La Poderina Poggio Banale Brunello di Montalcino

Very deep ruby. Slightly monolithic nose shows balsamic, minerally red cherry and a curious ketchup note. Rich and ripe, with plenty of lively acids framing the sweet, soft red cherry and plum flavors. Nicely balanced and long, finishing with a healthy sprinkling of dusty tannins. But this will need a bit of patience to reveal all its elements.

I adored La Poderina’s 2001 Brunello di Montalcino and had high hopes for the 2001 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Poggio Banale but unfortunately it misses the mark. It is a perfect example of a wine that has too much of everything. The fruit is super-ripe, overly sweet and excessively concentrated. An exuberant use of oak has left the wine with hard, unpolished tannins that dominate its balance. Despite all of those shortcomings it remains an excellent, well-made wine, which makes its flaws all the more a pity. This wine had all the potential to be one of the vintage’s best Brunellos. Anticipated maturity: 2009–2019.