Sold in a very heavy glass bottle, the La Poderina 2017 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Poggio Abate (with 6,600 bottles made) is a chunky and dense wine with lots of dry fruit and oak. This Riserva ages barrel for 24 months, followed by another 20 months in stainless steel, so the oak has actually been dialed back a bit. However, hot-vintage flavors contribute to the spice and tobacco notes found here. The tannins are dusty and brittle.

Packaged in an extremely heavy and bulky glass bottle, the La Poderina 2016 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Poggio Abate is a medium to full-bodied wine that is layered with plenty of dark fruit, spice, tobacco and grilled herb. There is a ripe and powerful creaminess here that is abundantly framed by oak spice and toast. The finish is slightly dry on this wine, which has a limited production of 6,600 bottles.

This wine from La Poderina takes a different approach (compared to the classic 2016 Brunello also currently up for release). This wine, the 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Poggio Abate, shows more richness, concentration and more heavily applied oak tones. Even the sheer weight of the glass bottle that houses this wine underlines the themes of density and darkness. The oak tannins are on the sour and astringent side, so a few extra years of bottle aging will be required. This is a release of 6,600 bottles that will be available in May 2021.

The 2013 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Poggio Abate (with only 6,600 heavy glass bottles released) takes an extra minute or two to open in the glass. Give it time to take on air and usher forth its pretty aromas. Ultimately, you will find that this is a powerful and profound expression of Sangiovese with black fruit at its core and savory aromas of leather and cured tobacco at the back. The wine is built like a brick wall thanks to its construction based on many smaller but ultimately stable individual components. The tannins are a bit rough and astringent, so this wine will require a few more years of bottling aging in order to loosen up.

The 2012 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Poggio Abate flaunts a decidedly opulent and lavish personality. The wine is dark and heavy in appearance, with inky colors of black and ruby red. The bouquet opens to ripe tones of cherry or blackberry marmalade with pretty veins of spice and licorice woven deep within its fabric. The ripeness is very apparent (almost too much so), but the wine also offers an elegant mouthfeel that puts its various elements back into balance.