97pts Wine Enthusiast
Aromas of crushed mint, pressed rose and perfumed berry mingle with warm spice in this dazzling red. Thanks to some of the highest vineyard altitudes in the denomination, it boasts vibrancy and finesse in its flavors of ripe black cherry, juicy blood orange, licorice and crushed mint. Taut, elegant tannins and fresh acidity keep it balanced and focused. Drink 2025–2032. KERIN O’KEEFE
95pts Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The ladies of Le Potazzine make a terrific bottle of Brunello and their high-elevation vineyards are especially important in maintaining freshness in a scorching-hot vintage such as this. The 2017 Brunello di Montalcino offers a pretty succession of wild berry cherry and plum aromas along with light spice crushed flowers and perfumed potting soil. This wine is also distinguished by a touch of bay leaf and maybe a warmer note of cured tobacco as well. This is an impressive effort (with 16000 bottles released).
94pts Vinous
An exotic mix of sweet smoke and cloves gives way to dusty black cherries and a twang of sour citrus as the 2017 Brunello di Montalcino unfolds in the glass. Further time reveals hints of animal musk and flowery undergrowth. This enters the palate with pure elegance delicate and silky in feel yet also delivering a core of salty minerals that adds unexpected depths to the vivid display of tart wild berries and inner spice. The 2017 finishes with incredible persistence but also poise structured yet primary exactly as it should be at this young stage. Keep your hands off for at least a few years because the best is yet to come. The higher elevations and no-nonsense winemaking at Le Potazzine really aided in creating one of the most balanced and frankly interesting wines of the vintage.
93pts James Suckling
Blackberry black-cherry and mushroom aromas. The palate is full-bodied with slightly chewy tannins but it remains polished and lively. Berry earth and bark in the finish. Give this a couple of years to open up. Try after 2023.
92pts Wine Spectator
Lively, offering cherry, strawberry, plum, earth and wild herb aromas and flavors. A dense array of tannins provides support, leaving a burly impression on the finish. Fine balanced and length. Best from 2025 through 2042.
Winemaker Notes
An intense fruity nose that here at Le Potazzine we love to describe as “fancy”. In the mouth is very varietal, with notes of black-fruits supported by a well-balanced acidity, which enhances the freshness and the drinkability of this Brunello, as well as promising a very long shelf-life in the bottle.
Always ambassadors of the Montalcino tradition, aimed at reflecting the elegance of the pure Sangiovese, through long spontaneous fermentations lasting 30/35 days carried out only by our native yeasts and extended aging of 40 months in big 30/50 hl barrels in Slavonian oak.
Potazzine is the Italian word for very colorful and vivacious birds which inhabit the Tuscan countryside. In Montalcino, grandparents and parents alike often use potazzine as a term of endearment for children. In fact, it was their maternal grandmother who affectionately gave this nickname to Viola and Sofia who are the daughters of Giuseppe and Gigliola Gorelli, owners of the estate and genuinely authentic locals of Montalcino.
Organic