Monica Larner

Italian Editor

Italian Editor Monica Larner reviews Italian wines for Wine Enthusiast Magazine and has lived in Italy on-and-off since age 11. Based in Rome, steps away from the Colosseum, Monica visits every corner of Italy in her red Mini Cooper to report on the wine, food and travel highlights of her adopted home. Her books include In Love in Italy (Rizzoli) and Living, Studying and Working in Italy (Henry Holt). Monica is a sommelier with the Italian Association of Sommelier (AIS) but her passion for wine finds roots in Larner Vineyard, the family-run vineyard and winery in Santa Barbara county. She returns to California each year for harvest, pruning and tractor driving.

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Poggio di Sotto 2007 Riserva Sangiovese Grosso (Brunello di Montalcino)

Price $259

Poggio di Sotto has steadily worked over the years to produce extremely elegant and polished expressions of Brunello that show the best of the local territory. Candied fruit, smoke, light shadings of licorice and tobacco, crushed mineral and white pepper appear on the bouquet. But there’s just enough fresh cherry fruit to make your mouth pucker. — M.L. (5/1/2013)

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Gianni Brunelli 2007 Le Chiuse di Sotto Riserva Sangiovese Grosso (Brunello di Montalcino)

Price $105

The bouquet of this riserva offers a very exotic quality of Christmas spice, rum cake, church incense and cured meat. But there’s loads of fresh fruit too, like blackberry, cherry and plum. The mouthfeel is long and polished with a tight and very elegant feel. — M.L. (5/1/2013)

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Tenuta La Fuga 2008 Sangiovese Grosso (Brunello di Montalcino)

Cellar Selection

Price $67

Tenuta la Fuga (from Tenute Folonari) shows the best of the 2008 vintage with dark fruit nuances of candied fruit, rum cake, pomegranate juice, cassis and blackberry. You’ll also find polished mineral nuances, cola, ginger and Spanish cedar. It shows intensity in the mouth, firm tannins and bright acidity. Cellar this wine 10 years. — M.L. (5/1/2013)

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La Rasina 2008 Sangiovese Grosso (Brunello di Montalcino)

Price $56

All the elements of this Brunello work beautifully together. The bouquet is redolent of soft black fruit, plum cake, leather, spice and tobacco and the wine shows thick, velvety concentration in the mouth. The tannins are supple and firm and there’s a touch of bright acidity that is not too sharp or in any way unbalanced. — M.L. (5/1/2013)

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Sesti 2007 Phenomena Riserva Sangiovese Grosso (Brunello di Montalcino)

Price $128

You’ll love the pretty garnet color of this riserva and the freshness of its fruit-driven bouquet. The wine delivers loads of fresh cherry and blackberry, with smoky aftertastes of leather and tobacco. The mouthfeel is round and generous, and there’s a fresh touch of acidity on the close. — M.L. (5/1/2013)

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Poggio il Castellare 2007 Pian Bossolino Riserva Sangiovese Grosso (Brunello di Montalcino)

Price $135

This lovely riserva delivers dark layers of chocolate, blackberry, tangy oak spice, cherry preserves and dried herb. The tannins are polished and fine and the crisp acidity would work well with a piece of braised pork. Drink after 2015. — M.L. (5/1/2013)

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Cupano 2008 Sangiovese Grosso (Brunello di Montalcino)

Cellar Selection

Price $130

Cupano delivers an ace card in 2008 with its Brunello that has seemingly defied all the difficulties of the vintage. The wine is elegant and complex, with pretty layers of dried fruit, leather, tobacco, spice and dark chocolate. The acidity frames the brightness of the fruit and the mouthfeel is long and plush. Drink after 2018. — M.L. (5/1/2013)

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Cupano 2007 Riserva Sangiovese Grosso (Brunello di Montalcino)

Price $180

This bright Brunello delivers slightly thorny aromas of bramble and forest floor followed by smoother fruit tones of cherry and cassis. The intensity is big, but not overdone and the wine offer a fine quality to its tannins with a touch of chopped menthol herb on the close. — M.L. (5/1/2013)

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