are light mineral dustings as well, and the wine is ultimately quite solid and structured. This bodes well for its aging evolution. Fruit comes from a two-hectare parcel in a cool and high position some 450 meters above sea level. The soils are clayey with schistous Galestro. Production is 13,000 bottles.
-Wine Advocate 95+ Points
A mix of wild herb, Tuscan scrub, rose, cherry and earth flavors mark this sleek red, which tiptoes between elegance and power, with a layer of chalky tannins underlying it all. With air, the ripe cherry and plum fruit comes forward. Best from 2025 through 2047. 100 cases imported. –BS
-James Suckling 95 Points
This is a phenomenal new red from San Polo with superb depth and intensity with plum, wet earth and black truffle. Full body. Chewy and ripe tannins and a long and flavorful finish. The depth and beautiful is gorgeous. Needs three or four years to come together. Better after 2022.
-Flastaff 95 Points
Collemattoni Brunello di Montalcino is made from 100 percent Sangiovese.
Color: brilliant red with burgundy reflects; Bouquet: penetrating with memories of wild black fruits, black cherry and noble wood; Taste: warm, dry and persistent
Coming from a parcel with 10-15 year old vines planted in sandy clay and marl soils.
Harvest is 100% destemmed with a soft pressing, fermentation in stainless steel tanks at controlled temperature of 28-30°C, pumping over for the first week of maceration followed by skin-contact maceration for 20-25 days with rack and return technique (delestage).
Malolactic fermentation completed.
Wine is slightly filtered before bottling.
Review:
"Black cherry and plum with a touch of smoke , vanilla. And toast on the nose. Powdery tannins coat the mouth and has a long persistence. Powerful and fresh while a little warming on the finish."
- Decanter Wolrd Wine Awards (June 2023), 97 pts
Blind Justice Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 76% Cabernet Sauvignon and 24% Cabernet Franc.
Blind Justice is a pure expression of Napa Cabernet exclusively from Beckstoffer’s ‘To-Kalon’ vineyard. The true heart of the famed Oakville appellation, this vineyard highlights the decadent essence of Napa Cabernet to perfection, with vines rooted in loamy alluvial soil that adds depth, nuance, and structure. An absolute stunner, and the flagship of the Justice offerings, this is the wine that epitomizes the adventurous and pioneering soul of the Napa Valley.
Baking spices like clove and cocoa jump out of the glass and are then met with aromas of ripe black cherry and vanilla. The cherry shows up again on the palate along with other dark red and purple fruits. This wine lingers for days with a rich core and luscious mouthfeel.
Review:
The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Blind Justice Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard is straight-up terrific. Based on 76% Cabernet Sauvignon and 24% Cabernet Franc from a handful of blocks in this great site in Oakville, aged 20 months in 78% new oak, it has a beautiful cassis, wildflower, and sappy herb-driven bouquet as well as a rich yet seamless style on the palate. This full-bodied beauty pairs richness and elegance perfectly, has ripe tannins, terrific balance, and is going to evolve for two decades.
-Jeb Dunnuck 97 Points
Ptit Paysan Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Petite Verdot, 3% Cabernet Pfeffer.
Oak: 11 months on lees in neutral barrels
The Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced from a vineyard at the foot of the Santa Cruz Mountains west of Morgan Hill, which grows in a mix of granitic and volcanic soils, and a 25-year-old vineyard east of Gilroy, which grows in deep, extremely sandy soils against the foothills of the Diablo Range. The Petite Verdot is sourced from the Paicines AVA and grows in rocky alluvial deposits above the Tres Piños Arroyo. All three vineyards experience the warm days and cold nights typical of the Central Coast, allowing these late ripening Bordeaux varieties to be picked at high acidity and moderate sugars.
Le P'tit Paysan offers intense blackberry, dark cherry aromas, chocolate, herbaceous and toasty notes on the palate. Medium-bodied, well-balanced with moderate and integrated tannins that give structure and liveliness to the wine.
Pairs well with steak, duck, game, hearty stews, ribs, and dark, rich sauces.