Cortonesi–La Mannella is an estate in the Montalcino region in Tuscany, Italy. It produces Brunello di Montalcino DOCG and Rosso di Montalcino DOC red wines.

Owner: The Cortonesi company is a family business owned by the homonymous family, originally from Montalcino. The family comprises Tommaso Cortonesi and his father Marco, and Giulio Cortonesi. The family business is run by Tommaso and his father Marco.

Background: In 1970 Tommaso’s grandfather Leonardo, a long-time farmer, ripped out some of his olive tree plantings and planted Sangiovese grapevines in their place. For 20 years, the family made wine for themselves and to sell to neighbours and other wineries. The first bottling of the La Mannella wine wasn’t until the 1990 vintage.

Staff: Oenologist: From 2014 Paolo Caciorgna (replaced Andrea Mazzoni).

Vineyards: 8ha of 100% Brunello on two sites: On 04th Oct 2014 Tommaso Cortonesi told me ‘the winery vineyard at Località La Mannella, where the company centre is located, comprises 5.5ha of vines and lies north of Montalcino near Capanna at 250 metres and is north-facing and on clay. The other vineyard is called Poggiarelli. It lies south-east of Montalcino on the road towards Castelnuovo dell’Abate, near Fattoria dei Barbi and neighbouring La Lecciaia and 300m fom Salvioni’s La Cerbaiola, and La Fornacina. The Poggiarelli vineyards date from the late 1990s, Marco having understood the importance of working grapes from more that a single terroir. There are 2.5ha of vines here, of which 1.2 ha is the single vineyard I Poggiarelli. 400m. Planted in 1998 and 1999. 420A. 1.2ha. Galestroso, small stones. Stones melt in your hand. Tannins need softening with 12m tonneaux and 2 years in botti. The surrounding land is the estate’s own forest or olives mainly.’

Winemaking: Wines ages in tonneaux and ‘botte grande’.

Red wines

Rosso di Montalcino DOC, La Mannella: Ferments in steel. Does a selection after fermentaton to see which lots might not suit ageing in wood for Brunello, and this is what goes into the Rosso. So the Rosso is not terroir-dependent.  2011 10,000 bottles. Bottled 4 days ago but decent weight of fruit (Anteprima 2013). At the consorzio with Ian d’Agata Tuesday 28th May 2013: Medium crimson core. Limpid rim. Bright fruit on the nose, a little pinched perhaps on the palate (some gas in this wine), but can’t argue with its vibrancy; linear style, very in keeping with Sangiovese, lots of energy here, give this a year or two to settle down. Fine aftertaste. Clean and clear. | 2012 7,000 bottles. Very rich old-fashioned style, then a bit of VA and sweetness plus a somewhat evolved colour (Anteprima 2014). | 2013 10,000 bottles. 12 months in botti. He say he wants a plump drinkable style and this is what he gets (Anteprima 2015. | 2014 Fluid, bit dilute, very fresh and drinkable (Anteprima 2016). | 2018 15,000 bottles.

Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, La Mannella: 2000 Clear, dry and light, no real texture (Anteprima 2005). | 2008 15,000 bottles. 30hl botti. Decent and clear, good weight (Anteprima 2013). | 2009 19,000 bottles. Somewhat evolved colour–hot winery? Too much wood for the fruit (Anteprima 2014). | 2009 L10|13. 14.5%. Odd nose, seems green. Palate a bit pinched but not too bad. Just needed lower yields, later picking, better selection at the Consorzio Tues 27th May 2014 with Ian d’Agata and others). | 2010 20,000 bottles. Ferments in steel. Bit of oak, green, dumb end, sour (Anteprima 2015). | 2011 Bit blurred, dry, green (Anteprima 2016). | 2012 Very savoury sweet fruit, warm hawthorn, sweet tannins, fruit and oak (Anteprima 2016). | 2015 25,000 bottles.

Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, La Mannella, I Poggiarelli: See above for vineyard and winemaking details. | 2008 3,500 bottles. 50hl tronconic vats for fermentation then 2 years in wood. High tone, acetic, sweet fruit (Anteprima 2014). | 2009 L.10|13. 14.4%. Bit pinched and aggressive but the raw material seems OK. High yields? Early picking? at the Consorzio Tues 27th May 2014 with Ian d’Agata and others. | 2010 4,000 bottles. Ferments in wooden vats. Sweet tannins, some dryness goodish at BB 2015. | 2011 Bit simple and sticky (Anteprima 2016). | 2015 4,000 bottles.

Brunello di Montalcino DOCG Riserva, La Mannella: 2006 Bottled. | 2007 1,300 bottles.

Contact

La Mannella

Loc. La Mannella, n. 73

I-53024 Montalcino (SI = Siena), Italy

Tel+39 0577.848268 or 847126

www.lamannella.it