2016 Brunello di Montalcino Vigneto Manachiara

Tenute Silvio Nardi continues to do what they do best, successfully communicating a diverse range of Montalcino terroir with an international sheen of sweet, spicy yet perfectly balanced oak. While the Sangiovese purist may not be impressed by this portfolio, it’s impossible to ignore the extremely high quality of the wines and how they can bridge the gap for many New-World palates that are looking to explore Brunello. The classic Brunello is sourced from thirty-six estate parcels located around the town of Montalcino and matured for twenty-four months in oak, the first twelve months in first and second-pass barrique, and the second half in large Slavonian botti. It’s a great value for fans of the style, as well as the perfect introduction to the portfolio. Poggio Doria, a cru expression from the estate’s original northwest vineyards in Casale del Bosco, planted in jasper/sandy soils, is matured in first and second-pass tonneaux for eighteen months prior to finishing in botti for another twelve months. It’s a dark, brooding and tightly wound effort in 2016, one which I hope to be able to revisit in a more mature state. The single-vineyard Manachiara hails from the eastern side of Montalcino with sandy soils at around 300 meters, and it has yet again stolen the show in 2016. It flaunts its spicy oak with style (eighteen months in barrique and twelve in botti), but there’s so much going on under the hood that it’s sure to be stellar with proper cellaring. I can’t help but enjoy tasting through this portfolio.