• Brunello di Montalcino
    D.O.C.G.

    Brunello is the prince of Montalcino wines, produced exclusively from Sangiovese grapes picked by hand from the oldest vines in the farm.

    After a careful fermentation at controlled temperature, Tenuta Il Poggione Brunello di Montalcino is aged in French oak barrels.

    After being aged in wood, the wine is bottle aged: this is an essential process in guaranteeing the pleasantness and the complexity that have made the Brunello di Montalcino world-famous.

    Wine

    Brunello di Montalcino

    Varietal

    100% Sangiovese

    Vintage

    2019

    Alcohol

    15%

    Source

    The winery's oldest vineyards, planted between 150 and 450 metres (490 - 1475 ft) above sea level.

    Vine training system

    Cordon spur and "doppio capovolto".

    Harvest

    By hand

    Vinification

    15 - 20 days "submerged cap" fermentation in stainless steel tanks with indigenous yeasts at a controlled temperature 25/28 °C (77/82 F). Malolactic fermentation in stainless steel.

    Aging

    Long aging in French oak barrels (30 - 50 hl or 872 -1373 Gallon) followed by bottle aging.

    Tasting Notes

    Ruby red in colour, with a very intense, persistent nose and with red fruit notes. Warm, balanced flavour with velvet-smooth tannins. Long-lasting aroma.

    Food Pairings

    Red meats, game, mature cheeses.

      vintage 2012

    01/03/2017

    95+

    Il Poggione is a Brunello superstar and a vintage like this reveals every reason why that affirmation is true. From the second the 2012 Brunello di Montalcino pours into the glass, you know you are in for something special. The wine is darkly saturated and rich in appearance. Absent are those slightly amber or browning hues you often get with Sangiovese in a hot vintage. Nor does the wine show flat or tired characteristics. Instead, the quality of fruit is vibrant and rich. This is a healthy, generous and exuberant Brunello with dark density and succulent fruit flavors that are followed by integrated spice and tobacco. The balance is impressive and one thing you get here is fresh acidity. This is not to be underestimated, because the acidity quota in the 2012 vintage across the appellation is not as high or evident as usual. This is one of the year's best Brunellos.

      vintage 2011

    01/04/2016

    95/100

    Il Poggione has done a terrific job with its 2011 Brunello di Montalcino. The wine is soft, yielding and charged with a velvety and smooth texture. It is deeply redolent of dark berry, black cherry, spice, leather and tobacco. The wine's sunny personality never feels flat or too dense. In fact, the wine offers a very tight and steely backbone that gives the wine stature and strength. This is one of my favorite Brunellos from the 2011 vintage. James Suckling – 93 Points A red with plum, meat, cedar and sandalwood character on the nose and palate. Full-bodied, tight and structured. Racy finish. Refined at the end for a 2011. Antonio Galloni - 94 Points A dark, powerful wine, the 2011 Brunello di Montalcino offers notable depth and intensity. Il Poggione's 2011 is one of the richest, most powerful wines of the year. Black cherry, plum, lavender, cloves and new leather are some of the first nuances that open up. With time in the glass, the 2011 becomes more lifted, as brighter red cherry and raspberry-infused flavors gradually release. This is a rare 2011 that demands at least a good few years in the cellar. In 2011, Il Poggione did not bottle a Riserva. All the juice went into the straight Brunello.

    Robert Parker

      vintage 2011

    04/05/2016

    91/100

    A beefy style, evoking plum, leather, tobacco and earth flavors, backed by dense, dusty tannins. Starts out juicy before the gruff finish takes over. Fresh and long. Best from 2018 through 2027. B.S.

      vintage 2011

    06/05/2016

    96/100

    The 2011 Il Poggione is an absolutely striking Brunello. Elegant and classy with aromas of fresh red fruits, floral, minerals and touch of spice all coming together in the gorgeous wine. This displays remarkable overall balance, depth and focus with a beautiful silky texture and wonderful finesse as it leads up to the long, expansive finish. A simply incredible showing from Il Poggione in 2011.
    Best 2018-2032

      vintage 2012

    15/12/2016

    93/100

    Walnuts and cedar with plums and hints of milk chocolate. Always subtle. Medium body, a solid core of fruit and medium-chewy tannins. Center palate of cherry fruit. Give it a year or two to soften. 

      vintage 2014

    20/02/2019

    94/100

    Il Poggione has one of the appellation's most enviable track records for quality and cellar longevity. The 2014 Brunello di Montalcino is a different beast. This wine prizes elegance, finesse and a compact mouthfeel. I would suggest a slightly shorter drinking window of approximately ten years. No matter how you cut it, the wine is absolutely beautiful and indeed ranks high on a list of favorite wines from the vintage. The bouquet is chiseled and tight with wild blueberry, plum, red rose and a touch of cherry confit. No doubt the mouthfeel is thinner in this vintage, but the wine has plenty more going on to keep your attention. I'm liking it. I went back to the bottle a few days after it had been opened and the wine was still going strong.

     

      vintage 2013

    96/100

    The 2013 Brunello di Montalcino lives up to the impeccable reputation garnered by this estate over the years. This is a profound and beautifully rendered Sangiovese that delivers bold and luscious fruit quality with black cherry and spicy plum at the start. The bouquet follows through with mild oak notes of smoke, tar and toasted nut. There is another aromatic component that includes crushed stone and dried herb or mint. This Brunello shows elegant evolution in the glass and promises a very long aging future ahead. Some 200,000 bottles were made, so it should be easy to locate this excellent wine.

      vintage 2013

    95/100

    Bright red. Pure, refined red cherry and wild strawberry aromas and flavors complicated by sweet spices and aromatic herbs. Deep and multilayered, the wine boasts polished tannins and a harmonious acid spine that lifts and extends the red fruit on the long, suave finish. An essence of Sant’Angelo in Colle with bigger body and palate weight than, for example, the Brunellos of Montosoli, but still sleek and refined as the best wines of Sant’Angelo in Colle can be. The cool-climate-styled 2013 vintage is precisely the type of year in which Il Poggione excels: this lovely, focused wine is the best classico Brunello from Il Poggione in years. Superb.

     

      vintage 2013

    93/100

    This red strikes a nice balance between plum and cherry fruit and beefy tannins, featuring elements of leather, tobacco, earth and iron. Balanced and long, with a gripping finish. Best from 2022 through 2035.

      vintage 2013

    92/100

    A Brunello with tile and berry character. Medium body, firm and silky tannins and a flavorful finish. A little tight now. Better in 2019.

      vintage 2010

    98 points

    The 2010 Brunello di Montalcino is a striking wine that shows uncompromising varietal pureness, albeit in a most concentrated and elaborate form. This is what great Sangiovese is all about. There's so much happening on the nose and the wine brings you to cherry, spice, licorice, cured meat, pressed rose and grilled meat in equal measure. No one element overpowers the next. The mouthfeel is also tight and bright with the kind of fruit intensity that promises long cellar aging. This Brunello is only at the beginning of a long road ahead. The longer the wine stays in the glass, the more it offers in terms of complexity and intensity. This is a true standout that can be enjoyed for up to 20 years ahead. 

    Fabrizio Bindocci and his son Alessandro are the most accomplished father-son winemaking team I can think of today in Italy. Il Poggione is owned by Leopoldo and Livia Franceschi, but the phenomenal Bindocci duo are very much in the limelight. They excel in every aspect of winemaking, from vineyard management to wine marketing. Never have I encountered a Il Poggione Brunello as beautiful as the one released this year. This is one of the highest expression of Sangiovese you will ever taste.

      vintage 2010

    95 points

    Rich, with excellent density, ripe cherry and plum fruit, and a well-integrated structure. Licorice, earth and tobacco notes add depth while this cruises to a long, tobacco and mineral-tinged finish. Shows balance and grip. Best from 2018 through 2033

      vintage 2015

    97 points

    The Il Poggione 2015 Brunello di Montalcino shows a darker and more concentrated appearance than many of its peers. The wine is beautifully abundant and fragrant in the most exuberant and expressive manner. You will recognize aromas of moist soil, tobacco and smoke. Candied cherry hovers over the entire bouquet. Fruit is sourced from older vines (all over 25 years old). Il Poggione occupies a special spot within the Montalcino appellation, and the area always produces slightly more concentrated and powerful wines. I find that to be particularly true in this gorgeous 2015 vintage. I am also very attracted to that almost dusty note of crushed mineral that rides long on the full-bodied finish. Il Poggione's Brunello is also distinguished by firm, youthful tannin that need a few more years to unwind.

     

      vintage 2015

    96 points

    So many sour cherries rise up from the glass, along with orange rind and lemon peel. The full-bodied palate has a very serious and concentrated core of florals and fruit, and the tannins have an iron-fisted, strapping build. Long, chewy and structured. One of the best in years from here.

      vintage 2015

    95 Points

    Wild herb and Mediterranean macchia notes mark this expressive red. Though well-endowed with tannins, this is on the sleek side, showing vibrant acidity. Cherry, strawberry, floral and tobacco flavors join the party, as this cruises to a long finish. Best from 2023 to 2042.

      vintage 2015

    97 Points

    Il Poggione 2015 Brunello di Montalcino offers up a dark, earthy, almost animal-like expression, showing black soil and undergrowth, giving way to crushed black cherry, dusty spice, and dried florals which lift the experience. On the palate, soft, fleshy textures usher in fresh cherry and strawberry, as brisk acids add energy, with savory herbs and minerals saturating, as the 2015 Il Poggione’s fruit nearly masks its structural core. The finish is long yet fresh, with classic, fine tannins, dried red fruits and pretty inner floral tones lingering throughout this perfectly balanced expression. The 2015 s pure class and built for the cellar.

    With over 300 acres planted to vine, Il Poggione remains one of Montalcino’s largest producers of Brunello, and yet they continue to maintain a level of quality that is unparalleled through much of the region. Located in the warm, yet well-ventilated micro-climate of Sant'Angelo in Colle, in the southeast of Montalcino, Il Poggione Brunello displays elegance, depth, classic structure and Sangiovese purity - all while remaining a remarkable value. In the winery, Fabrizio Bindocci adheres to a progressive approach, blending tradition with innovation. His practice of completing fermentation using submerged-cap, is something you’d expect to see more in Barolo than Montalcino. From there the Brunello is refined for three years in 30-50-hectoliter casks (all neutral wood, of course) before resting in bottle one year prior to release. Finding another Brunello in this price-point that is as long-lived, true to place and coloring within classic lines, isn’t easy. (Eric Guido)

      vintage 2015

    17,5 Points

    Lustrous mid ruby. Lots of concentrated, sweet fruit on the nose. Fantastic chewy tannins and energetic, juicy fruit deliver tactile fireworks on the palate.

      vintage 2015

    94 Points

    True to its balmy southern origins, it demonstrates immense concentration and ripeness, yet it remains balanced in its considerable proportions. Luxuriously textured fruit is firmly girdled by powerful, chewy tannins and there is no sacrifice of flavour either - iodine, earth, leather, sweet tobacco and dried thyme are woven throughout. The sapid finish lingers leisurely. Drinking Window 2022 – 2034

      vintage 2015

    94 Points

      vintage 2014

    92 Points

    This is smooth and caressing, wrapped around cherry, plum, loam, tobacco and cumin flavors. Hefty tannins line the finish, but all the elements are in the right proportion. Features a fine, complex finish. Best from 2021 through 2035.

      vintage 2014

    91 Points

    A riper style with plenty of dried red cherries and plums, as well as woody spice notes. The palate is quite fleshy with an open-knit thread of blue plums and darker cherries. Drink or hold.

      vintage 2014

    91 Points

    Aromas of underbrush, truffle, dark-skinned berry and tobacco lead the nose of this elegantly structured red. The taut, vibrant palate offers Marasca cherry, cranberry, orange zest and licorice framed by racy acidity and fine-grained tannins. Drink 2020–2026.

      vintage 2013

    17+ Points

    Maturing concentrated ruby with orange tinges. Youthful and herbal on the nose. Still compact and with gorgeous juicy cherry fruit and muscular tannins. Delicious now but will improve. Has plenty of structure and fruit for that. (WS) Drink 2018-2026

      vintage 2013

    91 Points

    Tobacco, underbrush and new leather aromas come together on the nose. The fullbodied palate offers dried black cherry, star anise, clove and a hint of espresso alongside taut, fine-grained tannins. Drink after 2023.

      vintage 2012

    93 Points

    Ripe plum, tobacco, dark spice and balsamic aromas adorn this invigorating red. Firm and full-bodied, the palate delivers wild cherry, crushed raspberry, star anise and grilled herb flavors with a backbone of youthful, bracing tannins. It's already tempting but give it time to fully come around. 

      vintage 2012

    17 Points

    Subtle, earthy cherry on the nose. Very backward yet elegant and almost lithe on the palate. Perfect balance, very poised and yet with a muscular structure. Drink 2019-2030

      vintage 2011

    93 Points

    A red with plum, meat, cedar and sandalwood character on the nose and palate. Full-bodied, tight and structured. Racy finish. Refined at the end for a 2011.

      vintage 2011

    94 Points

    A dark, powerful wine, the 2011 Brunello di Montalcino offers notable depth and intensity. Il Poggione's 2011 is one of the richest, most powerful wines of the year. Black cherry, plum, lavender, cloves and new leather are some of the first nuances that open up. With time in the glass, the 2011 becomes more lifted, as brighter red cherry and raspberry-infused flavors gradually release. This is a rare 2011 that demands at least a good few years in the cellar. In 2011, Il Poggione did not bottle a Riserva. All the juice went into the straight Brunello.

      vintage 2010

    N° 4 - TOP 100 WINES OF THE WORLD

      vintage 2010

    94+ Points

    Il Poggione's 2010 Brunello di Montalcino is a remarkably beautiful wine. Rose petal, mint, cinnamon, sweet dark cherries and smoke lift from the glass in a translucent, wiry Brunello built on energy and power. This is an especially lifted, precise and nuanced Brunello from Il Poggione, with more emphasis on length and mid-weight structure rather than overt volume. In many ways, the 2010 comes across as a modern-day version of the 1982 Riserva. Readers who have tasted that wine know just how special that is. For the money, there is not a single better wine being made in Montalcino than Il Poggione's Brunello. Truth is, it is also better than many far more expensive offerings. There are two Brunellos I would buy confidently in any vintage. This is one of them. Drinking window: 2018 – 2030

      vintage 2010

    93 Points

    Lots of sliced mushroom and berry character. Lots of flowers such as lilacs and violets. Full body, firm tannins and a fresh and clean finish. It's harmonious and beautiful. Drink or hold.

      vintage 2010

    17.5 Points

    Concentrated ruby with orange tinges. Just a tiny bit dusty and reductive on the nose and what looks like a hint of oak. Succulent fresh fruit with a proper bite of tannins on the finish. Seductive and juicy and already hard to resist.

      vintage 2016

    97 points

    I’m not sure how Il Poggione manages to remain one of the largest producers of Brunello, maintaining such a high level of quality and turning out some of the best wines of the vintage year after year - but they do. The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino is yet another stunning example. Depths of mineral-encased black cherries, sage, allspice, licorice, tobacco and crushed violets lift up from the glass. It’s seamlessly silky, even as the palate is peppered with tart red and black berries, nervous acids and savory exotic spices. This shows the density and weight of the vintage in a youthfully monolithic stance, yet with all the necessary components to maintain perfect balance. The 2016 Il Poggione seems to fold in upon itself through the finish, which is dark, mysterious and structured, with only hints of black tea and licorice to tempt the imagination. It’s a classic in the making.

      vintage 2016

    95 points

    The Il Poggione 2016 Brunello di Montalcino opens to a medium dark appearance with pretty Sangiovese shine and a little ruby sparkle. This vintage shows a slightly untamed or wild side with a dense and heavier fruit profile. The focus here is on blackberry, dried cherry, tobacco and even a touch of smoky tobacco or horse saddle. The wine shows the firm grip and tannic backbone that is a common trait in this vintage, especially with the vineyards on this southern, sunlit side of the appellation. I also get a considerable flash of acidity on the close, almost too much, that certainly needs a few more years to soften. You really need to wait with this one.

      vintage 2016

    94 points

    A red with blackberry, cherry, some walnut and chocolate, as well as mahogany. Tea, too. It’s full-bodied and firm-tannined with beautiful length and depth. Linear and very fine. Drink after 2024.

      vintage 2017

    94+/100

    The 2017 Brunello di Montalcino opens to a saturated and shiny dark ruby color. This edition is loaded with black and purple fruits, such as blackberry preserves and plum. Those more robust tones are followed by spice, tar and campfire ash. The tannins are young (but not stemmy or bitter), and you'd be best served by letting this wine age and relax with more cellar aging. Il Poggione always makes some of the smoothest and most texturally enriched wines in the appellation, and this vintage is no exception.

      vintage 2017

    93/100

    Masses of ashen earth, smoke, dusty cherry and roses with nuances of clove lift up from the 2017 Brunello di Montalcino. This is silky and pliant upon entry, presenting a rich display of intense red and hints of black fruits laced with chalky minerals that drenches the palate. Penetrating acidity and grippy tannins create a burst of cheek-puckering tension, clenching down hard with youthful poise, as notes of licorice and hard red candies linger through the structured, medium-length finale. There are some moments where the 2017 reminds you that it comes from an incredibly hot and dry vintage, yet overall, it’s a huge success for the year. That said, it needs time to unwind from its youthful state. Production was down 15–20% at Il Poggione in 2017 due to severe selection of bunches, and all of the fruit that would have been reserved for the Riserva Vigna Paganelli was added to the Brunello instead.

      vintage 2017

    17/20

    Lustrous deep ruby. Firm, deep cherry fruit on the nose and with an undertow of savoury spice. Lots of perfumed sour-cherry fruit on the palate and with bags of firm, but polished tannins on the finish. A bit austere right now, but with great length as well as potential.

      vintage 2017

    91/100

    Il Poggione started harvesting Brunello grapes on 1 September based on desired sugar and acidity levels. To curtail unripe tannins, winemaker Fabrizio Bindocci removed a small percentage of seeds at the beginning of fermentation, particularly from the earliest picked plots. The resulting wine is a heady mix of allspice, leather and prune plums. There is ample concentration on the palate and a zesty citrus note lends freshness. It's grippy but overall balanced, with just a touch of astringency nudging through. I’d give this another year to come together. Drinking window: 2023-2028

      vintage 2017

    91/100

    Blackberry, blueberry, stone and floral aromas. Hints of cedar, too. Full-bodied and chewy with polish and focus. Dried berries and hints of meat. This shows the ripeness of the grapes. Chewy at the end. Needs time to soften. Better after 2023.

      vintage 2017

    93/100

    Sweet, ripe cherry, blackberry and plum fruit flavors are framed by mineral, tobacco and thyme accents in this vibrant, balanced red. Make no mistake, there are ample tannins too, yet this still finds a nice equilibrium on the lingering finish. Best from 2024 through 2040.

      vintage 2019

    96/100

    The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino pulls the taster close to the glass with its dark and earthy blend of crushed ashen stones, giving way to rosemary, cedar, exotic spice and a core of raspberry preserves. Enveloping and serene, this flows across the palate like pure silk, steadily building in tension as tart wild berries and orange hints give way to a sweet herbal thrust. The 2019 finishes with tremendous length and is classically structured, as crunchy tannins resonate and violet inner florals slowly fade over a tactile coating of minerality. Il Poggione has captured the radiance of the vintage, yet this is just a baby today.

      vintage 2019

    17,5

    Dark, youthful ruby. Very closed and brooding with only hints of perfumed raspberry, tea leaves and oak. Generous and composed at the same time on the palate. A layer of suave cherry and raspberry fruit lined with quite powerful tannins that demand more time. Carries its 15% with ease. Closes up on the finish and in need of more time.

      vintage 2019

    94/100

    The Il Poggione 2019 Brunello di Montalcino shows an evolved bouquet with aromas of dried fruit, forest floor, crushed flower and autumnal leaf. On a second nose, you get dark licorice, wet slate, cola and grilled rosemary. The tannins are powdery and dry.

    Brunello is the prince of Montalcino wines, produced exclusively from Sangiovese grapes picked by hand from the oldest vines in the farm.

    After a careful fermentation at controlled temperature, Tenuta Il Poggione Brunello di Montalcino is aged in French oak barrels.

    After being aged in wood, the wine is bottle aged: this is an essential process in guaranteeing the pleasantness and the complexity that have made the Brunello di Montalcino world-famous.

    Wine

    Brunello di Montalcino

    Varietal

    100% Sangiovese

    Vintage

    2018

    Alcohol

    14,50%

    Source

    The winery's oldest vineyards, planted between 150 and 450 metres (490 - 1475 ft) above sea level.

    Vine training system

    Cordon spur and "doppio capovolto".

    Harvest

    By hand

    Vinification

    15 - 20 days "submerged cap" fermentation in stainless steel tanks with indigenous yeasts at a controlled temperature 25/28 °C (77/82 F). Malolactic fermentation in stainless steel.

    Aging

    Long aging in French oak barrels (30 - 50 hl or 872 -1373 Gallon) followed by bottle aging.

    Tasting Notes

    Ruby red in colour, with a very intense, persistent nose and with red fruit notes. Warm, balanced flavour with velvet-smooth tannins. Long-lasting aroma.

    Food Pairings

    Red meats, game, mature cheeses.

      vintage 2012

    01/03/2017

    95+

    Il Poggione is a Brunello superstar and a vintage like this reveals every reason why that affirmation is true. From the second the 2012 Brunello di Montalcino pours into the glass, you know you are in for something special. The wine is darkly saturated and rich in appearance. Absent are those slightly amber or browning hues you often get with Sangiovese in a hot vintage. Nor does the wine show flat or tired characteristics. Instead, the quality of fruit is vibrant and rich. This is a healthy, generous and exuberant Brunello with dark density and succulent fruit flavors that are followed by integrated spice and tobacco. The balance is impressive and one thing you get here is fresh acidity. This is not to be underestimated, because the acidity quota in the 2012 vintage across the appellation is not as high or evident as usual. This is one of the year's best Brunellos.

      vintage 2011

    01/04/2016

    95/100

    Il Poggione has done a terrific job with its 2011 Brunello di Montalcino. The wine is soft, yielding and charged with a velvety and smooth texture. It is deeply redolent of dark berry, black cherry, spice, leather and tobacco. The wine's sunny personality never feels flat or too dense. In fact, the wine offers a very tight and steely backbone that gives the wine stature and strength. This is one of my favorite Brunellos from the 2011 vintage. James Suckling – 93 Points A red with plum, meat, cedar and sandalwood character on the nose and palate. Full-bodied, tight and structured. Racy finish. Refined at the end for a 2011. Antonio Galloni - 94 Points A dark, powerful wine, the 2011 Brunello di Montalcino offers notable depth and intensity. Il Poggione's 2011 is one of the richest, most powerful wines of the year. Black cherry, plum, lavender, cloves and new leather are some of the first nuances that open up. With time in the glass, the 2011 becomes more lifted, as brighter red cherry and raspberry-infused flavors gradually release. This is a rare 2011 that demands at least a good few years in the cellar. In 2011, Il Poggione did not bottle a Riserva. All the juice went into the straight Brunello.

    Robert Parker

      vintage 2011

    04/05/2016

    91/100

    A beefy style, evoking plum, leather, tobacco and earth flavors, backed by dense, dusty tannins. Starts out juicy before the gruff finish takes over. Fresh and long. Best from 2018 through 2027. B.S.

      vintage 2011

    06/05/2016

    96/100

    The 2011 Il Poggione is an absolutely striking Brunello. Elegant and classy with aromas of fresh red fruits, floral, minerals and touch of spice all coming together in the gorgeous wine. This displays remarkable overall balance, depth and focus with a beautiful silky texture and wonderful finesse as it leads up to the long, expansive finish. A simply incredible showing from Il Poggione in 2011.
    Best 2018-2032

      vintage 2012

    15/12/2016

    93/100

    Walnuts and cedar with plums and hints of milk chocolate. Always subtle. Medium body, a solid core of fruit and medium-chewy tannins. Center palate of cherry fruit. Give it a year or two to soften. 

      vintage 2014

    20/02/2019

    94/100

    Il Poggione has one of the appellation's most enviable track records for quality and cellar longevity. The 2014 Brunello di Montalcino is a different beast. This wine prizes elegance, finesse and a compact mouthfeel. I would suggest a slightly shorter drinking window of approximately ten years. No matter how you cut it, the wine is absolutely beautiful and indeed ranks high on a list of favorite wines from the vintage. The bouquet is chiseled and tight with wild blueberry, plum, red rose and a touch of cherry confit. No doubt the mouthfeel is thinner in this vintage, but the wine has plenty more going on to keep your attention. I'm liking it. I went back to the bottle a few days after it had been opened and the wine was still going strong.

     

      vintage 2013

    96/100

    The 2013 Brunello di Montalcino lives up to the impeccable reputation garnered by this estate over the years. This is a profound and beautifully rendered Sangiovese that delivers bold and luscious fruit quality with black cherry and spicy plum at the start. The bouquet follows through with mild oak notes of smoke, tar and toasted nut. There is another aromatic component that includes crushed stone and dried herb or mint. This Brunello shows elegant evolution in the glass and promises a very long aging future ahead. Some 200,000 bottles were made, so it should be easy to locate this excellent wine.

      vintage 2013

    95/100

    Bright red. Pure, refined red cherry and wild strawberry aromas and flavors complicated by sweet spices and aromatic herbs. Deep and multilayered, the wine boasts polished tannins and a harmonious acid spine that lifts and extends the red fruit on the long, suave finish. An essence of Sant’Angelo in Colle with bigger body and palate weight than, for example, the Brunellos of Montosoli, but still sleek and refined as the best wines of Sant’Angelo in Colle can be. The cool-climate-styled 2013 vintage is precisely the type of year in which Il Poggione excels: this lovely, focused wine is the best classico Brunello from Il Poggione in years. Superb.

     

      vintage 2013

    93/100

    This red strikes a nice balance between plum and cherry fruit and beefy tannins, featuring elements of leather, tobacco, earth and iron. Balanced and long, with a gripping finish. Best from 2022 through 2035.

      vintage 2013

    92/100

    A Brunello with tile and berry character. Medium body, firm and silky tannins and a flavorful finish. A little tight now. Better in 2019.

      vintage 2010

    98 points

    The 2010 Brunello di Montalcino is a striking wine that shows uncompromising varietal pureness, albeit in a most concentrated and elaborate form. This is what great Sangiovese is all about. There's so much happening on the nose and the wine brings you to cherry, spice, licorice, cured meat, pressed rose and grilled meat in equal measure. No one element overpowers the next. The mouthfeel is also tight and bright with the kind of fruit intensity that promises long cellar aging. This Brunello is only at the beginning of a long road ahead. The longer the wine stays in the glass, the more it offers in terms of complexity and intensity. This is a true standout that can be enjoyed for up to 20 years ahead. 

    Fabrizio Bindocci and his son Alessandro are the most accomplished father-son winemaking team I can think of today in Italy. Il Poggione is owned by Leopoldo and Livia Franceschi, but the phenomenal Bindocci duo are very much in the limelight. They excel in every aspect of winemaking, from vineyard management to wine marketing. Never have I encountered a Il Poggione Brunello as beautiful as the one released this year. This is one of the highest expression of Sangiovese you will ever taste.

      vintage 2010

    95 points

    Rich, with excellent density, ripe cherry and plum fruit, and a well-integrated structure. Licorice, earth and tobacco notes add depth while this cruises to a long, tobacco and mineral-tinged finish. Shows balance and grip. Best from 2018 through 2033

      vintage 2015

    97 points

    The Il Poggione 2015 Brunello di Montalcino shows a darker and more concentrated appearance than many of its peers. The wine is beautifully abundant and fragrant in the most exuberant and expressive manner. You will recognize aromas of moist soil, tobacco and smoke. Candied cherry hovers over the entire bouquet. Fruit is sourced from older vines (all over 25 years old). Il Poggione occupies a special spot within the Montalcino appellation, and the area always produces slightly more concentrated and powerful wines. I find that to be particularly true in this gorgeous 2015 vintage. I am also very attracted to that almost dusty note of crushed mineral that rides long on the full-bodied finish. Il Poggione's Brunello is also distinguished by firm, youthful tannin that need a few more years to unwind.

     

      vintage 2015

    96 points

    So many sour cherries rise up from the glass, along with orange rind and lemon peel. The full-bodied palate has a very serious and concentrated core of florals and fruit, and the tannins have an iron-fisted, strapping build. Long, chewy and structured. One of the best in years from here.

      vintage 2015

    95 Points

    Wild herb and Mediterranean macchia notes mark this expressive red. Though well-endowed with tannins, this is on the sleek side, showing vibrant acidity. Cherry, strawberry, floral and tobacco flavors join the party, as this cruises to a long finish. Best from 2023 to 2042.

      vintage 2015

    97 Points

    Il Poggione 2015 Brunello di Montalcino offers up a dark, earthy, almost animal-like expression, showing black soil and undergrowth, giving way to crushed black cherry, dusty spice, and dried florals which lift the experience. On the palate, soft, fleshy textures usher in fresh cherry and strawberry, as brisk acids add energy, with savory herbs and minerals saturating, as the 2015 Il Poggione’s fruit nearly masks its structural core. The finish is long yet fresh, with classic, fine tannins, dried red fruits and pretty inner floral tones lingering throughout this perfectly balanced expression. The 2015 s pure class and built for the cellar.

    With over 300 acres planted to vine, Il Poggione remains one of Montalcino’s largest producers of Brunello, and yet they continue to maintain a level of quality that is unparalleled through much of the region. Located in the warm, yet well-ventilated micro-climate of Sant'Angelo in Colle, in the southeast of Montalcino, Il Poggione Brunello displays elegance, depth, classic structure and Sangiovese purity - all while remaining a remarkable value. In the winery, Fabrizio Bindocci adheres to a progressive approach, blending tradition with innovation. His practice of completing fermentation using submerged-cap, is something you’d expect to see more in Barolo than Montalcino. From there the Brunello is refined for three years in 30-50-hectoliter casks (all neutral wood, of course) before resting in bottle one year prior to release. Finding another Brunello in this price-point that is as long-lived, true to place and coloring within classic lines, isn’t easy. (Eric Guido)

      vintage 2015

    17,5 Points

    Lustrous mid ruby. Lots of concentrated, sweet fruit on the nose. Fantastic chewy tannins and energetic, juicy fruit deliver tactile fireworks on the palate.

      vintage 2015

    94 Points

    True to its balmy southern origins, it demonstrates immense concentration and ripeness, yet it remains balanced in its considerable proportions. Luxuriously textured fruit is firmly girdled by powerful, chewy tannins and there is no sacrifice of flavour either - iodine, earth, leather, sweet tobacco and dried thyme are woven throughout. The sapid finish lingers leisurely. Drinking Window 2022 – 2034

      vintage 2015

    94 Points

      vintage 2014

    92 Points

    This is smooth and caressing, wrapped around cherry, plum, loam, tobacco and cumin flavors. Hefty tannins line the finish, but all the elements are in the right proportion. Features a fine, complex finish. Best from 2021 through 2035.

      vintage 2014

    91 Points

    A riper style with plenty of dried red cherries and plums, as well as woody spice notes. The palate is quite fleshy with an open-knit thread of blue plums and darker cherries. Drink or hold.

      vintage 2014

    91 Points

    Aromas of underbrush, truffle, dark-skinned berry and tobacco lead the nose of this elegantly structured red. The taut, vibrant palate offers Marasca cherry, cranberry, orange zest and licorice framed by racy acidity and fine-grained tannins. Drink 2020–2026.

      vintage 2013

    17+ Points

    Maturing concentrated ruby with orange tinges. Youthful and herbal on the nose. Still compact and with gorgeous juicy cherry fruit and muscular tannins. Delicious now but will improve. Has plenty of structure and fruit for that. (WS) Drink 2018-2026

      vintage 2013

    91 Points

    Tobacco, underbrush and new leather aromas come together on the nose. The fullbodied palate offers dried black cherry, star anise, clove and a hint of espresso alongside taut, fine-grained tannins. Drink after 2023.

      vintage 2012

    93 Points

    Ripe plum, tobacco, dark spice and balsamic aromas adorn this invigorating red. Firm and full-bodied, the palate delivers wild cherry, crushed raspberry, star anise and grilled herb flavors with a backbone of youthful, bracing tannins. It's already tempting but give it time to fully come around. 

      vintage 2012

    17 Points

    Subtle, earthy cherry on the nose. Very backward yet elegant and almost lithe on the palate. Perfect balance, very poised and yet with a muscular structure. Drink 2019-2030

      vintage 2011

    93 Points

    A red with plum, meat, cedar and sandalwood character on the nose and palate. Full-bodied, tight and structured. Racy finish. Refined at the end for a 2011.

      vintage 2011

    94 Points

    A dark, powerful wine, the 2011 Brunello di Montalcino offers notable depth and intensity. Il Poggione's 2011 is one of the richest, most powerful wines of the year. Black cherry, plum, lavender, cloves and new leather are some of the first nuances that open up. With time in the glass, the 2011 becomes more lifted, as brighter red cherry and raspberry-infused flavors gradually release. This is a rare 2011 that demands at least a good few years in the cellar. In 2011, Il Poggione did not bottle a Riserva. All the juice went into the straight Brunello.

      vintage 2010

    N° 4 - TOP 100 WINES OF THE WORLD

      vintage 2010

    94+ Points

    Il Poggione's 2010 Brunello di Montalcino is a remarkably beautiful wine. Rose petal, mint, cinnamon, sweet dark cherries and smoke lift from the glass in a translucent, wiry Brunello built on energy and power. This is an especially lifted, precise and nuanced Brunello from Il Poggione, with more emphasis on length and mid-weight structure rather than overt volume. In many ways, the 2010 comes across as a modern-day version of the 1982 Riserva. Readers who have tasted that wine know just how special that is. For the money, there is not a single better wine being made in Montalcino than Il Poggione's Brunello. Truth is, it is also better than many far more expensive offerings. There are two Brunellos I would buy confidently in any vintage. This is one of them. Drinking window: 2018 – 2030

      vintage 2010

    93 Points

    Lots of sliced mushroom and berry character. Lots of flowers such as lilacs and violets. Full body, firm tannins and a fresh and clean finish. It's harmonious and beautiful. Drink or hold.

      vintage 2010

    17.5 Points

    Concentrated ruby with orange tinges. Just a tiny bit dusty and reductive on the nose and what looks like a hint of oak. Succulent fresh fruit with a proper bite of tannins on the finish. Seductive and juicy and already hard to resist.

      vintage 2016

    97 points

    I’m not sure how Il Poggione manages to remain one of the largest producers of Brunello, maintaining such a high level of quality and turning out some of the best wines of the vintage year after year - but they do. The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino is yet another stunning example. Depths of mineral-encased black cherries, sage, allspice, licorice, tobacco and crushed violets lift up from the glass. It’s seamlessly silky, even as the palate is peppered with tart red and black berries, nervous acids and savory exotic spices. This shows the density and weight of the vintage in a youthfully monolithic stance, yet with all the necessary components to maintain perfect balance. The 2016 Il Poggione seems to fold in upon itself through the finish, which is dark, mysterious and structured, with only hints of black tea and licorice to tempt the imagination. It’s a classic in the making.

      vintage 2016

    95 points

    The Il Poggione 2016 Brunello di Montalcino opens to a medium dark appearance with pretty Sangiovese shine and a little ruby sparkle. This vintage shows a slightly untamed or wild side with a dense and heavier fruit profile. The focus here is on blackberry, dried cherry, tobacco and even a touch of smoky tobacco or horse saddle. The wine shows the firm grip and tannic backbone that is a common trait in this vintage, especially with the vineyards on this southern, sunlit side of the appellation. I also get a considerable flash of acidity on the close, almost too much, that certainly needs a few more years to soften. You really need to wait with this one.

      vintage 2016

    94 points

    A red with blackberry, cherry, some walnut and chocolate, as well as mahogany. Tea, too. It’s full-bodied and firm-tannined with beautiful length and depth. Linear and very fine. Drink after 2024.

      vintage 2017

    94+/100

    The 2017 Brunello di Montalcino opens to a saturated and shiny dark ruby color. This edition is loaded with black and purple fruits, such as blackberry preserves and plum. Those more robust tones are followed by spice, tar and campfire ash. The tannins are young (but not stemmy or bitter), and you'd be best served by letting this wine age and relax with more cellar aging. Il Poggione always makes some of the smoothest and most texturally enriched wines in the appellation, and this vintage is no exception.

      vintage 2017

    93/100

    Masses of ashen earth, smoke, dusty cherry and roses with nuances of clove lift up from the 2017 Brunello di Montalcino. This is silky and pliant upon entry, presenting a rich display of intense red and hints of black fruits laced with chalky minerals that drenches the palate. Penetrating acidity and grippy tannins create a burst of cheek-puckering tension, clenching down hard with youthful poise, as notes of licorice and hard red candies linger through the structured, medium-length finale. There are some moments where the 2017 reminds you that it comes from an incredibly hot and dry vintage, yet overall, it’s a huge success for the year. That said, it needs time to unwind from its youthful state. Production was down 15–20% at Il Poggione in 2017 due to severe selection of bunches, and all of the fruit that would have been reserved for the Riserva Vigna Paganelli was added to the Brunello instead.

      vintage 2017

    17/20

    Lustrous deep ruby. Firm, deep cherry fruit on the nose and with an undertow of savoury spice. Lots of perfumed sour-cherry fruit on the palate and with bags of firm, but polished tannins on the finish. A bit austere right now, but with great length as well as potential.

      vintage 2017

    91/100

    Il Poggione started harvesting Brunello grapes on 1 September based on desired sugar and acidity levels. To curtail unripe tannins, winemaker Fabrizio Bindocci removed a small percentage of seeds at the beginning of fermentation, particularly from the earliest picked plots. The resulting wine is a heady mix of allspice, leather and prune plums. There is ample concentration on the palate and a zesty citrus note lends freshness. It's grippy but overall balanced, with just a touch of astringency nudging through. I’d give this another year to come together. Drinking window: 2023-2028

      vintage 2017

    91/100

    Blackberry, blueberry, stone and floral aromas. Hints of cedar, too. Full-bodied and chewy with polish and focus. Dried berries and hints of meat. This shows the ripeness of the grapes. Chewy at the end. Needs time to soften. Better after 2023.

      vintage 2017

    93/100

    Sweet, ripe cherry, blackberry and plum fruit flavors are framed by mineral, tobacco and thyme accents in this vibrant, balanced red. Make no mistake, there are ample tannins too, yet this still finds a nice equilibrium on the lingering finish. Best from 2024 through 2040.

      vintage 2019

    96/100

    The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino pulls the taster close to the glass with its dark and earthy blend of crushed ashen stones, giving way to rosemary, cedar, exotic spice and a core of raspberry preserves. Enveloping and serene, this flows across the palate like pure silk, steadily building in tension as tart wild berries and orange hints give way to a sweet herbal thrust. The 2019 finishes with tremendous length and is classically structured, as crunchy tannins resonate and violet inner florals slowly fade over a tactile coating of minerality. Il Poggione has captured the radiance of the vintage, yet this is just a baby today.

      vintage 2019

    17,5

    Dark, youthful ruby. Very closed and brooding with only hints of perfumed raspberry, tea leaves and oak. Generous and composed at the same time on the palate. A layer of suave cherry and raspberry fruit lined with quite powerful tannins that demand more time. Carries its 15% with ease. Closes up on the finish and in need of more time.

      vintage 2019

    94/100

    The Il Poggione 2019 Brunello di Montalcino shows an evolved bouquet with aromas of dried fruit, forest floor, crushed flower and autumnal leaf. On a second nose, you get dark licorice, wet slate, cola and grilled rosemary. The tannins are powdery and dry.

    Brunello is the prince of Montalcino wines, produced exclusively from Sangiovese grapes picked by hand from the oldest vines in the farm.

    After a careful fermentation at controlled temperature, Tenuta Il Poggione Brunello di Montalcino is aged in French oak barrels.

    After being aged in wood, the wine is bottle aged: this is an essential process in guaranteeing the pleasantness and the complexity that have made the Brunello di Montalcino world-famous.

    Wine

    Brunello di Montalcino

    Varietal

    100% Sangiovese

    Vintage

    2017

    Alcohol

    14,50%

    Source

    The winery's oldest vineyards, planted between 150 and 450 metres (490 - 1475 ft) above sea level.

    Vine training system

    Cordon spur and "doppio capovolto".

    Harvest

    By hand

    Vinification

    15 - 20 days "submerged cap" fermentation in stainless steel tanks with indigenous yeasts at a controlled temperature 25/28 °C (77/82 F). Malolactic fermentation in stainless steel.

    Aging

    Long aging in French oak barrels followed by bottle aging.

    Tasting Notes

    Ruby red in colour, with a very intense, persistent nose and with red fruit notes. Warm, balanced flavour with velvet-smooth tannins. Long-lasting aroma.

    Food Pairings

    Red meats, game, mature cheeses.

      vintage 2012

    01/03/2017

    95+

    Il Poggione is a Brunello superstar and a vintage like this reveals every reason why that affirmation is true. From the second the 2012 Brunello di Montalcino pours into the glass, you know you are in for something special. The wine is darkly saturated and rich in appearance. Absent are those slightly amber or browning hues you often get with Sangiovese in a hot vintage. Nor does the wine show flat or tired characteristics. Instead, the quality of fruit is vibrant and rich. This is a healthy, generous and exuberant Brunello with dark density and succulent fruit flavors that are followed by integrated spice and tobacco. The balance is impressive and one thing you get here is fresh acidity. This is not to be underestimated, because the acidity quota in the 2012 vintage across the appellation is not as high or evident as usual. This is one of the year's best Brunellos.

      vintage 2011

    01/04/2016

    95/100

    Il Poggione has done a terrific job with its 2011 Brunello di Montalcino. The wine is soft, yielding and charged with a velvety and smooth texture. It is deeply redolent of dark berry, black cherry, spice, leather and tobacco. The wine's sunny personality never feels flat or too dense. In fact, the wine offers a very tight and steely backbone that gives the wine stature and strength. This is one of my favorite Brunellos from the 2011 vintage. James Suckling – 93 Points A red with plum, meat, cedar and sandalwood character on the nose and palate. Full-bodied, tight and structured. Racy finish. Refined at the end for a 2011. Antonio Galloni - 94 Points A dark, powerful wine, the 2011 Brunello di Montalcino offers notable depth and intensity. Il Poggione's 2011 is one of the richest, most powerful wines of the year. Black cherry, plum, lavender, cloves and new leather are some of the first nuances that open up. With time in the glass, the 2011 becomes more lifted, as brighter red cherry and raspberry-infused flavors gradually release. This is a rare 2011 that demands at least a good few years in the cellar. In 2011, Il Poggione did not bottle a Riserva. All the juice went into the straight Brunello.

    Robert Parker

      vintage 2011

    04/05/2016

    91/100

    A beefy style, evoking plum, leather, tobacco and earth flavors, backed by dense, dusty tannins. Starts out juicy before the gruff finish takes over. Fresh and long. Best from 2018 through 2027. B.S.

      vintage 2011

    06/05/2016

    96/100

    The 2011 Il Poggione is an absolutely striking Brunello. Elegant and classy with aromas of fresh red fruits, floral, minerals and touch of spice all coming together in the gorgeous wine. This displays remarkable overall balance, depth and focus with a beautiful silky texture and wonderful finesse as it leads up to the long, expansive finish. A simply incredible showing from Il Poggione in 2011.
    Best 2018-2032

      vintage 2012

    15/12/2016

    93/100

    Walnuts and cedar with plums and hints of milk chocolate. Always subtle. Medium body, a solid core of fruit and medium-chewy tannins. Center palate of cherry fruit. Give it a year or two to soften. 

      vintage 2014

    20/02/2019

    94/100

    Il Poggione has one of the appellation's most enviable track records for quality and cellar longevity. The 2014 Brunello di Montalcino is a different beast. This wine prizes elegance, finesse and a compact mouthfeel. I would suggest a slightly shorter drinking window of approximately ten years. No matter how you cut it, the wine is absolutely beautiful and indeed ranks high on a list of favorite wines from the vintage. The bouquet is chiseled and tight with wild blueberry, plum, red rose and a touch of cherry confit. No doubt the mouthfeel is thinner in this vintage, but the wine has plenty more going on to keep your attention. I'm liking it. I went back to the bottle a few days after it had been opened and the wine was still going strong.

     

      vintage 2013

    96/100

    The 2013 Brunello di Montalcino lives up to the impeccable reputation garnered by this estate over the years. This is a profound and beautifully rendered Sangiovese that delivers bold and luscious fruit quality with black cherry and spicy plum at the start. The bouquet follows through with mild oak notes of smoke, tar and toasted nut. There is another aromatic component that includes crushed stone and dried herb or mint. This Brunello shows elegant evolution in the glass and promises a very long aging future ahead. Some 200,000 bottles were made, so it should be easy to locate this excellent wine.

      vintage 2013

    95/100

    Bright red. Pure, refined red cherry and wild strawberry aromas and flavors complicated by sweet spices and aromatic herbs. Deep and multilayered, the wine boasts polished tannins and a harmonious acid spine that lifts and extends the red fruit on the long, suave finish. An essence of Sant’Angelo in Colle with bigger body and palate weight than, for example, the Brunellos of Montosoli, but still sleek and refined as the best wines of Sant’Angelo in Colle can be. The cool-climate-styled 2013 vintage is precisely the type of year in which Il Poggione excels: this lovely, focused wine is the best classico Brunello from Il Poggione in years. Superb.

     

      vintage 2013

    93/100

    This red strikes a nice balance between plum and cherry fruit and beefy tannins, featuring elements of leather, tobacco, earth and iron. Balanced and long, with a gripping finish. Best from 2022 through 2035.

      vintage 2013

    92/100

    A Brunello with tile and berry character. Medium body, firm and silky tannins and a flavorful finish. A little tight now. Better in 2019.

      vintage 2010

    98 points

    The 2010 Brunello di Montalcino is a striking wine that shows uncompromising varietal pureness, albeit in a most concentrated and elaborate form. This is what great Sangiovese is all about. There's so much happening on the nose and the wine brings you to cherry, spice, licorice, cured meat, pressed rose and grilled meat in equal measure. No one element overpowers the next. The mouthfeel is also tight and bright with the kind of fruit intensity that promises long cellar aging. This Brunello is only at the beginning of a long road ahead. The longer the wine stays in the glass, the more it offers in terms of complexity and intensity. This is a true standout that can be enjoyed for up to 20 years ahead. 

    Fabrizio Bindocci and his son Alessandro are the most accomplished father-son winemaking team I can think of today in Italy. Il Poggione is owned by Leopoldo and Livia Franceschi, but the phenomenal Bindocci duo are very much in the limelight. They excel in every aspect of winemaking, from vineyard management to wine marketing. Never have I encountered a Il Poggione Brunello as beautiful as the one released this year. This is one of the highest expression of Sangiovese you will ever taste.

      vintage 2010

    95 points

    Rich, with excellent density, ripe cherry and plum fruit, and a well-integrated structure. Licorice, earth and tobacco notes add depth while this cruises to a long, tobacco and mineral-tinged finish. Shows balance and grip. Best from 2018 through 2033

      vintage 2015

    97 points

    The Il Poggione 2015 Brunello di Montalcino shows a darker and more concentrated appearance than many of its peers. The wine is beautifully abundant and fragrant in the most exuberant and expressive manner. You will recognize aromas of moist soil, tobacco and smoke. Candied cherry hovers over the entire bouquet. Fruit is sourced from older vines (all over 25 years old). Il Poggione occupies a special spot within the Montalcino appellation, and the area always produces slightly more concentrated and powerful wines. I find that to be particularly true in this gorgeous 2015 vintage. I am also very attracted to that almost dusty note of crushed mineral that rides long on the full-bodied finish. Il Poggione's Brunello is also distinguished by firm, youthful tannin that need a few more years to unwind.

     

      vintage 2015

    96 points

    So many sour cherries rise up from the glass, along with orange rind and lemon peel. The full-bodied palate has a very serious and concentrated core of florals and fruit, and the tannins have an iron-fisted, strapping build. Long, chewy and structured. One of the best in years from here.

      vintage 2015

    95 Points

    Wild herb and Mediterranean macchia notes mark this expressive red. Though well-endowed with tannins, this is on the sleek side, showing vibrant acidity. Cherry, strawberry, floral and tobacco flavors join the party, as this cruises to a long finish. Best from 2023 to 2042.

      vintage 2015

    97 Points

    Il Poggione 2015 Brunello di Montalcino offers up a dark, earthy, almost animal-like expression, showing black soil and undergrowth, giving way to crushed black cherry, dusty spice, and dried florals which lift the experience. On the palate, soft, fleshy textures usher in fresh cherry and strawberry, as brisk acids add energy, with savory herbs and minerals saturating, as the 2015 Il Poggione’s fruit nearly masks its structural core. The finish is long yet fresh, with classic, fine tannins, dried red fruits and pretty inner floral tones lingering throughout this perfectly balanced expression. The 2015 s pure class and built for the cellar.

    With over 300 acres planted to vine, Il Poggione remains one of Montalcino’s largest producers of Brunello, and yet they continue to maintain a level of quality that is unparalleled through much of the region. Located in the warm, yet well-ventilated micro-climate of Sant'Angelo in Colle, in the southeast of Montalcino, Il Poggione Brunello displays elegance, depth, classic structure and Sangiovese purity - all while remaining a remarkable value. In the winery, Fabrizio Bindocci adheres to a progressive approach, blending tradition with innovation. His practice of completing fermentation using submerged-cap, is something you’d expect to see more in Barolo than Montalcino. From there the Brunello is refined for three years in 30-50-hectoliter casks (all neutral wood, of course) before resting in bottle one year prior to release. Finding another Brunello in this price-point that is as long-lived, true to place and coloring within classic lines, isn’t easy. (Eric Guido)

      vintage 2015

    17,5 Points

    Lustrous mid ruby. Lots of concentrated, sweet fruit on the nose. Fantastic chewy tannins and energetic, juicy fruit deliver tactile fireworks on the palate.

      vintage 2015

    94 Points

    True to its balmy southern origins, it demonstrates immense concentration and ripeness, yet it remains balanced in its considerable proportions. Luxuriously textured fruit is firmly girdled by powerful, chewy tannins and there is no sacrifice of flavour either - iodine, earth, leather, sweet tobacco and dried thyme are woven throughout. The sapid finish lingers leisurely. Drinking Window 2022 – 2034

      vintage 2015

    94 Points

      vintage 2014

    92 Points

    This is smooth and caressing, wrapped around cherry, plum, loam, tobacco and cumin flavors. Hefty tannins line the finish, but all the elements are in the right proportion. Features a fine, complex finish. Best from 2021 through 2035.

      vintage 2014

    91 Points

    A riper style with plenty of dried red cherries and plums, as well as woody spice notes. The palate is quite fleshy with an open-knit thread of blue plums and darker cherries. Drink or hold.

      vintage 2014

    91 Points

    Aromas of underbrush, truffle, dark-skinned berry and tobacco lead the nose of this elegantly structured red. The taut, vibrant palate offers Marasca cherry, cranberry, orange zest and licorice framed by racy acidity and fine-grained tannins. Drink 2020–2026.

      vintage 2013

    17+ Points

    Maturing concentrated ruby with orange tinges. Youthful and herbal on the nose. Still compact and with gorgeous juicy cherry fruit and muscular tannins. Delicious now but will improve. Has plenty of structure and fruit for that. (WS) Drink 2018-2026

      vintage 2013

    91 Points

    Tobacco, underbrush and new leather aromas come together on the nose. The fullbodied palate offers dried black cherry, star anise, clove and a hint of espresso alongside taut, fine-grained tannins. Drink after 2023.

      vintage 2012

    93 Points

    Ripe plum, tobacco, dark spice and balsamic aromas adorn this invigorating red. Firm and full-bodied, the palate delivers wild cherry, crushed raspberry, star anise and grilled herb flavors with a backbone of youthful, bracing tannins. It's already tempting but give it time to fully come around. 

      vintage 2012

    17 Points

    Subtle, earthy cherry on the nose. Very backward yet elegant and almost lithe on the palate. Perfect balance, very poised and yet with a muscular structure. Drink 2019-2030

      vintage 2011

    93 Points

    A red with plum, meat, cedar and sandalwood character on the nose and palate. Full-bodied, tight and structured. Racy finish. Refined at the end for a 2011.

      vintage 2011

    94 Points

    A dark, powerful wine, the 2011 Brunello di Montalcino offers notable depth and intensity. Il Poggione's 2011 is one of the richest, most powerful wines of the year. Black cherry, plum, lavender, cloves and new leather are some of the first nuances that open up. With time in the glass, the 2011 becomes more lifted, as brighter red cherry and raspberry-infused flavors gradually release. This is a rare 2011 that demands at least a good few years in the cellar. In 2011, Il Poggione did not bottle a Riserva. All the juice went into the straight Brunello.

      vintage 2010

    N° 4 - TOP 100 WINES OF THE WORLD

      vintage 2010

    94+ Points

    Il Poggione's 2010 Brunello di Montalcino is a remarkably beautiful wine. Rose petal, mint, cinnamon, sweet dark cherries and smoke lift from the glass in a translucent, wiry Brunello built on energy and power. This is an especially lifted, precise and nuanced Brunello from Il Poggione, with more emphasis on length and mid-weight structure rather than overt volume. In many ways, the 2010 comes across as a modern-day version of the 1982 Riserva. Readers who have tasted that wine know just how special that is. For the money, there is not a single better wine being made in Montalcino than Il Poggione's Brunello. Truth is, it is also better than many far more expensive offerings. There are two Brunellos I would buy confidently in any vintage. This is one of them. Drinking window: 2018 – 2030

      vintage 2010

    93 Points

    Lots of sliced mushroom and berry character. Lots of flowers such as lilacs and violets. Full body, firm tannins and a fresh and clean finish. It's harmonious and beautiful. Drink or hold.

      vintage 2010

    17.5 Points

    Concentrated ruby with orange tinges. Just a tiny bit dusty and reductive on the nose and what looks like a hint of oak. Succulent fresh fruit with a proper bite of tannins on the finish. Seductive and juicy and already hard to resist.

      vintage 2016

    97 points

    I’m not sure how Il Poggione manages to remain one of the largest producers of Brunello, maintaining such a high level of quality and turning out some of the best wines of the vintage year after year - but they do. The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino is yet another stunning example. Depths of mineral-encased black cherries, sage, allspice, licorice, tobacco and crushed violets lift up from the glass. It’s seamlessly silky, even as the palate is peppered with tart red and black berries, nervous acids and savory exotic spices. This shows the density and weight of the vintage in a youthfully monolithic stance, yet with all the necessary components to maintain perfect balance. The 2016 Il Poggione seems to fold in upon itself through the finish, which is dark, mysterious and structured, with only hints of black tea and licorice to tempt the imagination. It’s a classic in the making.

      vintage 2016

    95 points

    The Il Poggione 2016 Brunello di Montalcino opens to a medium dark appearance with pretty Sangiovese shine and a little ruby sparkle. This vintage shows a slightly untamed or wild side with a dense and heavier fruit profile. The focus here is on blackberry, dried cherry, tobacco and even a touch of smoky tobacco or horse saddle. The wine shows the firm grip and tannic backbone that is a common trait in this vintage, especially with the vineyards on this southern, sunlit side of the appellation. I also get a considerable flash of acidity on the close, almost too much, that certainly needs a few more years to soften. You really need to wait with this one.

      vintage 2016

    94 points

    A red with blackberry, cherry, some walnut and chocolate, as well as mahogany. Tea, too. It’s full-bodied and firm-tannined with beautiful length and depth. Linear and very fine. Drink after 2024.

      vintage 2017

    94+/100

    The 2017 Brunello di Montalcino opens to a saturated and shiny dark ruby color. This edition is loaded with black and purple fruits, such as blackberry preserves and plum. Those more robust tones are followed by spice, tar and campfire ash. The tannins are young (but not stemmy or bitter), and you'd be best served by letting this wine age and relax with more cellar aging. Il Poggione always makes some of the smoothest and most texturally enriched wines in the appellation, and this vintage is no exception.

      vintage 2017

    93/100

    Masses of ashen earth, smoke, dusty cherry and roses with nuances of clove lift up from the 2017 Brunello di Montalcino. This is silky and pliant upon entry, presenting a rich display of intense red and hints of black fruits laced with chalky minerals that drenches the palate. Penetrating acidity and grippy tannins create a burst of cheek-puckering tension, clenching down hard with youthful poise, as notes of licorice and hard red candies linger through the structured, medium-length finale. There are some moments where the 2017 reminds you that it comes from an incredibly hot and dry vintage, yet overall, it’s a huge success for the year. That said, it needs time to unwind from its youthful state. Production was down 15–20% at Il Poggione in 2017 due to severe selection of bunches, and all of the fruit that would have been reserved for the Riserva Vigna Paganelli was added to the Brunello instead.

      vintage 2017

    17/20

    Lustrous deep ruby. Firm, deep cherry fruit on the nose and with an undertow of savoury spice. Lots of perfumed sour-cherry fruit on the palate and with bags of firm, but polished tannins on the finish. A bit austere right now, but with great length as well as potential.

      vintage 2017

    91/100

    Il Poggione started harvesting Brunello grapes on 1 September based on desired sugar and acidity levels. To curtail unripe tannins, winemaker Fabrizio Bindocci removed a small percentage of seeds at the beginning of fermentation, particularly from the earliest picked plots. The resulting wine is a heady mix of allspice, leather and prune plums. There is ample concentration on the palate and a zesty citrus note lends freshness. It's grippy but overall balanced, with just a touch of astringency nudging through. I’d give this another year to come together. Drinking window: 2023-2028

      vintage 2017

    91/100

    Blackberry, blueberry, stone and floral aromas. Hints of cedar, too. Full-bodied and chewy with polish and focus. Dried berries and hints of meat. This shows the ripeness of the grapes. Chewy at the end. Needs time to soften. Better after 2023.

      vintage 2017

    93/100

    Sweet, ripe cherry, blackberry and plum fruit flavors are framed by mineral, tobacco and thyme accents in this vibrant, balanced red. Make no mistake, there are ample tannins too, yet this still finds a nice equilibrium on the lingering finish. Best from 2024 through 2040.

      vintage 2019

    96/100

    The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino pulls the taster close to the glass with its dark and earthy blend of crushed ashen stones, giving way to rosemary, cedar, exotic spice and a core of raspberry preserves. Enveloping and serene, this flows across the palate like pure silk, steadily building in tension as tart wild berries and orange hints give way to a sweet herbal thrust. The 2019 finishes with tremendous length and is classically structured, as crunchy tannins resonate and violet inner florals slowly fade over a tactile coating of minerality. Il Poggione has captured the radiance of the vintage, yet this is just a baby today.

      vintage 2019

    17,5

    Dark, youthful ruby. Very closed and brooding with only hints of perfumed raspberry, tea leaves and oak. Generous and composed at the same time on the palate. A layer of suave cherry and raspberry fruit lined with quite powerful tannins that demand more time. Carries its 15% with ease. Closes up on the finish and in need of more time.

      vintage 2019

    94/100

    The Il Poggione 2019 Brunello di Montalcino shows an evolved bouquet with aromas of dried fruit, forest floor, crushed flower and autumnal leaf. On a second nose, you get dark licorice, wet slate, cola and grilled rosemary. The tannins are powdery and dry.

    Brunello is the prince of Montalcino wines, produced exclusively from Sangiovese grapes picked by hand from the oldest vines in the farm.

    After a careful fermentation at controlled temperature, Tenuta Il Poggione Brunello di Montalcino is aged in French oak barrels.

    After being aged in wood, the wine is bottle aged: this is an essential process in guaranteeing the pleasantness and the complexity that have made the Brunello di Montalcino world-famous.

    Wine

    Brunello di Montalcino

    Varietal

    100% Sangiovese

    Vintage

    2016

    Alcohol

    14,50%

    Source

    The winery's oldest vineyards, planted between 150 and 450 metres (490 - 1475 ft) above sea level.

    Vine training system

    Cordon spur and "doppio capovolto".

    Harvest

    By hand

    Vinification

    "Submerged cap" fermentation in stainless steel tanks with indigenous yeasts at a controlled temperature 25/28 °C (77/82 F). Malolactic fermentation in stainless steel.

    Aging

    Long aging in French oak barrels followed by bottle aging.

    Tasting Notes

    Ruby red in colour, with a very intense, persistent nose and with red fruit notes. Warm, balanced flavour with velvet-smooth tannins. Long-lasting aroma.

    Food Pairings

    Red meats, game, mature cheeses.

      vintage 2012

    01/03/2017

    95+

    Il Poggione is a Brunello superstar and a vintage like this reveals every reason why that affirmation is true. From the second the 2012 Brunello di Montalcino pours into the glass, you know you are in for something special. The wine is darkly saturated and rich in appearance. Absent are those slightly amber or browning hues you often get with Sangiovese in a hot vintage. Nor does the wine show flat or tired characteristics. Instead, the quality of fruit is vibrant and rich. This is a healthy, generous and exuberant Brunello with dark density and succulent fruit flavors that are followed by integrated spice and tobacco. The balance is impressive and one thing you get here is fresh acidity. This is not to be underestimated, because the acidity quota in the 2012 vintage across the appellation is not as high or evident as usual. This is one of the year's best Brunellos.

      vintage 2011

    01/04/2016

    95/100

    Il Poggione has done a terrific job with its 2011 Brunello di Montalcino. The wine is soft, yielding and charged with a velvety and smooth texture. It is deeply redolent of dark berry, black cherry, spice, leather and tobacco. The wine's sunny personality never feels flat or too dense. In fact, the wine offers a very tight and steely backbone that gives the wine stature and strength. This is one of my favorite Brunellos from the 2011 vintage. James Suckling – 93 Points A red with plum, meat, cedar and sandalwood character on the nose and palate. Full-bodied, tight and structured. Racy finish. Refined at the end for a 2011. Antonio Galloni - 94 Points A dark, powerful wine, the 2011 Brunello di Montalcino offers notable depth and intensity. Il Poggione's 2011 is one of the richest, most powerful wines of the year. Black cherry, plum, lavender, cloves and new leather are some of the first nuances that open up. With time in the glass, the 2011 becomes more lifted, as brighter red cherry and raspberry-infused flavors gradually release. This is a rare 2011 that demands at least a good few years in the cellar. In 2011, Il Poggione did not bottle a Riserva. All the juice went into the straight Brunello.

    Robert Parker

      vintage 2011

    04/05/2016

    91/100

    A beefy style, evoking plum, leather, tobacco and earth flavors, backed by dense, dusty tannins. Starts out juicy before the gruff finish takes over. Fresh and long. Best from 2018 through 2027. B.S.

      vintage 2011

    06/05/2016

    96/100

    The 2011 Il Poggione is an absolutely striking Brunello. Elegant and classy with aromas of fresh red fruits, floral, minerals and touch of spice all coming together in the gorgeous wine. This displays remarkable overall balance, depth and focus with a beautiful silky texture and wonderful finesse as it leads up to the long, expansive finish. A simply incredible showing from Il Poggione in 2011.
    Best 2018-2032

      vintage 2012

    15/12/2016

    93/100

    Walnuts and cedar with plums and hints of milk chocolate. Always subtle. Medium body, a solid core of fruit and medium-chewy tannins. Center palate of cherry fruit. Give it a year or two to soften. 

      vintage 2014

    20/02/2019

    94/100

    Il Poggione has one of the appellation's most enviable track records for quality and cellar longevity. The 2014 Brunello di Montalcino is a different beast. This wine prizes elegance, finesse and a compact mouthfeel. I would suggest a slightly shorter drinking window of approximately ten years. No matter how you cut it, the wine is absolutely beautiful and indeed ranks high on a list of favorite wines from the vintage. The bouquet is chiseled and tight with wild blueberry, plum, red rose and a touch of cherry confit. No doubt the mouthfeel is thinner in this vintage, but the wine has plenty more going on to keep your attention. I'm liking it. I went back to the bottle a few days after it had been opened and the wine was still going strong.

     

      vintage 2013

    96/100

    The 2013 Brunello di Montalcino lives up to the impeccable reputation garnered by this estate over the years. This is a profound and beautifully rendered Sangiovese that delivers bold and luscious fruit quality with black cherry and spicy plum at the start. The bouquet follows through with mild oak notes of smoke, tar and toasted nut. There is another aromatic component that includes crushed stone and dried herb or mint. This Brunello shows elegant evolution in the glass and promises a very long aging future ahead. Some 200,000 bottles were made, so it should be easy to locate this excellent wine.

      vintage 2013

    95/100

    Bright red. Pure, refined red cherry and wild strawberry aromas and flavors complicated by sweet spices and aromatic herbs. Deep and multilayered, the wine boasts polished tannins and a harmonious acid spine that lifts and extends the red fruit on the long, suave finish. An essence of Sant’Angelo in Colle with bigger body and palate weight than, for example, the Brunellos of Montosoli, but still sleek and refined as the best wines of Sant’Angelo in Colle can be. The cool-climate-styled 2013 vintage is precisely the type of year in which Il Poggione excels: this lovely, focused wine is the best classico Brunello from Il Poggione in years. Superb.

     

      vintage 2013

    93/100

    This red strikes a nice balance between plum and cherry fruit and beefy tannins, featuring elements of leather, tobacco, earth and iron. Balanced and long, with a gripping finish. Best from 2022 through 2035.

      vintage 2013

    92/100

    A Brunello with tile and berry character. Medium body, firm and silky tannins and a flavorful finish. A little tight now. Better in 2019.

      vintage 2010

    98 points

    The 2010 Brunello di Montalcino is a striking wine that shows uncompromising varietal pureness, albeit in a most concentrated and elaborate form. This is what great Sangiovese is all about. There's so much happening on the nose and the wine brings you to cherry, spice, licorice, cured meat, pressed rose and grilled meat in equal measure. No one element overpowers the next. The mouthfeel is also tight and bright with the kind of fruit intensity that promises long cellar aging. This Brunello is only at the beginning of a long road ahead. The longer the wine stays in the glass, the more it offers in terms of complexity and intensity. This is a true standout that can be enjoyed for up to 20 years ahead. 

    Fabrizio Bindocci and his son Alessandro are the most accomplished father-son winemaking team I can think of today in Italy. Il Poggione is owned by Leopoldo and Livia Franceschi, but the phenomenal Bindocci duo are very much in the limelight. They excel in every aspect of winemaking, from vineyard management to wine marketing. Never have I encountered a Il Poggione Brunello as beautiful as the one released this year. This is one of the highest expression of Sangiovese you will ever taste.

      vintage 2010

    95 points

    Rich, with excellent density, ripe cherry and plum fruit, and a well-integrated structure. Licorice, earth and tobacco notes add depth while this cruises to a long, tobacco and mineral-tinged finish. Shows balance and grip. Best from 2018 through 2033

      vintage 2015

    97 points

    The Il Poggione 2015 Brunello di Montalcino shows a darker and more concentrated appearance than many of its peers. The wine is beautifully abundant and fragrant in the most exuberant and expressive manner. You will recognize aromas of moist soil, tobacco and smoke. Candied cherry hovers over the entire bouquet. Fruit is sourced from older vines (all over 25 years old). Il Poggione occupies a special spot within the Montalcino appellation, and the area always produces slightly more concentrated and powerful wines. I find that to be particularly true in this gorgeous 2015 vintage. I am also very attracted to that almost dusty note of crushed mineral that rides long on the full-bodied finish. Il Poggione's Brunello is also distinguished by firm, youthful tannin that need a few more years to unwind.

     

      vintage 2015

    96 points

    So many sour cherries rise up from the glass, along with orange rind and lemon peel. The full-bodied palate has a very serious and concentrated core of florals and fruit, and the tannins have an iron-fisted, strapping build. Long, chewy and structured. One of the best in years from here.

      vintage 2015

    95 Points

    Wild herb and Mediterranean macchia notes mark this expressive red. Though well-endowed with tannins, this is on the sleek side, showing vibrant acidity. Cherry, strawberry, floral and tobacco flavors join the party, as this cruises to a long finish. Best from 2023 to 2042.

      vintage 2015

    97 Points

    Il Poggione 2015 Brunello di Montalcino offers up a dark, earthy, almost animal-like expression, showing black soil and undergrowth, giving way to crushed black cherry, dusty spice, and dried florals which lift the experience. On the palate, soft, fleshy textures usher in fresh cherry and strawberry, as brisk acids add energy, with savory herbs and minerals saturating, as the 2015 Il Poggione’s fruit nearly masks its structural core. The finish is long yet fresh, with classic, fine tannins, dried red fruits and pretty inner floral tones lingering throughout this perfectly balanced expression. The 2015 s pure class and built for the cellar.

    With over 300 acres planted to vine, Il Poggione remains one of Montalcino’s largest producers of Brunello, and yet they continue to maintain a level of quality that is unparalleled through much of the region. Located in the warm, yet well-ventilated micro-climate of Sant'Angelo in Colle, in the southeast of Montalcino, Il Poggione Brunello displays elegance, depth, classic structure and Sangiovese purity - all while remaining a remarkable value. In the winery, Fabrizio Bindocci adheres to a progressive approach, blending tradition with innovation. His practice of completing fermentation using submerged-cap, is something you’d expect to see more in Barolo than Montalcino. From there the Brunello is refined for three years in 30-50-hectoliter casks (all neutral wood, of course) before resting in bottle one year prior to release. Finding another Brunello in this price-point that is as long-lived, true to place and coloring within classic lines, isn’t easy. (Eric Guido)

      vintage 2015

    17,5 Points

    Lustrous mid ruby. Lots of concentrated, sweet fruit on the nose. Fantastic chewy tannins and energetic, juicy fruit deliver tactile fireworks on the palate.

      vintage 2015

    94 Points

    True to its balmy southern origins, it demonstrates immense concentration and ripeness, yet it remains balanced in its considerable proportions. Luxuriously textured fruit is firmly girdled by powerful, chewy tannins and there is no sacrifice of flavour either - iodine, earth, leather, sweet tobacco and dried thyme are woven throughout. The sapid finish lingers leisurely. Drinking Window 2022 – 2034

      vintage 2015

    94 Points

      vintage 2014

    92 Points

    This is smooth and caressing, wrapped around cherry, plum, loam, tobacco and cumin flavors. Hefty tannins line the finish, but all the elements are in the right proportion. Features a fine, complex finish. Best from 2021 through 2035.

      vintage 2014

    91 Points

    A riper style with plenty of dried red cherries and plums, as well as woody spice notes. The palate is quite fleshy with an open-knit thread of blue plums and darker cherries. Drink or hold.

      vintage 2014

    91 Points

    Aromas of underbrush, truffle, dark-skinned berry and tobacco lead the nose of this elegantly structured red. The taut, vibrant palate offers Marasca cherry, cranberry, orange zest and licorice framed by racy acidity and fine-grained tannins. Drink 2020–2026.

      vintage 2013

    17+ Points

    Maturing concentrated ruby with orange tinges. Youthful and herbal on the nose. Still compact and with gorgeous juicy cherry fruit and muscular tannins. Delicious now but will improve. Has plenty of structure and fruit for that. (WS) Drink 2018-2026

      vintage 2013

    91 Points

    Tobacco, underbrush and new leather aromas come together on the nose. The fullbodied palate offers dried black cherry, star anise, clove and a hint of espresso alongside taut, fine-grained tannins. Drink after 2023.

      vintage 2012

    93 Points

    Ripe plum, tobacco, dark spice and balsamic aromas adorn this invigorating red. Firm and full-bodied, the palate delivers wild cherry, crushed raspberry, star anise and grilled herb flavors with a backbone of youthful, bracing tannins. It's already tempting but give it time to fully come around. 

      vintage 2012

    17 Points

    Subtle, earthy cherry on the nose. Very backward yet elegant and almost lithe on the palate. Perfect balance, very poised and yet with a muscular structure. Drink 2019-2030

      vintage 2011

    93 Points

    A red with plum, meat, cedar and sandalwood character on the nose and palate. Full-bodied, tight and structured. Racy finish. Refined at the end for a 2011.

      vintage 2011

    94 Points

    A dark, powerful wine, the 2011 Brunello di Montalcino offers notable depth and intensity. Il Poggione's 2011 is one of the richest, most powerful wines of the year. Black cherry, plum, lavender, cloves and new leather are some of the first nuances that open up. With time in the glass, the 2011 becomes more lifted, as brighter red cherry and raspberry-infused flavors gradually release. This is a rare 2011 that demands at least a good few years in the cellar. In 2011, Il Poggione did not bottle a Riserva. All the juice went into the straight Brunello.

      vintage 2010

    N° 4 - TOP 100 WINES OF THE WORLD

      vintage 2010

    94+ Points

    Il Poggione's 2010 Brunello di Montalcino is a remarkably beautiful wine. Rose petal, mint, cinnamon, sweet dark cherries and smoke lift from the glass in a translucent, wiry Brunello built on energy and power. This is an especially lifted, precise and nuanced Brunello from Il Poggione, with more emphasis on length and mid-weight structure rather than overt volume. In many ways, the 2010 comes across as a modern-day version of the 1982 Riserva. Readers who have tasted that wine know just how special that is. For the money, there is not a single better wine being made in Montalcino than Il Poggione's Brunello. Truth is, it is also better than many far more expensive offerings. There are two Brunellos I would buy confidently in any vintage. This is one of them. Drinking window: 2018 – 2030

      vintage 2010

    93 Points

    Lots of sliced mushroom and berry character. Lots of flowers such as lilacs and violets. Full body, firm tannins and a fresh and clean finish. It's harmonious and beautiful. Drink or hold.

      vintage 2010

    17.5 Points

    Concentrated ruby with orange tinges. Just a tiny bit dusty and reductive on the nose and what looks like a hint of oak. Succulent fresh fruit with a proper bite of tannins on the finish. Seductive and juicy and already hard to resist.

      vintage 2016

    97 points

    I’m not sure how Il Poggione manages to remain one of the largest producers of Brunello, maintaining such a high level of quality and turning out some of the best wines of the vintage year after year - but they do. The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino is yet another stunning example. Depths of mineral-encased black cherries, sage, allspice, licorice, tobacco and crushed violets lift up from the glass. It’s seamlessly silky, even as the palate is peppered with tart red and black berries, nervous acids and savory exotic spices. This shows the density and weight of the vintage in a youthfully monolithic stance, yet with all the necessary components to maintain perfect balance. The 2016 Il Poggione seems to fold in upon itself through the finish, which is dark, mysterious and structured, with only hints of black tea and licorice to tempt the imagination. It’s a classic in the making.

      vintage 2016

    95 points

    The Il Poggione 2016 Brunello di Montalcino opens to a medium dark appearance with pretty Sangiovese shine and a little ruby sparkle. This vintage shows a slightly untamed or wild side with a dense and heavier fruit profile. The focus here is on blackberry, dried cherry, tobacco and even a touch of smoky tobacco or horse saddle. The wine shows the firm grip and tannic backbone that is a common trait in this vintage, especially with the vineyards on this southern, sunlit side of the appellation. I also get a considerable flash of acidity on the close, almost too much, that certainly needs a few more years to soften. You really need to wait with this one.

      vintage 2016

    94 points

    A red with blackberry, cherry, some walnut and chocolate, as well as mahogany. Tea, too. It’s full-bodied and firm-tannined with beautiful length and depth. Linear and very fine. Drink after 2024.

      vintage 2017

    94+/100

    The 2017 Brunello di Montalcino opens to a saturated and shiny dark ruby color. This edition is loaded with black and purple fruits, such as blackberry preserves and plum. Those more robust tones are followed by spice, tar and campfire ash. The tannins are young (but not stemmy or bitter), and you'd be best served by letting this wine age and relax with more cellar aging. Il Poggione always makes some of the smoothest and most texturally enriched wines in the appellation, and this vintage is no exception.

      vintage 2017

    93/100

    Masses of ashen earth, smoke, dusty cherry and roses with nuances of clove lift up from the 2017 Brunello di Montalcino. This is silky and pliant upon entry, presenting a rich display of intense red and hints of black fruits laced with chalky minerals that drenches the palate. Penetrating acidity and grippy tannins create a burst of cheek-puckering tension, clenching down hard with youthful poise, as notes of licorice and hard red candies linger through the structured, medium-length finale. There are some moments where the 2017 reminds you that it comes from an incredibly hot and dry vintage, yet overall, it’s a huge success for the year. That said, it needs time to unwind from its youthful state. Production was down 15–20% at Il Poggione in 2017 due to severe selection of bunches, and all of the fruit that would have been reserved for the Riserva Vigna Paganelli was added to the Brunello instead.

      vintage 2017

    17/20

    Lustrous deep ruby. Firm, deep cherry fruit on the nose and with an undertow of savoury spice. Lots of perfumed sour-cherry fruit on the palate and with bags of firm, but polished tannins on the finish. A bit austere right now, but with great length as well as potential.

      vintage 2017

    91/100

    Il Poggione started harvesting Brunello grapes on 1 September based on desired sugar and acidity levels. To curtail unripe tannins, winemaker Fabrizio Bindocci removed a small percentage of seeds at the beginning of fermentation, particularly from the earliest picked plots. The resulting wine is a heady mix of allspice, leather and prune plums. There is ample concentration on the palate and a zesty citrus note lends freshness. It's grippy but overall balanced, with just a touch of astringency nudging through. I’d give this another year to come together. Drinking window: 2023-2028

      vintage 2017

    91/100

    Blackberry, blueberry, stone and floral aromas. Hints of cedar, too. Full-bodied and chewy with polish and focus. Dried berries and hints of meat. This shows the ripeness of the grapes. Chewy at the end. Needs time to soften. Better after 2023.

      vintage 2017

    93/100

    Sweet, ripe cherry, blackberry and plum fruit flavors are framed by mineral, tobacco and thyme accents in this vibrant, balanced red. Make no mistake, there are ample tannins too, yet this still finds a nice equilibrium on the lingering finish. Best from 2024 through 2040.

      vintage 2019

    96/100

    The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino pulls the taster close to the glass with its dark and earthy blend of crushed ashen stones, giving way to rosemary, cedar, exotic spice and a core of raspberry preserves. Enveloping and serene, this flows across the palate like pure silk, steadily building in tension as tart wild berries and orange hints give way to a sweet herbal thrust. The 2019 finishes with tremendous length and is classically structured, as crunchy tannins resonate and violet inner florals slowly fade over a tactile coating of minerality. Il Poggione has captured the radiance of the vintage, yet this is just a baby today.

      vintage 2019

    17,5

    Dark, youthful ruby. Very closed and brooding with only hints of perfumed raspberry, tea leaves and oak. Generous and composed at the same time on the palate. A layer of suave cherry and raspberry fruit lined with quite powerful tannins that demand more time. Carries its 15% with ease. Closes up on the finish and in need of more time.

      vintage 2019

    94/100

    The Il Poggione 2019 Brunello di Montalcino shows an evolved bouquet with aromas of dried fruit, forest floor, crushed flower and autumnal leaf. On a second nose, you get dark licorice, wet slate, cola and grilled rosemary. The tannins are powdery and dry.

    Brunello is the prince of Montalcino wines, produced exclusively from Sangiovese grapes picked by hand from the oldest vines in the farm.

    After a careful fermentation at controlled temperature, Tenuta Il Poggione Brunello di Montalcino is aged in French oak barrels.

    After being aged in wood, the wine is bottle aged: this is an essential process in guaranteeing the pleasantness and the complexity that have made the Brunello di Montalcino world-famous.

    Wine

    Brunello di Montalcino

    Varietal

    100% Sangiovese

    Vintage

    2015

    Alcohol

    14,50%

    Source

    The winery's oldest vineyards, planted between 150 and 450 metres (490 - 1475 ft) above sea level.

    Vine training system

    Cordon spur and "doppio capovolto".

    Harvest

    By hand

    Vinification

    "Submerged cap" fermentation in stainless steel tanks with indigenous yeasts at a controlled temperature 25/28 °C (77/82 F). Malolactic fermentation in stainless steel.

    Aging

    Long aging in French oak barrels followed by bottle aging.

    Tasting Notes

    Ruby red in colour, with a very intense, persistent nose and with red fruit notes. Warm, balanced flavour with velvet-smooth tannins. Long-lasting aroma.

    Food Pairings

    Red meats, game, mature cheeses.

      vintage 2012

    01/03/2017

    95+

    Il Poggione is a Brunello superstar and a vintage like this reveals every reason why that affirmation is true. From the second the 2012 Brunello di Montalcino pours into the glass, you know you are in for something special. The wine is darkly saturated and rich in appearance. Absent are those slightly amber or browning hues you often get with Sangiovese in a hot vintage. Nor does the wine show flat or tired characteristics. Instead, the quality of fruit is vibrant and rich. This is a healthy, generous and exuberant Brunello with dark density and succulent fruit flavors that are followed by integrated spice and tobacco. The balance is impressive and one thing you get here is fresh acidity. This is not to be underestimated, because the acidity quota in the 2012 vintage across the appellation is not as high or evident as usual. This is one of the year's best Brunellos.

      vintage 2011

    01/04/2016

    95/100

    Il Poggione has done a terrific job with its 2011 Brunello di Montalcino. The wine is soft, yielding and charged with a velvety and smooth texture. It is deeply redolent of dark berry, black cherry, spice, leather and tobacco. The wine's sunny personality never feels flat or too dense. In fact, the wine offers a very tight and steely backbone that gives the wine stature and strength. This is one of my favorite Brunellos from the 2011 vintage. James Suckling – 93 Points A red with plum, meat, cedar and sandalwood character on the nose and palate. Full-bodied, tight and structured. Racy finish. Refined at the end for a 2011. Antonio Galloni - 94 Points A dark, powerful wine, the 2011 Brunello di Montalcino offers notable depth and intensity. Il Poggione's 2011 is one of the richest, most powerful wines of the year. Black cherry, plum, lavender, cloves and new leather are some of the first nuances that open up. With time in the glass, the 2011 becomes more lifted, as brighter red cherry and raspberry-infused flavors gradually release. This is a rare 2011 that demands at least a good few years in the cellar. In 2011, Il Poggione did not bottle a Riserva. All the juice went into the straight Brunello.

    Robert Parker

      vintage 2011

    04/05/2016

    91/100

    A beefy style, evoking plum, leather, tobacco and earth flavors, backed by dense, dusty tannins. Starts out juicy before the gruff finish takes over. Fresh and long. Best from 2018 through 2027. B.S.

      vintage 2011

    06/05/2016

    96/100

    The 2011 Il Poggione is an absolutely striking Brunello. Elegant and classy with aromas of fresh red fruits, floral, minerals and touch of spice all coming together in the gorgeous wine. This displays remarkable overall balance, depth and focus with a beautiful silky texture and wonderful finesse as it leads up to the long, expansive finish. A simply incredible showing from Il Poggione in 2011.
    Best 2018-2032

      vintage 2012

    15/12/2016

    93/100

    Walnuts and cedar with plums and hints of milk chocolate. Always subtle. Medium body, a solid core of fruit and medium-chewy tannins. Center palate of cherry fruit. Give it a year or two to soften. 

      vintage 2014

    20/02/2019

    94/100

    Il Poggione has one of the appellation's most enviable track records for quality and cellar longevity. The 2014 Brunello di Montalcino is a different beast. This wine prizes elegance, finesse and a compact mouthfeel. I would suggest a slightly shorter drinking window of approximately ten years. No matter how you cut it, the wine is absolutely beautiful and indeed ranks high on a list of favorite wines from the vintage. The bouquet is chiseled and tight with wild blueberry, plum, red rose and a touch of cherry confit. No doubt the mouthfeel is thinner in this vintage, but the wine has plenty more going on to keep your attention. I'm liking it. I went back to the bottle a few days after it had been opened and the wine was still going strong.

     

      vintage 2013

    96/100

    The 2013 Brunello di Montalcino lives up to the impeccable reputation garnered by this estate over the years. This is a profound and beautifully rendered Sangiovese that delivers bold and luscious fruit quality with black cherry and spicy plum at the start. The bouquet follows through with mild oak notes of smoke, tar and toasted nut. There is another aromatic component that includes crushed stone and dried herb or mint. This Brunello shows elegant evolution in the glass and promises a very long aging future ahead. Some 200,000 bottles were made, so it should be easy to locate this excellent wine.

      vintage 2013

    95/100

    Bright red. Pure, refined red cherry and wild strawberry aromas and flavors complicated by sweet spices and aromatic herbs. Deep and multilayered, the wine boasts polished tannins and a harmonious acid spine that lifts and extends the red fruit on the long, suave finish. An essence of Sant’Angelo in Colle with bigger body and palate weight than, for example, the Brunellos of Montosoli, but still sleek and refined as the best wines of Sant’Angelo in Colle can be. The cool-climate-styled 2013 vintage is precisely the type of year in which Il Poggione excels: this lovely, focused wine is the best classico Brunello from Il Poggione in years. Superb.

     

      vintage 2013

    93/100

    This red strikes a nice balance between plum and cherry fruit and beefy tannins, featuring elements of leather, tobacco, earth and iron. Balanced and long, with a gripping finish. Best from 2022 through 2035.

      vintage 2013

    92/100

    A Brunello with tile and berry character. Medium body, firm and silky tannins and a flavorful finish. A little tight now. Better in 2019.

      vintage 2010

    98 points

    The 2010 Brunello di Montalcino is a striking wine that shows uncompromising varietal pureness, albeit in a most concentrated and elaborate form. This is what great Sangiovese is all about. There's so much happening on the nose and the wine brings you to cherry, spice, licorice, cured meat, pressed rose and grilled meat in equal measure. No one element overpowers the next. The mouthfeel is also tight and bright with the kind of fruit intensity that promises long cellar aging. This Brunello is only at the beginning of a long road ahead. The longer the wine stays in the glass, the more it offers in terms of complexity and intensity. This is a true standout that can be enjoyed for up to 20 years ahead. 

    Fabrizio Bindocci and his son Alessandro are the most accomplished father-son winemaking team I can think of today in Italy. Il Poggione is owned by Leopoldo and Livia Franceschi, but the phenomenal Bindocci duo are very much in the limelight. They excel in every aspect of winemaking, from vineyard management to wine marketing. Never have I encountered a Il Poggione Brunello as beautiful as the one released this year. This is one of the highest expression of Sangiovese you will ever taste.

      vintage 2010

    95 points

    Rich, with excellent density, ripe cherry and plum fruit, and a well-integrated structure. Licorice, earth and tobacco notes add depth while this cruises to a long, tobacco and mineral-tinged finish. Shows balance and grip. Best from 2018 through 2033

      vintage 2015

    97 points

    The Il Poggione 2015 Brunello di Montalcino shows a darker and more concentrated appearance than many of its peers. The wine is beautifully abundant and fragrant in the most exuberant and expressive manner. You will recognize aromas of moist soil, tobacco and smoke. Candied cherry hovers over the entire bouquet. Fruit is sourced from older vines (all over 25 years old). Il Poggione occupies a special spot within the Montalcino appellation, and the area always produces slightly more concentrated and powerful wines. I find that to be particularly true in this gorgeous 2015 vintage. I am also very attracted to that almost dusty note of crushed mineral that rides long on the full-bodied finish. Il Poggione's Brunello is also distinguished by firm, youthful tannin that need a few more years to unwind.

     

      vintage 2015

    96 points

    So many sour cherries rise up from the glass, along with orange rind and lemon peel. The full-bodied palate has a very serious and concentrated core of florals and fruit, and the tannins have an iron-fisted, strapping build. Long, chewy and structured. One of the best in years from here.

      vintage 2015

    95 Points

    Wild herb and Mediterranean macchia notes mark this expressive red. Though well-endowed with tannins, this is on the sleek side, showing vibrant acidity. Cherry, strawberry, floral and tobacco flavors join the party, as this cruises to a long finish. Best from 2023 to 2042.

      vintage 2015

    97 Points

    Il Poggione 2015 Brunello di Montalcino offers up a dark, earthy, almost animal-like expression, showing black soil and undergrowth, giving way to crushed black cherry, dusty spice, and dried florals which lift the experience. On the palate, soft, fleshy textures usher in fresh cherry and strawberry, as brisk acids add energy, with savory herbs and minerals saturating, as the 2015 Il Poggione’s fruit nearly masks its structural core. The finish is long yet fresh, with classic, fine tannins, dried red fruits and pretty inner floral tones lingering throughout this perfectly balanced expression. The 2015 s pure class and built for the cellar.

    With over 300 acres planted to vine, Il Poggione remains one of Montalcino’s largest producers of Brunello, and yet they continue to maintain a level of quality that is unparalleled through much of the region. Located in the warm, yet well-ventilated micro-climate of Sant'Angelo in Colle, in the southeast of Montalcino, Il Poggione Brunello displays elegance, depth, classic structure and Sangiovese purity - all while remaining a remarkable value. In the winery, Fabrizio Bindocci adheres to a progressive approach, blending tradition with innovation. His practice of completing fermentation using submerged-cap, is something you’d expect to see more in Barolo than Montalcino. From there the Brunello is refined for three years in 30-50-hectoliter casks (all neutral wood, of course) before resting in bottle one year prior to release. Finding another Brunello in this price-point that is as long-lived, true to place and coloring within classic lines, isn’t easy. (Eric Guido)

      vintage 2015

    17,5 Points

    Lustrous mid ruby. Lots of concentrated, sweet fruit on the nose. Fantastic chewy tannins and energetic, juicy fruit deliver tactile fireworks on the palate.

      vintage 2015

    94 Points

    True to its balmy southern origins, it demonstrates immense concentration and ripeness, yet it remains balanced in its considerable proportions. Luxuriously textured fruit is firmly girdled by powerful, chewy tannins and there is no sacrifice of flavour either - iodine, earth, leather, sweet tobacco and dried thyme are woven throughout. The sapid finish lingers leisurely. Drinking Window 2022 – 2034

      vintage 2015

    94 Points

      vintage 2014

    92 Points

    This is smooth and caressing, wrapped around cherry, plum, loam, tobacco and cumin flavors. Hefty tannins line the finish, but all the elements are in the right proportion. Features a fine, complex finish. Best from 2021 through 2035.

      vintage 2014

    91 Points

    A riper style with plenty of dried red cherries and plums, as well as woody spice notes. The palate is quite fleshy with an open-knit thread of blue plums and darker cherries. Drink or hold.

      vintage 2014

    91 Points

    Aromas of underbrush, truffle, dark-skinned berry and tobacco lead the nose of this elegantly structured red. The taut, vibrant palate offers Marasca cherry, cranberry, orange zest and licorice framed by racy acidity and fine-grained tannins. Drink 2020–2026.

      vintage 2013

    17+ Points

    Maturing concentrated ruby with orange tinges. Youthful and herbal on the nose. Still compact and with gorgeous juicy cherry fruit and muscular tannins. Delicious now but will improve. Has plenty of structure and fruit for that. (WS) Drink 2018-2026

      vintage 2013

    91 Points

    Tobacco, underbrush and new leather aromas come together on the nose. The fullbodied palate offers dried black cherry, star anise, clove and a hint of espresso alongside taut, fine-grained tannins. Drink after 2023.

      vintage 2012

    93 Points

    Ripe plum, tobacco, dark spice and balsamic aromas adorn this invigorating red. Firm and full-bodied, the palate delivers wild cherry, crushed raspberry, star anise and grilled herb flavors with a backbone of youthful, bracing tannins. It's already tempting but give it time to fully come around. 

      vintage 2012

    17 Points

    Subtle, earthy cherry on the nose. Very backward yet elegant and almost lithe on the palate. Perfect balance, very poised and yet with a muscular structure. Drink 2019-2030

      vintage 2011

    93 Points

    A red with plum, meat, cedar and sandalwood character on the nose and palate. Full-bodied, tight and structured. Racy finish. Refined at the end for a 2011.

      vintage 2011

    94 Points

    A dark, powerful wine, the 2011 Brunello di Montalcino offers notable depth and intensity. Il Poggione's 2011 is one of the richest, most powerful wines of the year. Black cherry, plum, lavender, cloves and new leather are some of the first nuances that open up. With time in the glass, the 2011 becomes more lifted, as brighter red cherry and raspberry-infused flavors gradually release. This is a rare 2011 that demands at least a good few years in the cellar. In 2011, Il Poggione did not bottle a Riserva. All the juice went into the straight Brunello.

      vintage 2010

    N° 4 - TOP 100 WINES OF THE WORLD

      vintage 2010

    94+ Points

    Il Poggione's 2010 Brunello di Montalcino is a remarkably beautiful wine. Rose petal, mint, cinnamon, sweet dark cherries and smoke lift from the glass in a translucent, wiry Brunello built on energy and power. This is an especially lifted, precise and nuanced Brunello from Il Poggione, with more emphasis on length and mid-weight structure rather than overt volume. In many ways, the 2010 comes across as a modern-day version of the 1982 Riserva. Readers who have tasted that wine know just how special that is. For the money, there is not a single better wine being made in Montalcino than Il Poggione's Brunello. Truth is, it is also better than many far more expensive offerings. There are two Brunellos I would buy confidently in any vintage. This is one of them. Drinking window: 2018 – 2030

      vintage 2010

    93 Points

    Lots of sliced mushroom and berry character. Lots of flowers such as lilacs and violets. Full body, firm tannins and a fresh and clean finish. It's harmonious and beautiful. Drink or hold.

      vintage 2010

    17.5 Points

    Concentrated ruby with orange tinges. Just a tiny bit dusty and reductive on the nose and what looks like a hint of oak. Succulent fresh fruit with a proper bite of tannins on the finish. Seductive and juicy and already hard to resist.

      vintage 2016

    97 points

    I’m not sure how Il Poggione manages to remain one of the largest producers of Brunello, maintaining such a high level of quality and turning out some of the best wines of the vintage year after year - but they do. The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino is yet another stunning example. Depths of mineral-encased black cherries, sage, allspice, licorice, tobacco and crushed violets lift up from the glass. It’s seamlessly silky, even as the palate is peppered with tart red and black berries, nervous acids and savory exotic spices. This shows the density and weight of the vintage in a youthfully monolithic stance, yet with all the necessary components to maintain perfect balance. The 2016 Il Poggione seems to fold in upon itself through the finish, which is dark, mysterious and structured, with only hints of black tea and licorice to tempt the imagination. It’s a classic in the making.

      vintage 2016

    95 points

    The Il Poggione 2016 Brunello di Montalcino opens to a medium dark appearance with pretty Sangiovese shine and a little ruby sparkle. This vintage shows a slightly untamed or wild side with a dense and heavier fruit profile. The focus here is on blackberry, dried cherry, tobacco and even a touch of smoky tobacco or horse saddle. The wine shows the firm grip and tannic backbone that is a common trait in this vintage, especially with the vineyards on this southern, sunlit side of the appellation. I also get a considerable flash of acidity on the close, almost too much, that certainly needs a few more years to soften. You really need to wait with this one.

      vintage 2016

    94 points

    A red with blackberry, cherry, some walnut and chocolate, as well as mahogany. Tea, too. It’s full-bodied and firm-tannined with beautiful length and depth. Linear and very fine. Drink after 2024.

      vintage 2017

    94+/100

    The 2017 Brunello di Montalcino opens to a saturated and shiny dark ruby color. This edition is loaded with black and purple fruits, such as blackberry preserves and plum. Those more robust tones are followed by spice, tar and campfire ash. The tannins are young (but not stemmy or bitter), and you'd be best served by letting this wine age and relax with more cellar aging. Il Poggione always makes some of the smoothest and most texturally enriched wines in the appellation, and this vintage is no exception.

      vintage 2017

    93/100

    Masses of ashen earth, smoke, dusty cherry and roses with nuances of clove lift up from the 2017 Brunello di Montalcino. This is silky and pliant upon entry, presenting a rich display of intense red and hints of black fruits laced with chalky minerals that drenches the palate. Penetrating acidity and grippy tannins create a burst of cheek-puckering tension, clenching down hard with youthful poise, as notes of licorice and hard red candies linger through the structured, medium-length finale. There are some moments where the 2017 reminds you that it comes from an incredibly hot and dry vintage, yet overall, it’s a huge success for the year. That said, it needs time to unwind from its youthful state. Production was down 15–20% at Il Poggione in 2017 due to severe selection of bunches, and all of the fruit that would have been reserved for the Riserva Vigna Paganelli was added to the Brunello instead.

      vintage 2017

    17/20

    Lustrous deep ruby. Firm, deep cherry fruit on the nose and with an undertow of savoury spice. Lots of perfumed sour-cherry fruit on the palate and with bags of firm, but polished tannins on the finish. A bit austere right now, but with great length as well as potential.

      vintage 2017

    91/100

    Il Poggione started harvesting Brunello grapes on 1 September based on desired sugar and acidity levels. To curtail unripe tannins, winemaker Fabrizio Bindocci removed a small percentage of seeds at the beginning of fermentation, particularly from the earliest picked plots. The resulting wine is a heady mix of allspice, leather and prune plums. There is ample concentration on the palate and a zesty citrus note lends freshness. It's grippy but overall balanced, with just a touch of astringency nudging through. I’d give this another year to come together. Drinking window: 2023-2028

      vintage 2017

    91/100

    Blackberry, blueberry, stone and floral aromas. Hints of cedar, too. Full-bodied and chewy with polish and focus. Dried berries and hints of meat. This shows the ripeness of the grapes. Chewy at the end. Needs time to soften. Better after 2023.

      vintage 2017

    93/100

    Sweet, ripe cherry, blackberry and plum fruit flavors are framed by mineral, tobacco and thyme accents in this vibrant, balanced red. Make no mistake, there are ample tannins too, yet this still finds a nice equilibrium on the lingering finish. Best from 2024 through 2040.

      vintage 2019

    96/100

    The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino pulls the taster close to the glass with its dark and earthy blend of crushed ashen stones, giving way to rosemary, cedar, exotic spice and a core of raspberry preserves. Enveloping and serene, this flows across the palate like pure silk, steadily building in tension as tart wild berries and orange hints give way to a sweet herbal thrust. The 2019 finishes with tremendous length and is classically structured, as crunchy tannins resonate and violet inner florals slowly fade over a tactile coating of minerality. Il Poggione has captured the radiance of the vintage, yet this is just a baby today.

      vintage 2019

    17,5

    Dark, youthful ruby. Very closed and brooding with only hints of perfumed raspberry, tea leaves and oak. Generous and composed at the same time on the palate. A layer of suave cherry and raspberry fruit lined with quite powerful tannins that demand more time. Carries its 15% with ease. Closes up on the finish and in need of more time.

      vintage 2019

    94/100

    The Il Poggione 2019 Brunello di Montalcino shows an evolved bouquet with aromas of dried fruit, forest floor, crushed flower and autumnal leaf. On a second nose, you get dark licorice, wet slate, cola and grilled rosemary. The tannins are powdery and dry.

    Brunello is the prince of Montalcino wines, produced exclusively from Sangiovese grapes picked by hand from the oldest vines in the farm.

    After a careful fermentation at controlled temperature, Tenuta Il Poggione Brunello di Montalcino is aged in French oak barrels.

    After being aged in wood, the wine is bottle aged: this is an essential process in guaranteeing the pleasantness and the complexity that have made the Brunello di Montalcino world-famous.

    Wine

    Brunello di Montalcino

    Varietal

    100% Sangiovese

    Vintage

    2014

    Alcohol

    14,50%

    Source

    The winery's oldest vineyards, planted between 150 and 450 metres (490 - 1475 ft) above sea level.

    Vine training system

    Cordon spur and "doppio capovolto".

    Harvest

    By hand

    Vinification

    "Submerged cap" fermentation in stainless steel tanks with indigenous yeasts at a controlled temperature 25/28 °C (77/82 F). Malolactic fermentation in stainless steel.

    Aging

    Long aging in French oak barrels followed by bottle aging.

    Tasting Notes

    Ruby red in colour, with a very intense, persistent nose and with red fruit notes. Warm, balanced flavour with velvet-smooth tannins. Long-lasting aroma.

    Food Pairings

    Red meats, game, mature cheeses.

      vintage 2012

    01/03/2017

    95+

    Il Poggione is a Brunello superstar and a vintage like this reveals every reason why that affirmation is true. From the second the 2012 Brunello di Montalcino pours into the glass, you know you are in for something special. The wine is darkly saturated and rich in appearance. Absent are those slightly amber or browning hues you often get with Sangiovese in a hot vintage. Nor does the wine show flat or tired characteristics. Instead, the quality of fruit is vibrant and rich. This is a healthy, generous and exuberant Brunello with dark density and succulent fruit flavors that are followed by integrated spice and tobacco. The balance is impressive and one thing you get here is fresh acidity. This is not to be underestimated, because the acidity quota in the 2012 vintage across the appellation is not as high or evident as usual. This is one of the year's best Brunellos.

      vintage 2011

    01/04/2016

    95/100

    Il Poggione has done a terrific job with its 2011 Brunello di Montalcino. The wine is soft, yielding and charged with a velvety and smooth texture. It is deeply redolent of dark berry, black cherry, spice, leather and tobacco. The wine's sunny personality never feels flat or too dense. In fact, the wine offers a very tight and steely backbone that gives the wine stature and strength. This is one of my favorite Brunellos from the 2011 vintage. James Suckling – 93 Points A red with plum, meat, cedar and sandalwood character on the nose and palate. Full-bodied, tight and structured. Racy finish. Refined at the end for a 2011. Antonio Galloni - 94 Points A dark, powerful wine, the 2011 Brunello di Montalcino offers notable depth and intensity. Il Poggione's 2011 is one of the richest, most powerful wines of the year. Black cherry, plum, lavender, cloves and new leather are some of the first nuances that open up. With time in the glass, the 2011 becomes more lifted, as brighter red cherry and raspberry-infused flavors gradually release. This is a rare 2011 that demands at least a good few years in the cellar. In 2011, Il Poggione did not bottle a Riserva. All the juice went into the straight Brunello.

    Robert Parker

      vintage 2011

    04/05/2016

    91/100

    A beefy style, evoking plum, leather, tobacco and earth flavors, backed by dense, dusty tannins. Starts out juicy before the gruff finish takes over. Fresh and long. Best from 2018 through 2027. B.S.

      vintage 2011

    06/05/2016

    96/100

    The 2011 Il Poggione is an absolutely striking Brunello. Elegant and classy with aromas of fresh red fruits, floral, minerals and touch of spice all coming together in the gorgeous wine. This displays remarkable overall balance, depth and focus with a beautiful silky texture and wonderful finesse as it leads up to the long, expansive finish. A simply incredible showing from Il Poggione in 2011.
    Best 2018-2032

      vintage 2012

    15/12/2016

    93/100

    Walnuts and cedar with plums and hints of milk chocolate. Always subtle. Medium body, a solid core of fruit and medium-chewy tannins. Center palate of cherry fruit. Give it a year or two to soften. 

      vintage 2014

    20/02/2019

    94/100

    Il Poggione has one of the appellation's most enviable track records for quality and cellar longevity. The 2014 Brunello di Montalcino is a different beast. This wine prizes elegance, finesse and a compact mouthfeel. I would suggest a slightly shorter drinking window of approximately ten years. No matter how you cut it, the wine is absolutely beautiful and indeed ranks high on a list of favorite wines from the vintage. The bouquet is chiseled and tight with wild blueberry, plum, red rose and a touch of cherry confit. No doubt the mouthfeel is thinner in this vintage, but the wine has plenty more going on to keep your attention. I'm liking it. I went back to the bottle a few days after it had been opened and the wine was still going strong.

     

      vintage 2013

    96/100

    The 2013 Brunello di Montalcino lives up to the impeccable reputation garnered by this estate over the years. This is a profound and beautifully rendered Sangiovese that delivers bold and luscious fruit quality with black cherry and spicy plum at the start. The bouquet follows through with mild oak notes of smoke, tar and toasted nut. There is another aromatic component that includes crushed stone and dried herb or mint. This Brunello shows elegant evolution in the glass and promises a very long aging future ahead. Some 200,000 bottles were made, so it should be easy to locate this excellent wine.

      vintage 2013

    95/100

    Bright red. Pure, refined red cherry and wild strawberry aromas and flavors complicated by sweet spices and aromatic herbs. Deep and multilayered, the wine boasts polished tannins and a harmonious acid spine that lifts and extends the red fruit on the long, suave finish. An essence of Sant’Angelo in Colle with bigger body and palate weight than, for example, the Brunellos of Montosoli, but still sleek and refined as the best wines of Sant’Angelo in Colle can be. The cool-climate-styled 2013 vintage is precisely the type of year in which Il Poggione excels: this lovely, focused wine is the best classico Brunello from Il Poggione in years. Superb.

     

      vintage 2013

    93/100

    This red strikes a nice balance between plum and cherry fruit and beefy tannins, featuring elements of leather, tobacco, earth and iron. Balanced and long, with a gripping finish. Best from 2022 through 2035.

      vintage 2013

    92/100

    A Brunello with tile and berry character. Medium body, firm and silky tannins and a flavorful finish. A little tight now. Better in 2019.

      vintage 2010

    98 points

    The 2010 Brunello di Montalcino is a striking wine that shows uncompromising varietal pureness, albeit in a most concentrated and elaborate form. This is what great Sangiovese is all about. There's so much happening on the nose and the wine brings you to cherry, spice, licorice, cured meat, pressed rose and grilled meat in equal measure. No one element overpowers the next. The mouthfeel is also tight and bright with the kind of fruit intensity that promises long cellar aging. This Brunello is only at the beginning of a long road ahead. The longer the wine stays in the glass, the more it offers in terms of complexity and intensity. This is a true standout that can be enjoyed for up to 20 years ahead. 

    Fabrizio Bindocci and his son Alessandro are the most accomplished father-son winemaking team I can think of today in Italy. Il Poggione is owned by Leopoldo and Livia Franceschi, but the phenomenal Bindocci duo are very much in the limelight. They excel in every aspect of winemaking, from vineyard management to wine marketing. Never have I encountered a Il Poggione Brunello as beautiful as the one released this year. This is one of the highest expression of Sangiovese you will ever taste.

      vintage 2010

    95 points

    Rich, with excellent density, ripe cherry and plum fruit, and a well-integrated structure. Licorice, earth and tobacco notes add depth while this cruises to a long, tobacco and mineral-tinged finish. Shows balance and grip. Best from 2018 through 2033

      vintage 2015

    97 points

    The Il Poggione 2015 Brunello di Montalcino shows a darker and more concentrated appearance than many of its peers. The wine is beautifully abundant and fragrant in the most exuberant and expressive manner. You will recognize aromas of moist soil, tobacco and smoke. Candied cherry hovers over the entire bouquet. Fruit is sourced from older vines (all over 25 years old). Il Poggione occupies a special spot within the Montalcino appellation, and the area always produces slightly more concentrated and powerful wines. I find that to be particularly true in this gorgeous 2015 vintage. I am also very attracted to that almost dusty note of crushed mineral that rides long on the full-bodied finish. Il Poggione's Brunello is also distinguished by firm, youthful tannin that need a few more years to unwind.

     

      vintage 2015

    96 points

    So many sour cherries rise up from the glass, along with orange rind and lemon peel. The full-bodied palate has a very serious and concentrated core of florals and fruit, and the tannins have an iron-fisted, strapping build. Long, chewy and structured. One of the best in years from here.

      vintage 2015

    95 Points

    Wild herb and Mediterranean macchia notes mark this expressive red. Though well-endowed with tannins, this is on the sleek side, showing vibrant acidity. Cherry, strawberry, floral and tobacco flavors join the party, as this cruises to a long finish. Best from 2023 to 2042.

      vintage 2015

    97 Points

    Il Poggione 2015 Brunello di Montalcino offers up a dark, earthy, almost animal-like expression, showing black soil and undergrowth, giving way to crushed black cherry, dusty spice, and dried florals which lift the experience. On the palate, soft, fleshy textures usher in fresh cherry and strawberry, as brisk acids add energy, with savory herbs and minerals saturating, as the 2015 Il Poggione’s fruit nearly masks its structural core. The finish is long yet fresh, with classic, fine tannins, dried red fruits and pretty inner floral tones lingering throughout this perfectly balanced expression. The 2015 s pure class and built for the cellar.

    With over 300 acres planted to vine, Il Poggione remains one of Montalcino’s largest producers of Brunello, and yet they continue to maintain a level of quality that is unparalleled through much of the region. Located in the warm, yet well-ventilated micro-climate of Sant'Angelo in Colle, in the southeast of Montalcino, Il Poggione Brunello displays elegance, depth, classic structure and Sangiovese purity - all while remaining a remarkable value. In the winery, Fabrizio Bindocci adheres to a progressive approach, blending tradition with innovation. His practice of completing fermentation using submerged-cap, is something you’d expect to see more in Barolo than Montalcino. From there the Brunello is refined for three years in 30-50-hectoliter casks (all neutral wood, of course) before resting in bottle one year prior to release. Finding another Brunello in this price-point that is as long-lived, true to place and coloring within classic lines, isn’t easy. (Eric Guido)

      vintage 2015

    17,5 Points

    Lustrous mid ruby. Lots of concentrated, sweet fruit on the nose. Fantastic chewy tannins and energetic, juicy fruit deliver tactile fireworks on the palate.

      vintage 2015

    94 Points

    True to its balmy southern origins, it demonstrates immense concentration and ripeness, yet it remains balanced in its considerable proportions. Luxuriously textured fruit is firmly girdled by powerful, chewy tannins and there is no sacrifice of flavour either - iodine, earth, leather, sweet tobacco and dried thyme are woven throughout. The sapid finish lingers leisurely. Drinking Window 2022 – 2034

      vintage 2015

    94 Points

      vintage 2014

    92 Points

    This is smooth and caressing, wrapped around cherry, plum, loam, tobacco and cumin flavors. Hefty tannins line the finish, but all the elements are in the right proportion. Features a fine, complex finish. Best from 2021 through 2035.

      vintage 2014

    91 Points

    A riper style with plenty of dried red cherries and plums, as well as woody spice notes. The palate is quite fleshy with an open-knit thread of blue plums and darker cherries. Drink or hold.

      vintage 2014

    91 Points

    Aromas of underbrush, truffle, dark-skinned berry and tobacco lead the nose of this elegantly structured red. The taut, vibrant palate offers Marasca cherry, cranberry, orange zest and licorice framed by racy acidity and fine-grained tannins. Drink 2020–2026.

      vintage 2013

    17+ Points

    Maturing concentrated ruby with orange tinges. Youthful and herbal on the nose. Still compact and with gorgeous juicy cherry fruit and muscular tannins. Delicious now but will improve. Has plenty of structure and fruit for that. (WS) Drink 2018-2026

      vintage 2013

    91 Points

    Tobacco, underbrush and new leather aromas come together on the nose. The fullbodied palate offers dried black cherry, star anise, clove and a hint of espresso alongside taut, fine-grained tannins. Drink after 2023.

      vintage 2012

    93 Points

    Ripe plum, tobacco, dark spice and balsamic aromas adorn this invigorating red. Firm and full-bodied, the palate delivers wild cherry, crushed raspberry, star anise and grilled herb flavors with a backbone of youthful, bracing tannins. It's already tempting but give it time to fully come around. 

      vintage 2012

    17 Points

    Subtle, earthy cherry on the nose. Very backward yet elegant and almost lithe on the palate. Perfect balance, very poised and yet with a muscular structure. Drink 2019-2030

      vintage 2011

    93 Points

    A red with plum, meat, cedar and sandalwood character on the nose and palate. Full-bodied, tight and structured. Racy finish. Refined at the end for a 2011.

      vintage 2011

    94 Points

    A dark, powerful wine, the 2011 Brunello di Montalcino offers notable depth and intensity. Il Poggione's 2011 is one of the richest, most powerful wines of the year. Black cherry, plum, lavender, cloves and new leather are some of the first nuances that open up. With time in the glass, the 2011 becomes more lifted, as brighter red cherry and raspberry-infused flavors gradually release. This is a rare 2011 that demands at least a good few years in the cellar. In 2011, Il Poggione did not bottle a Riserva. All the juice went into the straight Brunello.

      vintage 2010

    N° 4 - TOP 100 WINES OF THE WORLD

      vintage 2010

    94+ Points

    Il Poggione's 2010 Brunello di Montalcino is a remarkably beautiful wine. Rose petal, mint, cinnamon, sweet dark cherries and smoke lift from the glass in a translucent, wiry Brunello built on energy and power. This is an especially lifted, precise and nuanced Brunello from Il Poggione, with more emphasis on length and mid-weight structure rather than overt volume. In many ways, the 2010 comes across as a modern-day version of the 1982 Riserva. Readers who have tasted that wine know just how special that is. For the money, there is not a single better wine being made in Montalcino than Il Poggione's Brunello. Truth is, it is also better than many far more expensive offerings. There are two Brunellos I would buy confidently in any vintage. This is one of them. Drinking window: 2018 – 2030

      vintage 2010

    93 Points

    Lots of sliced mushroom and berry character. Lots of flowers such as lilacs and violets. Full body, firm tannins and a fresh and clean finish. It's harmonious and beautiful. Drink or hold.

      vintage 2010

    17.5 Points

    Concentrated ruby with orange tinges. Just a tiny bit dusty and reductive on the nose and what looks like a hint of oak. Succulent fresh fruit with a proper bite of tannins on the finish. Seductive and juicy and already hard to resist.

      vintage 2016

    97 points

    I’m not sure how Il Poggione manages to remain one of the largest producers of Brunello, maintaining such a high level of quality and turning out some of the best wines of the vintage year after year - but they do. The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino is yet another stunning example. Depths of mineral-encased black cherries, sage, allspice, licorice, tobacco and crushed violets lift up from the glass. It’s seamlessly silky, even as the palate is peppered with tart red and black berries, nervous acids and savory exotic spices. This shows the density and weight of the vintage in a youthfully monolithic stance, yet with all the necessary components to maintain perfect balance. The 2016 Il Poggione seems to fold in upon itself through the finish, which is dark, mysterious and structured, with only hints of black tea and licorice to tempt the imagination. It’s a classic in the making.

      vintage 2016

    95 points

    The Il Poggione 2016 Brunello di Montalcino opens to a medium dark appearance with pretty Sangiovese shine and a little ruby sparkle. This vintage shows a slightly untamed or wild side with a dense and heavier fruit profile. The focus here is on blackberry, dried cherry, tobacco and even a touch of smoky tobacco or horse saddle. The wine shows the firm grip and tannic backbone that is a common trait in this vintage, especially with the vineyards on this southern, sunlit side of the appellation. I also get a considerable flash of acidity on the close, almost too much, that certainly needs a few more years to soften. You really need to wait with this one.

      vintage 2016

    94 points

    A red with blackberry, cherry, some walnut and chocolate, as well as mahogany. Tea, too. It’s full-bodied and firm-tannined with beautiful length and depth. Linear and very fine. Drink after 2024.

      vintage 2017

    94+/100

    The 2017 Brunello di Montalcino opens to a saturated and shiny dark ruby color. This edition is loaded with black and purple fruits, such as blackberry preserves and plum. Those more robust tones are followed by spice, tar and campfire ash. The tannins are young (but not stemmy or bitter), and you'd be best served by letting this wine age and relax with more cellar aging. Il Poggione always makes some of the smoothest and most texturally enriched wines in the appellation, and this vintage is no exception.

      vintage 2017

    93/100

    Masses of ashen earth, smoke, dusty cherry and roses with nuances of clove lift up from the 2017 Brunello di Montalcino. This is silky and pliant upon entry, presenting a rich display of intense red and hints of black fruits laced with chalky minerals that drenches the palate. Penetrating acidity and grippy tannins create a burst of cheek-puckering tension, clenching down hard with youthful poise, as notes of licorice and hard red candies linger through the structured, medium-length finale. There are some moments where the 2017 reminds you that it comes from an incredibly hot and dry vintage, yet overall, it’s a huge success for the year. That said, it needs time to unwind from its youthful state. Production was down 15–20% at Il Poggione in 2017 due to severe selection of bunches, and all of the fruit that would have been reserved for the Riserva Vigna Paganelli was added to the Brunello instead.

      vintage 2017

    17/20

    Lustrous deep ruby. Firm, deep cherry fruit on the nose and with an undertow of savoury spice. Lots of perfumed sour-cherry fruit on the palate and with bags of firm, but polished tannins on the finish. A bit austere right now, but with great length as well as potential.

      vintage 2017

    91/100

    Il Poggione started harvesting Brunello grapes on 1 September based on desired sugar and acidity levels. To curtail unripe tannins, winemaker Fabrizio Bindocci removed a small percentage of seeds at the beginning of fermentation, particularly from the earliest picked plots. The resulting wine is a heady mix of allspice, leather and prune plums. There is ample concentration on the palate and a zesty citrus note lends freshness. It's grippy but overall balanced, with just a touch of astringency nudging through. I’d give this another year to come together. Drinking window: 2023-2028

      vintage 2017

    91/100

    Blackberry, blueberry, stone and floral aromas. Hints of cedar, too. Full-bodied and chewy with polish and focus. Dried berries and hints of meat. This shows the ripeness of the grapes. Chewy at the end. Needs time to soften. Better after 2023.

      vintage 2017

    93/100

    Sweet, ripe cherry, blackberry and plum fruit flavors are framed by mineral, tobacco and thyme accents in this vibrant, balanced red. Make no mistake, there are ample tannins too, yet this still finds a nice equilibrium on the lingering finish. Best from 2024 through 2040.

      vintage 2019

    96/100

    The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino pulls the taster close to the glass with its dark and earthy blend of crushed ashen stones, giving way to rosemary, cedar, exotic spice and a core of raspberry preserves. Enveloping and serene, this flows across the palate like pure silk, steadily building in tension as tart wild berries and orange hints give way to a sweet herbal thrust. The 2019 finishes with tremendous length and is classically structured, as crunchy tannins resonate and violet inner florals slowly fade over a tactile coating of minerality. Il Poggione has captured the radiance of the vintage, yet this is just a baby today.

      vintage 2019

    17,5

    Dark, youthful ruby. Very closed and brooding with only hints of perfumed raspberry, tea leaves and oak. Generous and composed at the same time on the palate. A layer of suave cherry and raspberry fruit lined with quite powerful tannins that demand more time. Carries its 15% with ease. Closes up on the finish and in need of more time.

      vintage 2019

    94/100

    The Il Poggione 2019 Brunello di Montalcino shows an evolved bouquet with aromas of dried fruit, forest floor, crushed flower and autumnal leaf. On a second nose, you get dark licorice, wet slate, cola and grilled rosemary. The tannins are powdery and dry.

    Brunello is the prince of Montalcino wines, produced exclusively from Sangiovese grapes picked by hand from the oldest vines in the farm.

    After a careful fermentation at controlled temperature, Tenuta Il Poggione Brunello di Montalcino is aged in French oak barrels.

    After being aged in wood, the wine is bottle aged: this is an essential process in guaranteeing the pleasantness and the complexity that have made the Brunello di Montalcino world-famous.

    Wine

    Brunello di Montalcino

    Varietal

    100% Sangiovese

    Vintage

    2013

    Alcohol

    14,50%

    Source

    The winery's oldest vineyards, planted between 150 and 450 metres (490 - 1475 ft) above sea level.

    Vine training system

    Cordon spur and "doppio capovolto".

    Harvest

    By hand

    Vinification

    "Submerged cap" fermentation in stainless steel tanks with indigenous yeasts at a controlled temperature 25/28 °C (77/82 F). Malolactic fermentation in stainless steel.

    Aging

    Long aging in French oak barrels followed by bottle aging.

    Tasting Notes

    Ruby red in colour, with a very intense, persistent nose and with red fruit notes. Warm, balanced flavour with velvet-smooth tannins. Long-lasting aroma.

    Food Pairings

    Red meats, game, mature cheeses.

      vintage 2012

    01/03/2017

    95+

    Il Poggione is a Brunello superstar and a vintage like this reveals every reason why that affirmation is true. From the second the 2012 Brunello di Montalcino pours into the glass, you know you are in for something special. The wine is darkly saturated and rich in appearance. Absent are those slightly amber or browning hues you often get with Sangiovese in a hot vintage. Nor does the wine show flat or tired characteristics. Instead, the quality of fruit is vibrant and rich. This is a healthy, generous and exuberant Brunello with dark density and succulent fruit flavors that are followed by integrated spice and tobacco. The balance is impressive and one thing you get here is fresh acidity. This is not to be underestimated, because the acidity quota in the 2012 vintage across the appellation is not as high or evident as usual. This is one of the year's best Brunellos.

      vintage 2011

    01/04/2016

    95/100

    Il Poggione has done a terrific job with its 2011 Brunello di Montalcino. The wine is soft, yielding and charged with a velvety and smooth texture. It is deeply redolent of dark berry, black cherry, spice, leather and tobacco. The wine's sunny personality never feels flat or too dense. In fact, the wine offers a very tight and steely backbone that gives the wine stature and strength. This is one of my favorite Brunellos from the 2011 vintage. James Suckling – 93 Points A red with plum, meat, cedar and sandalwood character on the nose and palate. Full-bodied, tight and structured. Racy finish. Refined at the end for a 2011. Antonio Galloni - 94 Points A dark, powerful wine, the 2011 Brunello di Montalcino offers notable depth and intensity. Il Poggione's 2011 is one of the richest, most powerful wines of the year. Black cherry, plum, lavender, cloves and new leather are some of the first nuances that open up. With time in the glass, the 2011 becomes more lifted, as brighter red cherry and raspberry-infused flavors gradually release. This is a rare 2011 that demands at least a good few years in the cellar. In 2011, Il Poggione did not bottle a Riserva. All the juice went into the straight Brunello.

    Robert Parker

      vintage 2011

    04/05/2016

    91/100

    A beefy style, evoking plum, leather, tobacco and earth flavors, backed by dense, dusty tannins. Starts out juicy before the gruff finish takes over. Fresh and long. Best from 2018 through 2027. B.S.

      vintage 2011

    06/05/2016

    96/100

    The 2011 Il Poggione is an absolutely striking Brunello. Elegant and classy with aromas of fresh red fruits, floral, minerals and touch of spice all coming together in the gorgeous wine. This displays remarkable overall balance, depth and focus with a beautiful silky texture and wonderful finesse as it leads up to the long, expansive finish. A simply incredible showing from Il Poggione in 2011.
    Best 2018-2032

      vintage 2012

    15/12/2016

    93/100

    Walnuts and cedar with plums and hints of milk chocolate. Always subtle. Medium body, a solid core of fruit and medium-chewy tannins. Center palate of cherry fruit. Give it a year or two to soften. 

      vintage 2014

    20/02/2019

    94/100

    Il Poggione has one of the appellation's most enviable track records for quality and cellar longevity. The 2014 Brunello di Montalcino is a different beast. This wine prizes elegance, finesse and a compact mouthfeel. I would suggest a slightly shorter drinking window of approximately ten years. No matter how you cut it, the wine is absolutely beautiful and indeed ranks high on a list of favorite wines from the vintage. The bouquet is chiseled and tight with wild blueberry, plum, red rose and a touch of cherry confit. No doubt the mouthfeel is thinner in this vintage, but the wine has plenty more going on to keep your attention. I'm liking it. I went back to the bottle a few days after it had been opened and the wine was still going strong.

     

      vintage 2013

    96/100

    The 2013 Brunello di Montalcino lives up to the impeccable reputation garnered by this estate over the years. This is a profound and beautifully rendered Sangiovese that delivers bold and luscious fruit quality with black cherry and spicy plum at the start. The bouquet follows through with mild oak notes of smoke, tar and toasted nut. There is another aromatic component that includes crushed stone and dried herb or mint. This Brunello shows elegant evolution in the glass and promises a very long aging future ahead. Some 200,000 bottles were made, so it should be easy to locate this excellent wine.

      vintage 2013

    95/100

    Bright red. Pure, refined red cherry and wild strawberry aromas and flavors complicated by sweet spices and aromatic herbs. Deep and multilayered, the wine boasts polished tannins and a harmonious acid spine that lifts and extends the red fruit on the long, suave finish. An essence of Sant’Angelo in Colle with bigger body and palate weight than, for example, the Brunellos of Montosoli, but still sleek and refined as the best wines of Sant’Angelo in Colle can be. The cool-climate-styled 2013 vintage is precisely the type of year in which Il Poggione excels: this lovely, focused wine is the best classico Brunello from Il Poggione in years. Superb.

     

      vintage 2013

    93/100

    This red strikes a nice balance between plum and cherry fruit and beefy tannins, featuring elements of leather, tobacco, earth and iron. Balanced and long, with a gripping finish. Best from 2022 through 2035.

      vintage 2013

    92/100

    A Brunello with tile and berry character. Medium body, firm and silky tannins and a flavorful finish. A little tight now. Better in 2019.

      vintage 2010

    98 points

    The 2010 Brunello di Montalcino is a striking wine that shows uncompromising varietal pureness, albeit in a most concentrated and elaborate form. This is what great Sangiovese is all about. There's so much happening on the nose and the wine brings you to cherry, spice, licorice, cured meat, pressed rose and grilled meat in equal measure. No one element overpowers the next. The mouthfeel is also tight and bright with the kind of fruit intensity that promises long cellar aging. This Brunello is only at the beginning of a long road ahead. The longer the wine stays in the glass, the more it offers in terms of complexity and intensity. This is a true standout that can be enjoyed for up to 20 years ahead. 

    Fabrizio Bindocci and his son Alessandro are the most accomplished father-son winemaking team I can think of today in Italy. Il Poggione is owned by Leopoldo and Livia Franceschi, but the phenomenal Bindocci duo are very much in the limelight. They excel in every aspect of winemaking, from vineyard management to wine marketing. Never have I encountered a Il Poggione Brunello as beautiful as the one released this year. This is one of the highest expression of Sangiovese you will ever taste.

      vintage 2010

    95 points

    Rich, with excellent density, ripe cherry and plum fruit, and a well-integrated structure. Licorice, earth and tobacco notes add depth while this cruises to a long, tobacco and mineral-tinged finish. Shows balance and grip. Best from 2018 through 2033

      vintage 2015

    97 points

    The Il Poggione 2015 Brunello di Montalcino shows a darker and more concentrated appearance than many of its peers. The wine is beautifully abundant and fragrant in the most exuberant and expressive manner. You will recognize aromas of moist soil, tobacco and smoke. Candied cherry hovers over the entire bouquet. Fruit is sourced from older vines (all over 25 years old). Il Poggione occupies a special spot within the Montalcino appellation, and the area always produces slightly more concentrated and powerful wines. I find that to be particularly true in this gorgeous 2015 vintage. I am also very attracted to that almost dusty note of crushed mineral that rides long on the full-bodied finish. Il Poggione's Brunello is also distinguished by firm, youthful tannin that need a few more years to unwind.

     

      vintage 2015

    96 points

    So many sour cherries rise up from the glass, along with orange rind and lemon peel. The full-bodied palate has a very serious and concentrated core of florals and fruit, and the tannins have an iron-fisted, strapping build. Long, chewy and structured. One of the best in years from here.

      vintage 2015

    95 Points

    Wild herb and Mediterranean macchia notes mark this expressive red. Though well-endowed with tannins, this is on the sleek side, showing vibrant acidity. Cherry, strawberry, floral and tobacco flavors join the party, as this cruises to a long finish. Best from 2023 to 2042.

      vintage 2015

    97 Points

    Il Poggione 2015 Brunello di Montalcino offers up a dark, earthy, almost animal-like expression, showing black soil and undergrowth, giving way to crushed black cherry, dusty spice, and dried florals which lift the experience. On the palate, soft, fleshy textures usher in fresh cherry and strawberry, as brisk acids add energy, with savory herbs and minerals saturating, as the 2015 Il Poggione’s fruit nearly masks its structural core. The finish is long yet fresh, with classic, fine tannins, dried red fruits and pretty inner floral tones lingering throughout this perfectly balanced expression. The 2015 s pure class and built for the cellar.

    With over 300 acres planted to vine, Il Poggione remains one of Montalcino’s largest producers of Brunello, and yet they continue to maintain a level of quality that is unparalleled through much of the region. Located in the warm, yet well-ventilated micro-climate of Sant'Angelo in Colle, in the southeast of Montalcino, Il Poggione Brunello displays elegance, depth, classic structure and Sangiovese purity - all while remaining a remarkable value. In the winery, Fabrizio Bindocci adheres to a progressive approach, blending tradition with innovation. His practice of completing fermentation using submerged-cap, is something you’d expect to see more in Barolo than Montalcino. From there the Brunello is refined for three years in 30-50-hectoliter casks (all neutral wood, of course) before resting in bottle one year prior to release. Finding another Brunello in this price-point that is as long-lived, true to place and coloring within classic lines, isn’t easy. (Eric Guido)

      vintage 2015

    17,5 Points

    Lustrous mid ruby. Lots of concentrated, sweet fruit on the nose. Fantastic chewy tannins and energetic, juicy fruit deliver tactile fireworks on the palate.

      vintage 2015

    94 Points

    True to its balmy southern origins, it demonstrates immense concentration and ripeness, yet it remains balanced in its considerable proportions. Luxuriously textured fruit is firmly girdled by powerful, chewy tannins and there is no sacrifice of flavour either - iodine, earth, leather, sweet tobacco and dried thyme are woven throughout. The sapid finish lingers leisurely. Drinking Window 2022 – 2034

      vintage 2015

    94 Points

      vintage 2014

    92 Points

    This is smooth and caressing, wrapped around cherry, plum, loam, tobacco and cumin flavors. Hefty tannins line the finish, but all the elements are in the right proportion. Features a fine, complex finish. Best from 2021 through 2035.

      vintage 2014

    91 Points

    A riper style with plenty of dried red cherries and plums, as well as woody spice notes. The palate is quite fleshy with an open-knit thread of blue plums and darker cherries. Drink or hold.

      vintage 2014

    91 Points

    Aromas of underbrush, truffle, dark-skinned berry and tobacco lead the nose of this elegantly structured red. The taut, vibrant palate offers Marasca cherry, cranberry, orange zest and licorice framed by racy acidity and fine-grained tannins. Drink 2020–2026.

      vintage 2013

    17+ Points

    Maturing concentrated ruby with orange tinges. Youthful and herbal on the nose. Still compact and with gorgeous juicy cherry fruit and muscular tannins. Delicious now but will improve. Has plenty of structure and fruit for that. (WS) Drink 2018-2026

      vintage 2013

    91 Points

    Tobacco, underbrush and new leather aromas come together on the nose. The fullbodied palate offers dried black cherry, star anise, clove and a hint of espresso alongside taut, fine-grained tannins. Drink after 2023.

      vintage 2012

    93 Points

    Ripe plum, tobacco, dark spice and balsamic aromas adorn this invigorating red. Firm and full-bodied, the palate delivers wild cherry, crushed raspberry, star anise and grilled herb flavors with a backbone of youthful, bracing tannins. It's already tempting but give it time to fully come around. 

      vintage 2012

    17 Points

    Subtle, earthy cherry on the nose. Very backward yet elegant and almost lithe on the palate. Perfect balance, very poised and yet with a muscular structure. Drink 2019-2030

      vintage 2011

    93 Points

    A red with plum, meat, cedar and sandalwood character on the nose and palate. Full-bodied, tight and structured. Racy finish. Refined at the end for a 2011.

      vintage 2011

    94 Points

    A dark, powerful wine, the 2011 Brunello di Montalcino offers notable depth and intensity. Il Poggione's 2011 is one of the richest, most powerful wines of the year. Black cherry, plum, lavender, cloves and new leather are some of the first nuances that open up. With time in the glass, the 2011 becomes more lifted, as brighter red cherry and raspberry-infused flavors gradually release. This is a rare 2011 that demands at least a good few years in the cellar. In 2011, Il Poggione did not bottle a Riserva. All the juice went into the straight Brunello.

      vintage 2010

    N° 4 - TOP 100 WINES OF THE WORLD

      vintage 2010

    94+ Points

    Il Poggione's 2010 Brunello di Montalcino is a remarkably beautiful wine. Rose petal, mint, cinnamon, sweet dark cherries and smoke lift from the glass in a translucent, wiry Brunello built on energy and power. This is an especially lifted, precise and nuanced Brunello from Il Poggione, with more emphasis on length and mid-weight structure rather than overt volume. In many ways, the 2010 comes across as a modern-day version of the 1982 Riserva. Readers who have tasted that wine know just how special that is. For the money, there is not a single better wine being made in Montalcino than Il Poggione's Brunello. Truth is, it is also better than many far more expensive offerings. There are two Brunellos I would buy confidently in any vintage. This is one of them. Drinking window: 2018 – 2030

      vintage 2010

    93 Points

    Lots of sliced mushroom and berry character. Lots of flowers such as lilacs and violets. Full body, firm tannins and a fresh and clean finish. It's harmonious and beautiful. Drink or hold.

      vintage 2010

    17.5 Points

    Concentrated ruby with orange tinges. Just a tiny bit dusty and reductive on the nose and what looks like a hint of oak. Succulent fresh fruit with a proper bite of tannins on the finish. Seductive and juicy and already hard to resist.

      vintage 2016

    97 points

    I’m not sure how Il Poggione manages to remain one of the largest producers of Brunello, maintaining such a high level of quality and turning out some of the best wines of the vintage year after year - but they do. The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino is yet another stunning example. Depths of mineral-encased black cherries, sage, allspice, licorice, tobacco and crushed violets lift up from the glass. It’s seamlessly silky, even as the palate is peppered with tart red and black berries, nervous acids and savory exotic spices. This shows the density and weight of the vintage in a youthfully monolithic stance, yet with all the necessary components to maintain perfect balance. The 2016 Il Poggione seems to fold in upon itself through the finish, which is dark, mysterious and structured, with only hints of black tea and licorice to tempt the imagination. It’s a classic in the making.

      vintage 2016

    95 points

    The Il Poggione 2016 Brunello di Montalcino opens to a medium dark appearance with pretty Sangiovese shine and a little ruby sparkle. This vintage shows a slightly untamed or wild side with a dense and heavier fruit profile. The focus here is on blackberry, dried cherry, tobacco and even a touch of smoky tobacco or horse saddle. The wine shows the firm grip and tannic backbone that is a common trait in this vintage, especially with the vineyards on this southern, sunlit side of the appellation. I also get a considerable flash of acidity on the close, almost too much, that certainly needs a few more years to soften. You really need to wait with this one.

      vintage 2016

    94 points

    A red with blackberry, cherry, some walnut and chocolate, as well as mahogany. Tea, too. It’s full-bodied and firm-tannined with beautiful length and depth. Linear and very fine. Drink after 2024.

      vintage 2017

    94+/100

    The 2017 Brunello di Montalcino opens to a saturated and shiny dark ruby color. This edition is loaded with black and purple fruits, such as blackberry preserves and plum. Those more robust tones are followed by spice, tar and campfire ash. The tannins are young (but not stemmy or bitter), and you'd be best served by letting this wine age and relax with more cellar aging. Il Poggione always makes some of the smoothest and most texturally enriched wines in the appellation, and this vintage is no exception.

      vintage 2017

    93/100

    Masses of ashen earth, smoke, dusty cherry and roses with nuances of clove lift up from the 2017 Brunello di Montalcino. This is silky and pliant upon entry, presenting a rich display of intense red and hints of black fruits laced with chalky minerals that drenches the palate. Penetrating acidity and grippy tannins create a burst of cheek-puckering tension, clenching down hard with youthful poise, as notes of licorice and hard red candies linger through the structured, medium-length finale. There are some moments where the 2017 reminds you that it comes from an incredibly hot and dry vintage, yet overall, it’s a huge success for the year. That said, it needs time to unwind from its youthful state. Production was down 15–20% at Il Poggione in 2017 due to severe selection of bunches, and all of the fruit that would have been reserved for the Riserva Vigna Paganelli was added to the Brunello instead.

      vintage 2017

    17/20

    Lustrous deep ruby. Firm, deep cherry fruit on the nose and with an undertow of savoury spice. Lots of perfumed sour-cherry fruit on the palate and with bags of firm, but polished tannins on the finish. A bit austere right now, but with great length as well as potential.

      vintage 2017

    91/100

    Il Poggione started harvesting Brunello grapes on 1 September based on desired sugar and acidity levels. To curtail unripe tannins, winemaker Fabrizio Bindocci removed a small percentage of seeds at the beginning of fermentation, particularly from the earliest picked plots. The resulting wine is a heady mix of allspice, leather and prune plums. There is ample concentration on the palate and a zesty citrus note lends freshness. It's grippy but overall balanced, with just a touch of astringency nudging through. I’d give this another year to come together. Drinking window: 2023-2028

      vintage 2017

    91/100

    Blackberry, blueberry, stone and floral aromas. Hints of cedar, too. Full-bodied and chewy with polish and focus. Dried berries and hints of meat. This shows the ripeness of the grapes. Chewy at the end. Needs time to soften. Better after 2023.

      vintage 2017

    93/100

    Sweet, ripe cherry, blackberry and plum fruit flavors are framed by mineral, tobacco and thyme accents in this vibrant, balanced red. Make no mistake, there are ample tannins too, yet this still finds a nice equilibrium on the lingering finish. Best from 2024 through 2040.

      vintage 2019

    96/100

    The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino pulls the taster close to the glass with its dark and earthy blend of crushed ashen stones, giving way to rosemary, cedar, exotic spice and a core of raspberry preserves. Enveloping and serene, this flows across the palate like pure silk, steadily building in tension as tart wild berries and orange hints give way to a sweet herbal thrust. The 2019 finishes with tremendous length and is classically structured, as crunchy tannins resonate and violet inner florals slowly fade over a tactile coating of minerality. Il Poggione has captured the radiance of the vintage, yet this is just a baby today.

      vintage 2019

    17,5

    Dark, youthful ruby. Very closed and brooding with only hints of perfumed raspberry, tea leaves and oak. Generous and composed at the same time on the palate. A layer of suave cherry and raspberry fruit lined with quite powerful tannins that demand more time. Carries its 15% with ease. Closes up on the finish and in need of more time.

      vintage 2019

    94/100

    The Il Poggione 2019 Brunello di Montalcino shows an evolved bouquet with aromas of dried fruit, forest floor, crushed flower and autumnal leaf. On a second nose, you get dark licorice, wet slate, cola and grilled rosemary. The tannins are powdery and dry.

    Brunello is the prince of Montalcino wines, produced exclusively from Sangiovese grapes picked by hand from the oldest vines in the farm.

    After a careful fermentation at controlled temperature, Tenuta Il Poggione Brunello di Montalcino is aged in French oak barrels.

    After being aged in wood, the wine is bottle aged: this is an essential process in guaranteeing the pleasantness and the complexity that have made the Brunello di Montalcino world-famous.

    Wine

    Brunello di Montalcino

    Varietal

    100% Sangiovese

    Vintage

    2012

     

    Alcohol

    14,50%

    Source

    The winery's oldest vineyards, planted between 150 and 450 metres (490 - 1475 ft) above sea level.

    Vine training system

    Cordon spur and "doppio capovolto".

    Harvest

    By hand

    Vinification

    "Submerged cap" fermentation in stainless steel tanks with indigenous yeasts at a controlled temperature 25/28 °C (77/82 F). Malolactic fermentation in stainless steel.

    Aging

    Long aging in French oak barrels followed by bottle aging

    Tasting Notes

    Ruby red in colour, with a very intense, persistent nose and with red fruit notes. Warm, balanced flavour with velvet-smooth tannins. Long-lasting aroma.

    Food Pairings

    Red meats, game, mature cheeses.

      vintage 2012

    01/03/2017

    95+

    Il Poggione is a Brunello superstar and a vintage like this reveals every reason why that affirmation is true. From the second the 2012 Brunello di Montalcino pours into the glass, you know you are in for something special. The wine is darkly saturated and rich in appearance. Absent are those slightly amber or browning hues you often get with Sangiovese in a hot vintage. Nor does the wine show flat or tired characteristics. Instead, the quality of fruit is vibrant and rich. This is a healthy, generous and exuberant Brunello with dark density and succulent fruit flavors that are followed by integrated spice and tobacco. The balance is impressive and one thing you get here is fresh acidity. This is not to be underestimated, because the acidity quota in the 2012 vintage across the appellation is not as high or evident as usual. This is one of the year's best Brunellos.

      vintage 2011

    01/04/2016

    95/100

    Il Poggione has done a terrific job with its 2011 Brunello di Montalcino. The wine is soft, yielding and charged with a velvety and smooth texture. It is deeply redolent of dark berry, black cherry, spice, leather and tobacco. The wine's sunny personality never feels flat or too dense. In fact, the wine offers a very tight and steely backbone that gives the wine stature and strength. This is one of my favorite Brunellos from the 2011 vintage. James Suckling – 93 Points A red with plum, meat, cedar and sandalwood character on the nose and palate. Full-bodied, tight and structured. Racy finish. Refined at the end for a 2011. Antonio Galloni - 94 Points A dark, powerful wine, the 2011 Brunello di Montalcino offers notable depth and intensity. Il Poggione's 2011 is one of the richest, most powerful wines of the year. Black cherry, plum, lavender, cloves and new leather are some of the first nuances that open up. With time in the glass, the 2011 becomes more lifted, as brighter red cherry and raspberry-infused flavors gradually release. This is a rare 2011 that demands at least a good few years in the cellar. In 2011, Il Poggione did not bottle a Riserva. All the juice went into the straight Brunello.

    Robert Parker

      vintage 2011

    04/05/2016

    91/100

    A beefy style, evoking plum, leather, tobacco and earth flavors, backed by dense, dusty tannins. Starts out juicy before the gruff finish takes over. Fresh and long. Best from 2018 through 2027. B.S.

      vintage 2011

    06/05/2016

    96/100

    The 2011 Il Poggione is an absolutely striking Brunello. Elegant and classy with aromas of fresh red fruits, floral, minerals and touch of spice all coming together in the gorgeous wine. This displays remarkable overall balance, depth and focus with a beautiful silky texture and wonderful finesse as it leads up to the long, expansive finish. A simply incredible showing from Il Poggione in 2011.
    Best 2018-2032

      vintage 2012

    15/12/2016

    93/100

    Walnuts and cedar with plums and hints of milk chocolate. Always subtle. Medium body, a solid core of fruit and medium-chewy tannins. Center palate of cherry fruit. Give it a year or two to soften. 

      vintage 2014

    20/02/2019

    94/100

    Il Poggione has one of the appellation's most enviable track records for quality and cellar longevity. The 2014 Brunello di Montalcino is a different beast. This wine prizes elegance, finesse and a compact mouthfeel. I would suggest a slightly shorter drinking window of approximately ten years. No matter how you cut it, the wine is absolutely beautiful and indeed ranks high on a list of favorite wines from the vintage. The bouquet is chiseled and tight with wild blueberry, plum, red rose and a touch of cherry confit. No doubt the mouthfeel is thinner in this vintage, but the wine has plenty more going on to keep your attention. I'm liking it. I went back to the bottle a few days after it had been opened and the wine was still going strong.

     

      vintage 2013

    96/100

    The 2013 Brunello di Montalcino lives up to the impeccable reputation garnered by this estate over the years. This is a profound and beautifully rendered Sangiovese that delivers bold and luscious fruit quality with black cherry and spicy plum at the start. The bouquet follows through with mild oak notes of smoke, tar and toasted nut. There is another aromatic component that includes crushed stone and dried herb or mint. This Brunello shows elegant evolution in the glass and promises a very long aging future ahead. Some 200,000 bottles were made, so it should be easy to locate this excellent wine.

      vintage 2013

    95/100

    Bright red. Pure, refined red cherry and wild strawberry aromas and flavors complicated by sweet spices and aromatic herbs. Deep and multilayered, the wine boasts polished tannins and a harmonious acid spine that lifts and extends the red fruit on the long, suave finish. An essence of Sant’Angelo in Colle with bigger body and palate weight than, for example, the Brunellos of Montosoli, but still sleek and refined as the best wines of Sant’Angelo in Colle can be. The cool-climate-styled 2013 vintage is precisely the type of year in which Il Poggione excels: this lovely, focused wine is the best classico Brunello from Il Poggione in years. Superb.

     

      vintage 2013

    93/100

    This red strikes a nice balance between plum and cherry fruit and beefy tannins, featuring elements of leather, tobacco, earth and iron. Balanced and long, with a gripping finish. Best from 2022 through 2035.

      vintage 2013

    92/100

    A Brunello with tile and berry character. Medium body, firm and silky tannins and a flavorful finish. A little tight now. Better in 2019.

      vintage 2010

    98 points

    The 2010 Brunello di Montalcino is a striking wine that shows uncompromising varietal pureness, albeit in a most concentrated and elaborate form. This is what great Sangiovese is all about. There's so much happening on the nose and the wine brings you to cherry, spice, licorice, cured meat, pressed rose and grilled meat in equal measure. No one element overpowers the next. The mouthfeel is also tight and bright with the kind of fruit intensity that promises long cellar aging. This Brunello is only at the beginning of a long road ahead. The longer the wine stays in the glass, the more it offers in terms of complexity and intensity. This is a true standout that can be enjoyed for up to 20 years ahead. 

    Fabrizio Bindocci and his son Alessandro are the most accomplished father-son winemaking team I can think of today in Italy. Il Poggione is owned by Leopoldo and Livia Franceschi, but the phenomenal Bindocci duo are very much in the limelight. They excel in every aspect of winemaking, from vineyard management to wine marketing. Never have I encountered a Il Poggione Brunello as beautiful as the one released this year. This is one of the highest expression of Sangiovese you will ever taste.

      vintage 2010

    95 points

    Rich, with excellent density, ripe cherry and plum fruit, and a well-integrated structure. Licorice, earth and tobacco notes add depth while this cruises to a long, tobacco and mineral-tinged finish. Shows balance and grip. Best from 2018 through 2033

      vintage 2015

    97 points

    The Il Poggione 2015 Brunello di Montalcino shows a darker and more concentrated appearance than many of its peers. The wine is beautifully abundant and fragrant in the most exuberant and expressive manner. You will recognize aromas of moist soil, tobacco and smoke. Candied cherry hovers over the entire bouquet. Fruit is sourced from older vines (all over 25 years old). Il Poggione occupies a special spot within the Montalcino appellation, and the area always produces slightly more concentrated and powerful wines. I find that to be particularly true in this gorgeous 2015 vintage. I am also very attracted to that almost dusty note of crushed mineral that rides long on the full-bodied finish. Il Poggione's Brunello is also distinguished by firm, youthful tannin that need a few more years to unwind.

     

      vintage 2015

    96 points

    So many sour cherries rise up from the glass, along with orange rind and lemon peel. The full-bodied palate has a very serious and concentrated core of florals and fruit, and the tannins have an iron-fisted, strapping build. Long, chewy and structured. One of the best in years from here.

      vintage 2015

    95 Points

    Wild herb and Mediterranean macchia notes mark this expressive red. Though well-endowed with tannins, this is on the sleek side, showing vibrant acidity. Cherry, strawberry, floral and tobacco flavors join the party, as this cruises to a long finish. Best from 2023 to 2042.

      vintage 2015

    97 Points

    Il Poggione 2015 Brunello di Montalcino offers up a dark, earthy, almost animal-like expression, showing black soil and undergrowth, giving way to crushed black cherry, dusty spice, and dried florals which lift the experience. On the palate, soft, fleshy textures usher in fresh cherry and strawberry, as brisk acids add energy, with savory herbs and minerals saturating, as the 2015 Il Poggione’s fruit nearly masks its structural core. The finish is long yet fresh, with classic, fine tannins, dried red fruits and pretty inner floral tones lingering throughout this perfectly balanced expression. The 2015 s pure class and built for the cellar.

    With over 300 acres planted to vine, Il Poggione remains one of Montalcino’s largest producers of Brunello, and yet they continue to maintain a level of quality that is unparalleled through much of the region. Located in the warm, yet well-ventilated micro-climate of Sant'Angelo in Colle, in the southeast of Montalcino, Il Poggione Brunello displays elegance, depth, classic structure and Sangiovese purity - all while remaining a remarkable value. In the winery, Fabrizio Bindocci adheres to a progressive approach, blending tradition with innovation. His practice of completing fermentation using submerged-cap, is something you’d expect to see more in Barolo than Montalcino. From there the Brunello is refined for three years in 30-50-hectoliter casks (all neutral wood, of course) before resting in bottle one year prior to release. Finding another Brunello in this price-point that is as long-lived, true to place and coloring within classic lines, isn’t easy. (Eric Guido)

      vintage 2015

    17,5 Points

    Lustrous mid ruby. Lots of concentrated, sweet fruit on the nose. Fantastic chewy tannins and energetic, juicy fruit deliver tactile fireworks on the palate.

      vintage 2015

    94 Points

    True to its balmy southern origins, it demonstrates immense concentration and ripeness, yet it remains balanced in its considerable proportions. Luxuriously textured fruit is firmly girdled by powerful, chewy tannins and there is no sacrifice of flavour either - iodine, earth, leather, sweet tobacco and dried thyme are woven throughout. The sapid finish lingers leisurely. Drinking Window 2022 – 2034

      vintage 2015

    94 Points

      vintage 2014

    92 Points

    This is smooth and caressing, wrapped around cherry, plum, loam, tobacco and cumin flavors. Hefty tannins line the finish, but all the elements are in the right proportion. Features a fine, complex finish. Best from 2021 through 2035.

      vintage 2014

    91 Points

    A riper style with plenty of dried red cherries and plums, as well as woody spice notes. The palate is quite fleshy with an open-knit thread of blue plums and darker cherries. Drink or hold.

      vintage 2014

    91 Points

    Aromas of underbrush, truffle, dark-skinned berry and tobacco lead the nose of this elegantly structured red. The taut, vibrant palate offers Marasca cherry, cranberry, orange zest and licorice framed by racy acidity and fine-grained tannins. Drink 2020–2026.

      vintage 2013

    17+ Points

    Maturing concentrated ruby with orange tinges. Youthful and herbal on the nose. Still compact and with gorgeous juicy cherry fruit and muscular tannins. Delicious now but will improve. Has plenty of structure and fruit for that. (WS) Drink 2018-2026

      vintage 2013

    91 Points

    Tobacco, underbrush and new leather aromas come together on the nose. The fullbodied palate offers dried black cherry, star anise, clove and a hint of espresso alongside taut, fine-grained tannins. Drink after 2023.

      vintage 2012

    93 Points

    Ripe plum, tobacco, dark spice and balsamic aromas adorn this invigorating red. Firm and full-bodied, the palate delivers wild cherry, crushed raspberry, star anise and grilled herb flavors with a backbone of youthful, bracing tannins. It's already tempting but give it time to fully come around. 

      vintage 2012

    17 Points

    Subtle, earthy cherry on the nose. Very backward yet elegant and almost lithe on the palate. Perfect balance, very poised and yet with a muscular structure. Drink 2019-2030

      vintage 2011

    93 Points

    A red with plum, meat, cedar and sandalwood character on the nose and palate. Full-bodied, tight and structured. Racy finish. Refined at the end for a 2011.

      vintage 2011

    94 Points

    A dark, powerful wine, the 2011 Brunello di Montalcino offers notable depth and intensity. Il Poggione's 2011 is one of the richest, most powerful wines of the year. Black cherry, plum, lavender, cloves and new leather are some of the first nuances that open up. With time in the glass, the 2011 becomes more lifted, as brighter red cherry and raspberry-infused flavors gradually release. This is a rare 2011 that demands at least a good few years in the cellar. In 2011, Il Poggione did not bottle a Riserva. All the juice went into the straight Brunello.

      vintage 2010

    N° 4 - TOP 100 WINES OF THE WORLD

      vintage 2010

    94+ Points

    Il Poggione's 2010 Brunello di Montalcino is a remarkably beautiful wine. Rose petal, mint, cinnamon, sweet dark cherries and smoke lift from the glass in a translucent, wiry Brunello built on energy and power. This is an especially lifted, precise and nuanced Brunello from Il Poggione, with more emphasis on length and mid-weight structure rather than overt volume. In many ways, the 2010 comes across as a modern-day version of the 1982 Riserva. Readers who have tasted that wine know just how special that is. For the money, there is not a single better wine being made in Montalcino than Il Poggione's Brunello. Truth is, it is also better than many far more expensive offerings. There are two Brunellos I would buy confidently in any vintage. This is one of them. Drinking window: 2018 – 2030

      vintage 2010

    93 Points

    Lots of sliced mushroom and berry character. Lots of flowers such as lilacs and violets. Full body, firm tannins and a fresh and clean finish. It's harmonious and beautiful. Drink or hold.

      vintage 2010

    17.5 Points

    Concentrated ruby with orange tinges. Just a tiny bit dusty and reductive on the nose and what looks like a hint of oak. Succulent fresh fruit with a proper bite of tannins on the finish. Seductive and juicy and already hard to resist.

      vintage 2016

    97 points

    I’m not sure how Il Poggione manages to remain one of the largest producers of Brunello, maintaining such a high level of quality and turning out some of the best wines of the vintage year after year - but they do. The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino is yet another stunning example. Depths of mineral-encased black cherries, sage, allspice, licorice, tobacco and crushed violets lift up from the glass. It’s seamlessly silky, even as the palate is peppered with tart red and black berries, nervous acids and savory exotic spices. This shows the density and weight of the vintage in a youthfully monolithic stance, yet with all the necessary components to maintain perfect balance. The 2016 Il Poggione seems to fold in upon itself through the finish, which is dark, mysterious and structured, with only hints of black tea and licorice to tempt the imagination. It’s a classic in the making.

      vintage 2016

    95 points

    The Il Poggione 2016 Brunello di Montalcino opens to a medium dark appearance with pretty Sangiovese shine and a little ruby sparkle. This vintage shows a slightly untamed or wild side with a dense and heavier fruit profile. The focus here is on blackberry, dried cherry, tobacco and even a touch of smoky tobacco or horse saddle. The wine shows the firm grip and tannic backbone that is a common trait in this vintage, especially with the vineyards on this southern, sunlit side of the appellation. I also get a considerable flash of acidity on the close, almost too much, that certainly needs a few more years to soften. You really need to wait with this one.

      vintage 2016

    94 points

    A red with blackberry, cherry, some walnut and chocolate, as well as mahogany. Tea, too. It’s full-bodied and firm-tannined with beautiful length and depth. Linear and very fine. Drink after 2024.

      vintage 2017

    94+/100

    The 2017 Brunello di Montalcino opens to a saturated and shiny dark ruby color. This edition is loaded with black and purple fruits, such as blackberry preserves and plum. Those more robust tones are followed by spice, tar and campfire ash. The tannins are young (but not stemmy or bitter), and you'd be best served by letting this wine age and relax with more cellar aging. Il Poggione always makes some of the smoothest and most texturally enriched wines in the appellation, and this vintage is no exception.

      vintage 2017

    93/100

    Masses of ashen earth, smoke, dusty cherry and roses with nuances of clove lift up from the 2017 Brunello di Montalcino. This is silky and pliant upon entry, presenting a rich display of intense red and hints of black fruits laced with chalky minerals that drenches the palate. Penetrating acidity and grippy tannins create a burst of cheek-puckering tension, clenching down hard with youthful poise, as notes of licorice and hard red candies linger through the structured, medium-length finale. There are some moments where the 2017 reminds you that it comes from an incredibly hot and dry vintage, yet overall, it’s a huge success for the year. That said, it needs time to unwind from its youthful state. Production was down 15–20% at Il Poggione in 2017 due to severe selection of bunches, and all of the fruit that would have been reserved for the Riserva Vigna Paganelli was added to the Brunello instead.

      vintage 2017

    17/20

    Lustrous deep ruby. Firm, deep cherry fruit on the nose and with an undertow of savoury spice. Lots of perfumed sour-cherry fruit on the palate and with bags of firm, but polished tannins on the finish. A bit austere right now, but with great length as well as potential.

      vintage 2017

    91/100

    Il Poggione started harvesting Brunello grapes on 1 September based on desired sugar and acidity levels. To curtail unripe tannins, winemaker Fabrizio Bindocci removed a small percentage of seeds at the beginning of fermentation, particularly from the earliest picked plots. The resulting wine is a heady mix of allspice, leather and prune plums. There is ample concentration on the palate and a zesty citrus note lends freshness. It's grippy but overall balanced, with just a touch of astringency nudging through. I’d give this another year to come together. Drinking window: 2023-2028

      vintage 2017

    91/100

    Blackberry, blueberry, stone and floral aromas. Hints of cedar, too. Full-bodied and chewy with polish and focus. Dried berries and hints of meat. This shows the ripeness of the grapes. Chewy at the end. Needs time to soften. Better after 2023.

      vintage 2017

    93/100

    Sweet, ripe cherry, blackberry and plum fruit flavors are framed by mineral, tobacco and thyme accents in this vibrant, balanced red. Make no mistake, there are ample tannins too, yet this still finds a nice equilibrium on the lingering finish. Best from 2024 through 2040.

      vintage 2019

    96/100

    The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino pulls the taster close to the glass with its dark and earthy blend of crushed ashen stones, giving way to rosemary, cedar, exotic spice and a core of raspberry preserves. Enveloping and serene, this flows across the palate like pure silk, steadily building in tension as tart wild berries and orange hints give way to a sweet herbal thrust. The 2019 finishes with tremendous length and is classically structured, as crunchy tannins resonate and violet inner florals slowly fade over a tactile coating of minerality. Il Poggione has captured the radiance of the vintage, yet this is just a baby today.

      vintage 2019

    17,5

    Dark, youthful ruby. Very closed and brooding with only hints of perfumed raspberry, tea leaves and oak. Generous and composed at the same time on the palate. A layer of suave cherry and raspberry fruit lined with quite powerful tannins that demand more time. Carries its 15% with ease. Closes up on the finish and in need of more time.

      vintage 2019

    94/100

    The Il Poggione 2019 Brunello di Montalcino shows an evolved bouquet with aromas of dried fruit, forest floor, crushed flower and autumnal leaf. On a second nose, you get dark licorice, wet slate, cola and grilled rosemary. The tannins are powdery and dry.

    Brunello is the prince of Montalcino wines, produced exclusively from Sangiovese grapes picked by hand from the oldest vines in the farm.

    After a careful fermentation at controlled temperature, Tenuta Il Poggione Brunello di Montalcino is aged in French oak barrels.

    After being aged in wood, the wine is bottle aged: this is an essential process in guaranteeing the pleasantness and the complexity that have made the Brunello di Montalcino world-famous.

    Wine

    Brunello di Montalcino

    Varietal

    100% Sangiovese

    Vintage

    2011

    Alcohol

    14,50%

    Source

    The winery's oldest vineyards, planted between 150 and 450 metres (490 - 1475 ft) above sea level.

    Vine training system

    Cordon spur and "doppio capovolto".

    Harvest

    By hand

    Vinification

    "Submerged cap" fermentation in stainless steel tanks with indigenous yeasts at a controlled temperature 25/28 °C (77/82 F). Malolactic fermentation in stainless steel.

    Aging

    Long aging in French oak barrels followed by bottle aging.

    Tasting Notes

    Ruby red in colour, with a very intense, persistent nose and with red fruit notes. Warm, balanced flavour with velvet-smooth tannins. Long-lasting aroma.

    Food Pairings

    Red meats, game, mature cheeses.

      vintage 2012

    01/03/2017

    95+

    Il Poggione is a Brunello superstar and a vintage like this reveals every reason why that affirmation is true. From the second the 2012 Brunello di Montalcino pours into the glass, you know you are in for something special. The wine is darkly saturated and rich in appearance. Absent are those slightly amber or browning hues you often get with Sangiovese in a hot vintage. Nor does the wine show flat or tired characteristics. Instead, the quality of fruit is vibrant and rich. This is a healthy, generous and exuberant Brunello with dark density and succulent fruit flavors that are followed by integrated spice and tobacco. The balance is impressive and one thing you get here is fresh acidity. This is not to be underestimated, because the acidity quota in the 2012 vintage across the appellation is not as high or evident as usual. This is one of the year's best Brunellos.

      vintage 2011

    01/04/2016

    95/100

    Il Poggione has done a terrific job with its 2011 Brunello di Montalcino. The wine is soft, yielding and charged with a velvety and smooth texture. It is deeply redolent of dark berry, black cherry, spice, leather and tobacco. The wine's sunny personality never feels flat or too dense. In fact, the wine offers a very tight and steely backbone that gives the wine stature and strength. This is one of my favorite Brunellos from the 2011 vintage. James Suckling – 93 Points A red with plum, meat, cedar and sandalwood character on the nose and palate. Full-bodied, tight and structured. Racy finish. Refined at the end for a 2011. Antonio Galloni - 94 Points A dark, powerful wine, the 2011 Brunello di Montalcino offers notable depth and intensity. Il Poggione's 2011 is one of the richest, most powerful wines of the year. Black cherry, plum, lavender, cloves and new leather are some of the first nuances that open up. With time in the glass, the 2011 becomes more lifted, as brighter red cherry and raspberry-infused flavors gradually release. This is a rare 2011 that demands at least a good few years in the cellar. In 2011, Il Poggione did not bottle a Riserva. All the juice went into the straight Brunello.

    Robert Parker

      vintage 2011

    04/05/2016

    91/100

    A beefy style, evoking plum, leather, tobacco and earth flavors, backed by dense, dusty tannins. Starts out juicy before the gruff finish takes over. Fresh and long. Best from 2018 through 2027. B.S.

      vintage 2011

    06/05/2016

    96/100

    The 2011 Il Poggione is an absolutely striking Brunello. Elegant and classy with aromas of fresh red fruits, floral, minerals and touch of spice all coming together in the gorgeous wine. This displays remarkable overall balance, depth and focus with a beautiful silky texture and wonderful finesse as it leads up to the long, expansive finish. A simply incredible showing from Il Poggione in 2011.
    Best 2018-2032

      vintage 2012

    15/12/2016

    93/100

    Walnuts and cedar with plums and hints of milk chocolate. Always subtle. Medium body, a solid core of fruit and medium-chewy tannins. Center palate of cherry fruit. Give it a year or two to soften. 

      vintage 2014

    20/02/2019

    94/100

    Il Poggione has one of the appellation's most enviable track records for quality and cellar longevity. The 2014 Brunello di Montalcino is a different beast. This wine prizes elegance, finesse and a compact mouthfeel. I would suggest a slightly shorter drinking window of approximately ten years. No matter how you cut it, the wine is absolutely beautiful and indeed ranks high on a list of favorite wines from the vintage. The bouquet is chiseled and tight with wild blueberry, plum, red rose and a touch of cherry confit. No doubt the mouthfeel is thinner in this vintage, but the wine has plenty more going on to keep your attention. I'm liking it. I went back to the bottle a few days after it had been opened and the wine was still going strong.

     

      vintage 2013

    96/100

    The 2013 Brunello di Montalcino lives up to the impeccable reputation garnered by this estate over the years. This is a profound and beautifully rendered Sangiovese that delivers bold and luscious fruit quality with black cherry and spicy plum at the start. The bouquet follows through with mild oak notes of smoke, tar and toasted nut. There is another aromatic component that includes crushed stone and dried herb or mint. This Brunello shows elegant evolution in the glass and promises a very long aging future ahead. Some 200,000 bottles were made, so it should be easy to locate this excellent wine.

      vintage 2013

    95/100

    Bright red. Pure, refined red cherry and wild strawberry aromas and flavors complicated by sweet spices and aromatic herbs. Deep and multilayered, the wine boasts polished tannins and a harmonious acid spine that lifts and extends the red fruit on the long, suave finish. An essence of Sant’Angelo in Colle with bigger body and palate weight than, for example, the Brunellos of Montosoli, but still sleek and refined as the best wines of Sant’Angelo in Colle can be. The cool-climate-styled 2013 vintage is precisely the type of year in which Il Poggione excels: this lovely, focused wine is the best classico Brunello from Il Poggione in years. Superb.

     

      vintage 2013

    93/100

    This red strikes a nice balance between plum and cherry fruit and beefy tannins, featuring elements of leather, tobacco, earth and iron. Balanced and long, with a gripping finish. Best from 2022 through 2035.

      vintage 2013

    92/100

    A Brunello with tile and berry character. Medium body, firm and silky tannins and a flavorful finish. A little tight now. Better in 2019.

      vintage 2010

    98 points

    The 2010 Brunello di Montalcino is a striking wine that shows uncompromising varietal pureness, albeit in a most concentrated and elaborate form. This is what great Sangiovese is all about. There's so much happening on the nose and the wine brings you to cherry, spice, licorice, cured meat, pressed rose and grilled meat in equal measure. No one element overpowers the next. The mouthfeel is also tight and bright with the kind of fruit intensity that promises long cellar aging. This Brunello is only at the beginning of a long road ahead. The longer the wine stays in the glass, the more it offers in terms of complexity and intensity. This is a true standout that can be enjoyed for up to 20 years ahead. 

    Fabrizio Bindocci and his son Alessandro are the most accomplished father-son winemaking team I can think of today in Italy. Il Poggione is owned by Leopoldo and Livia Franceschi, but the phenomenal Bindocci duo are very much in the limelight. They excel in every aspect of winemaking, from vineyard management to wine marketing. Never have I encountered a Il Poggione Brunello as beautiful as the one released this year. This is one of the highest expression of Sangiovese you will ever taste.

      vintage 2010

    95 points

    Rich, with excellent density, ripe cherry and plum fruit, and a well-integrated structure. Licorice, earth and tobacco notes add depth while this cruises to a long, tobacco and mineral-tinged finish. Shows balance and grip. Best from 2018 through 2033

      vintage 2015

    97 points

    The Il Poggione 2015 Brunello di Montalcino shows a darker and more concentrated appearance than many of its peers. The wine is beautifully abundant and fragrant in the most exuberant and expressive manner. You will recognize aromas of moist soil, tobacco and smoke. Candied cherry hovers over the entire bouquet. Fruit is sourced from older vines (all over 25 years old). Il Poggione occupies a special spot within the Montalcino appellation, and the area always produces slightly more concentrated and powerful wines. I find that to be particularly true in this gorgeous 2015 vintage. I am also very attracted to that almost dusty note of crushed mineral that rides long on the full-bodied finish. Il Poggione's Brunello is also distinguished by firm, youthful tannin that need a few more years to unwind.

     

      vintage 2015

    96 points

    So many sour cherries rise up from the glass, along with orange rind and lemon peel. The full-bodied palate has a very serious and concentrated core of florals and fruit, and the tannins have an iron-fisted, strapping build. Long, chewy and structured. One of the best in years from here.

      vintage 2015

    95 Points

    Wild herb and Mediterranean macchia notes mark this expressive red. Though well-endowed with tannins, this is on the sleek side, showing vibrant acidity. Cherry, strawberry, floral and tobacco flavors join the party, as this cruises to a long finish. Best from 2023 to 2042.

      vintage 2015

    97 Points

    Il Poggione 2015 Brunello di Montalcino offers up a dark, earthy, almost animal-like expression, showing black soil and undergrowth, giving way to crushed black cherry, dusty spice, and dried florals which lift the experience. On the palate, soft, fleshy textures usher in fresh cherry and strawberry, as brisk acids add energy, with savory herbs and minerals saturating, as the 2015 Il Poggione’s fruit nearly masks its structural core. The finish is long yet fresh, with classic, fine tannins, dried red fruits and pretty inner floral tones lingering throughout this perfectly balanced expression. The 2015 s pure class and built for the cellar.

    With over 300 acres planted to vine, Il Poggione remains one of Montalcino’s largest producers of Brunello, and yet they continue to maintain a level of quality that is unparalleled through much of the region. Located in the warm, yet well-ventilated micro-climate of Sant'Angelo in Colle, in the southeast of Montalcino, Il Poggione Brunello displays elegance, depth, classic structure and Sangiovese purity - all while remaining a remarkable value. In the winery, Fabrizio Bindocci adheres to a progressive approach, blending tradition with innovation. His practice of completing fermentation using submerged-cap, is something you’d expect to see more in Barolo than Montalcino. From there the Brunello is refined for three years in 30-50-hectoliter casks (all neutral wood, of course) before resting in bottle one year prior to release. Finding another Brunello in this price-point that is as long-lived, true to place and coloring within classic lines, isn’t easy. (Eric Guido)

      vintage 2015

    17,5 Points

    Lustrous mid ruby. Lots of concentrated, sweet fruit on the nose. Fantastic chewy tannins and energetic, juicy fruit deliver tactile fireworks on the palate.

      vintage 2015

    94 Points

    True to its balmy southern origins, it demonstrates immense concentration and ripeness, yet it remains balanced in its considerable proportions. Luxuriously textured fruit is firmly girdled by powerful, chewy tannins and there is no sacrifice of flavour either - iodine, earth, leather, sweet tobacco and dried thyme are woven throughout. The sapid finish lingers leisurely. Drinking Window 2022 – 2034

      vintage 2015

    94 Points

      vintage 2014

    92 Points

    This is smooth and caressing, wrapped around cherry, plum, loam, tobacco and cumin flavors. Hefty tannins line the finish, but all the elements are in the right proportion. Features a fine, complex finish. Best from 2021 through 2035.

      vintage 2014

    91 Points

    A riper style with plenty of dried red cherries and plums, as well as woody spice notes. The palate is quite fleshy with an open-knit thread of blue plums and darker cherries. Drink or hold.

      vintage 2014

    91 Points

    Aromas of underbrush, truffle, dark-skinned berry and tobacco lead the nose of this elegantly structured red. The taut, vibrant palate offers Marasca cherry, cranberry, orange zest and licorice framed by racy acidity and fine-grained tannins. Drink 2020–2026.

      vintage 2013

    17+ Points

    Maturing concentrated ruby with orange tinges. Youthful and herbal on the nose. Still compact and with gorgeous juicy cherry fruit and muscular tannins. Delicious now but will improve. Has plenty of structure and fruit for that. (WS) Drink 2018-2026

      vintage 2013

    91 Points

    Tobacco, underbrush and new leather aromas come together on the nose. The fullbodied palate offers dried black cherry, star anise, clove and a hint of espresso alongside taut, fine-grained tannins. Drink after 2023.

      vintage 2012

    93 Points

    Ripe plum, tobacco, dark spice and balsamic aromas adorn this invigorating red. Firm and full-bodied, the palate delivers wild cherry, crushed raspberry, star anise and grilled herb flavors with a backbone of youthful, bracing tannins. It's already tempting but give it time to fully come around. 

      vintage 2012

    17 Points

    Subtle, earthy cherry on the nose. Very backward yet elegant and almost lithe on the palate. Perfect balance, very poised and yet with a muscular structure. Drink 2019-2030

      vintage 2011

    93 Points

    A red with plum, meat, cedar and sandalwood character on the nose and palate. Full-bodied, tight and structured. Racy finish. Refined at the end for a 2011.

      vintage 2011

    94 Points

    A dark, powerful wine, the 2011 Brunello di Montalcino offers notable depth and intensity. Il Poggione's 2011 is one of the richest, most powerful wines of the year. Black cherry, plum, lavender, cloves and new leather are some of the first nuances that open up. With time in the glass, the 2011 becomes more lifted, as brighter red cherry and raspberry-infused flavors gradually release. This is a rare 2011 that demands at least a good few years in the cellar. In 2011, Il Poggione did not bottle a Riserva. All the juice went into the straight Brunello.

      vintage 2010

    N° 4 - TOP 100 WINES OF THE WORLD

      vintage 2010

    94+ Points

    Il Poggione's 2010 Brunello di Montalcino is a remarkably beautiful wine. Rose petal, mint, cinnamon, sweet dark cherries and smoke lift from the glass in a translucent, wiry Brunello built on energy and power. This is an especially lifted, precise and nuanced Brunello from Il Poggione, with more emphasis on length and mid-weight structure rather than overt volume. In many ways, the 2010 comes across as a modern-day version of the 1982 Riserva. Readers who have tasted that wine know just how special that is. For the money, there is not a single better wine being made in Montalcino than Il Poggione's Brunello. Truth is, it is also better than many far more expensive offerings. There are two Brunellos I would buy confidently in any vintage. This is one of them. Drinking window: 2018 – 2030

      vintage 2010

    93 Points

    Lots of sliced mushroom and berry character. Lots of flowers such as lilacs and violets. Full body, firm tannins and a fresh and clean finish. It's harmonious and beautiful. Drink or hold.

      vintage 2010

    17.5 Points

    Concentrated ruby with orange tinges. Just a tiny bit dusty and reductive on the nose and what looks like a hint of oak. Succulent fresh fruit with a proper bite of tannins on the finish. Seductive and juicy and already hard to resist.

      vintage 2016

    97 points

    I’m not sure how Il Poggione manages to remain one of the largest producers of Brunello, maintaining such a high level of quality and turning out some of the best wines of the vintage year after year - but they do. The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino is yet another stunning example. Depths of mineral-encased black cherries, sage, allspice, licorice, tobacco and crushed violets lift up from the glass. It’s seamlessly silky, even as the palate is peppered with tart red and black berries, nervous acids and savory exotic spices. This shows the density and weight of the vintage in a youthfully monolithic stance, yet with all the necessary components to maintain perfect balance. The 2016 Il Poggione seems to fold in upon itself through the finish, which is dark, mysterious and structured, with only hints of black tea and licorice to tempt the imagination. It’s a classic in the making.

      vintage 2016

    95 points

    The Il Poggione 2016 Brunello di Montalcino opens to a medium dark appearance with pretty Sangiovese shine and a little ruby sparkle. This vintage shows a slightly untamed or wild side with a dense and heavier fruit profile. The focus here is on blackberry, dried cherry, tobacco and even a touch of smoky tobacco or horse saddle. The wine shows the firm grip and tannic backbone that is a common trait in this vintage, especially with the vineyards on this southern, sunlit side of the appellation. I also get a considerable flash of acidity on the close, almost too much, that certainly needs a few more years to soften. You really need to wait with this one.

      vintage 2016

    94 points

    A red with blackberry, cherry, some walnut and chocolate, as well as mahogany. Tea, too. It’s full-bodied and firm-tannined with beautiful length and depth. Linear and very fine. Drink after 2024.

      vintage 2017

    94+/100

    The 2017 Brunello di Montalcino opens to a saturated and shiny dark ruby color. This edition is loaded with black and purple fruits, such as blackberry preserves and plum. Those more robust tones are followed by spice, tar and campfire ash. The tannins are young (but not stemmy or bitter), and you'd be best served by letting this wine age and relax with more cellar aging. Il Poggione always makes some of the smoothest and most texturally enriched wines in the appellation, and this vintage is no exception.

      vintage 2017

    93/100

    Masses of ashen earth, smoke, dusty cherry and roses with nuances of clove lift up from the 2017 Brunello di Montalcino. This is silky and pliant upon entry, presenting a rich display of intense red and hints of black fruits laced with chalky minerals that drenches the palate. Penetrating acidity and grippy tannins create a burst of cheek-puckering tension, clenching down hard with youthful poise, as notes of licorice and hard red candies linger through the structured, medium-length finale. There are some moments where the 2017 reminds you that it comes from an incredibly hot and dry vintage, yet overall, it’s a huge success for the year. That said, it needs time to unwind from its youthful state. Production was down 15–20% at Il Poggione in 2017 due to severe selection of bunches, and all of the fruit that would have been reserved for the Riserva Vigna Paganelli was added to the Brunello instead.

      vintage 2017

    17/20

    Lustrous deep ruby. Firm, deep cherry fruit on the nose and with an undertow of savoury spice. Lots of perfumed sour-cherry fruit on the palate and with bags of firm, but polished tannins on the finish. A bit austere right now, but with great length as well as potential.

      vintage 2017

    91/100

    Il Poggione started harvesting Brunello grapes on 1 September based on desired sugar and acidity levels. To curtail unripe tannins, winemaker Fabrizio Bindocci removed a small percentage of seeds at the beginning of fermentation, particularly from the earliest picked plots. The resulting wine is a heady mix of allspice, leather and prune plums. There is ample concentration on the palate and a zesty citrus note lends freshness. It's grippy but overall balanced, with just a touch of astringency nudging through. I’d give this another year to come together. Drinking window: 2023-2028

      vintage 2017

    91/100

    Blackberry, blueberry, stone and floral aromas. Hints of cedar, too. Full-bodied and chewy with polish and focus. Dried berries and hints of meat. This shows the ripeness of the grapes. Chewy at the end. Needs time to soften. Better after 2023.

      vintage 2017

    93/100

    Sweet, ripe cherry, blackberry and plum fruit flavors are framed by mineral, tobacco and thyme accents in this vibrant, balanced red. Make no mistake, there are ample tannins too, yet this still finds a nice equilibrium on the lingering finish. Best from 2024 through 2040.

      vintage 2019

    96/100

    The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino pulls the taster close to the glass with its dark and earthy blend of crushed ashen stones, giving way to rosemary, cedar, exotic spice and a core of raspberry preserves. Enveloping and serene, this flows across the palate like pure silk, steadily building in tension as tart wild berries and orange hints give way to a sweet herbal thrust. The 2019 finishes with tremendous length and is classically structured, as crunchy tannins resonate and violet inner florals slowly fade over a tactile coating of minerality. Il Poggione has captured the radiance of the vintage, yet this is just a baby today.

      vintage 2019

    17,5

    Dark, youthful ruby. Very closed and brooding with only hints of perfumed raspberry, tea leaves and oak. Generous and composed at the same time on the palate. A layer of suave cherry and raspberry fruit lined with quite powerful tannins that demand more time. Carries its 15% with ease. Closes up on the finish and in need of more time.

      vintage 2019

    94/100

    The Il Poggione 2019 Brunello di Montalcino shows an evolved bouquet with aromas of dried fruit, forest floor, crushed flower and autumnal leaf. On a second nose, you get dark licorice, wet slate, cola and grilled rosemary. The tannins are powdery and dry.

    Brunello is the prince of Montalcino wines, produced exclusively from Sangiovese grapes picked by hand from the oldest vines in the farm.

    After a careful fermentation at controlled temperature, Tenuta Il Poggione Brunello di Montalcino is aged in French oak barrels.

    After being aged in wood, the wine is bottle aged: this is an essential process in guaranteeing the pleasantness and the complexity that have made the Brunello di Montalcino world-famous.

    Wine

    Brunello di Montalcino

    Varietal

    100% Sangiovese

    Vintage

    2010

    Alcohol

    14,50%

    Source

    The winery's oldest vineyards, planted between 150 and 450 metres (490 - 1475 ft) above sea level.

    Vine training system

    Cordon spur and "doppio capovolto".

    Harvest

    By hand

    Vinification

    "Submerged cap" fermentation in stainless steel tanks with indigenous yeasts at a controlled temperature 25/28 °C (77/82 F). Malolactic fermentation in stainless steel.

    Aging

    Long aging in French oak barrels followed by bottle aging.

    Tasting Notes

    Ruby red in colour, with a very intense, persistent nose and with red fruit notes. Warm, balanced flavour with velvet-smooth tannins. Long-lasting aroma.

    Food Pairings

    Red meats, game, mature cheeses.

      vintage 2012

    01/03/2017

    95+

    Il Poggione is a Brunello superstar and a vintage like this reveals every reason why that affirmation is true. From the second the 2012 Brunello di Montalcino pours into the glass, you know you are in for something special. The wine is darkly saturated and rich in appearance. Absent are those slightly amber or browning hues you often get with Sangiovese in a hot vintage. Nor does the wine show flat or tired characteristics. Instead, the quality of fruit is vibrant and rich. This is a healthy, generous and exuberant Brunello with dark density and succulent fruit flavors that are followed by integrated spice and tobacco. The balance is impressive and one thing you get here is fresh acidity. This is not to be underestimated, because the acidity quota in the 2012 vintage across the appellation is not as high or evident as usual. This is one of the year's best Brunellos.

      vintage 2011

    01/04/2016

    95/100

    Il Poggione has done a terrific job with its 2011 Brunello di Montalcino. The wine is soft, yielding and charged with a velvety and smooth texture. It is deeply redolent of dark berry, black cherry, spice, leather and tobacco. The wine's sunny personality never feels flat or too dense. In fact, the wine offers a very tight and steely backbone that gives the wine stature and strength. This is one of my favorite Brunellos from the 2011 vintage. James Suckling – 93 Points A red with plum, meat, cedar and sandalwood character on the nose and palate. Full-bodied, tight and structured. Racy finish. Refined at the end for a 2011. Antonio Galloni - 94 Points A dark, powerful wine, the 2011 Brunello di Montalcino offers notable depth and intensity. Il Poggione's 2011 is one of the richest, most powerful wines of the year. Black cherry, plum, lavender, cloves and new leather are some of the first nuances that open up. With time in the glass, the 2011 becomes more lifted, as brighter red cherry and raspberry-infused flavors gradually release. This is a rare 2011 that demands at least a good few years in the cellar. In 2011, Il Poggione did not bottle a Riserva. All the juice went into the straight Brunello.

    Robert Parker

      vintage 2011

    04/05/2016

    91/100

    A beefy style, evoking plum, leather, tobacco and earth flavors, backed by dense, dusty tannins. Starts out juicy before the gruff finish takes over. Fresh and long. Best from 2018 through 2027. B.S.

      vintage 2011

    06/05/2016

    96/100

    The 2011 Il Poggione is an absolutely striking Brunello. Elegant and classy with aromas of fresh red fruits, floral, minerals and touch of spice all coming together in the gorgeous wine. This displays remarkable overall balance, depth and focus with a beautiful silky texture and wonderful finesse as it leads up to the long, expansive finish. A simply incredible showing from Il Poggione in 2011.
    Best 2018-2032

      vintage 2012

    15/12/2016

    93/100

    Walnuts and cedar with plums and hints of milk chocolate. Always subtle. Medium body, a solid core of fruit and medium-chewy tannins. Center palate of cherry fruit. Give it a year or two to soften. 

      vintage 2014

    20/02/2019

    94/100

    Il Poggione has one of the appellation's most enviable track records for quality and cellar longevity. The 2014 Brunello di Montalcino is a different beast. This wine prizes elegance, finesse and a compact mouthfeel. I would suggest a slightly shorter drinking window of approximately ten years. No matter how you cut it, the wine is absolutely beautiful and indeed ranks high on a list of favorite wines from the vintage. The bouquet is chiseled and tight with wild blueberry, plum, red rose and a touch of cherry confit. No doubt the mouthfeel is thinner in this vintage, but the wine has plenty more going on to keep your attention. I'm liking it. I went back to the bottle a few days after it had been opened and the wine was still going strong.

     

      vintage 2013

    96/100

    The 2013 Brunello di Montalcino lives up to the impeccable reputation garnered by this estate over the years. This is a profound and beautifully rendered Sangiovese that delivers bold and luscious fruit quality with black cherry and spicy plum at the start. The bouquet follows through with mild oak notes of smoke, tar and toasted nut. There is another aromatic component that includes crushed stone and dried herb or mint. This Brunello shows elegant evolution in the glass and promises a very long aging future ahead. Some 200,000 bottles were made, so it should be easy to locate this excellent wine.

      vintage 2013

    95/100

    Bright red. Pure, refined red cherry and wild strawberry aromas and flavors complicated by sweet spices and aromatic herbs. Deep and multilayered, the wine boasts polished tannins and a harmonious acid spine that lifts and extends the red fruit on the long, suave finish. An essence of Sant’Angelo in Colle with bigger body and palate weight than, for example, the Brunellos of Montosoli, but still sleek and refined as the best wines of Sant’Angelo in Colle can be. The cool-climate-styled 2013 vintage is precisely the type of year in which Il Poggione excels: this lovely, focused wine is the best classico Brunello from Il Poggione in years. Superb.

     

      vintage 2013

    93/100

    This red strikes a nice balance between plum and cherry fruit and beefy tannins, featuring elements of leather, tobacco, earth and iron. Balanced and long, with a gripping finish. Best from 2022 through 2035.

      vintage 2013

    92/100

    A Brunello with tile and berry character. Medium body, firm and silky tannins and a flavorful finish. A little tight now. Better in 2019.

      vintage 2010

    98 points

    The 2010 Brunello di Montalcino is a striking wine that shows uncompromising varietal pureness, albeit in a most concentrated and elaborate form. This is what great Sangiovese is all about. There's so much happening on the nose and the wine brings you to cherry, spice, licorice, cured meat, pressed rose and grilled meat in equal measure. No one element overpowers the next. The mouthfeel is also tight and bright with the kind of fruit intensity that promises long cellar aging. This Brunello is only at the beginning of a long road ahead. The longer the wine stays in the glass, the more it offers in terms of complexity and intensity. This is a true standout that can be enjoyed for up to 20 years ahead. 

    Fabrizio Bindocci and his son Alessandro are the most accomplished father-son winemaking team I can think of today in Italy. Il Poggione is owned by Leopoldo and Livia Franceschi, but the phenomenal Bindocci duo are very much in the limelight. They excel in every aspect of winemaking, from vineyard management to wine marketing. Never have I encountered a Il Poggione Brunello as beautiful as the one released this year. This is one of the highest expression of Sangiovese you will ever taste.

      vintage 2010

    95 points

    Rich, with excellent density, ripe cherry and plum fruit, and a well-integrated structure. Licorice, earth and tobacco notes add depth while this cruises to a long, tobacco and mineral-tinged finish. Shows balance and grip. Best from 2018 through 2033

      vintage 2015

    97 points

    The Il Poggione 2015 Brunello di Montalcino shows a darker and more concentrated appearance than many of its peers. The wine is beautifully abundant and fragrant in the most exuberant and expressive manner. You will recognize aromas of moist soil, tobacco and smoke. Candied cherry hovers over the entire bouquet. Fruit is sourced from older vines (all over 25 years old). Il Poggione occupies a special spot within the Montalcino appellation, and the area always produces slightly more concentrated and powerful wines. I find that to be particularly true in this gorgeous 2015 vintage. I am also very attracted to that almost dusty note of crushed mineral that rides long on the full-bodied finish. Il Poggione's Brunello is also distinguished by firm, youthful tannin that need a few more years to unwind.

     

      vintage 2015

    96 points

    So many sour cherries rise up from the glass, along with orange rind and lemon peel. The full-bodied palate has a very serious and concentrated core of florals and fruit, and the tannins have an iron-fisted, strapping build. Long, chewy and structured. One of the best in years from here.

      vintage 2015

    95 Points

    Wild herb and Mediterranean macchia notes mark this expressive red. Though well-endowed with tannins, this is on the sleek side, showing vibrant acidity. Cherry, strawberry, floral and tobacco flavors join the party, as this cruises to a long finish. Best from 2023 to 2042.

      vintage 2015

    97 Points

    Il Poggione 2015 Brunello di Montalcino offers up a dark, earthy, almost animal-like expression, showing black soil and undergrowth, giving way to crushed black cherry, dusty spice, and dried florals which lift the experience. On the palate, soft, fleshy textures usher in fresh cherry and strawberry, as brisk acids add energy, with savory herbs and minerals saturating, as the 2015 Il Poggione’s fruit nearly masks its structural core. The finish is long yet fresh, with classic, fine tannins, dried red fruits and pretty inner floral tones lingering throughout this perfectly balanced expression. The 2015 s pure class and built for the cellar.

    With over 300 acres planted to vine, Il Poggione remains one of Montalcino’s largest producers of Brunello, and yet they continue to maintain a level of quality that is unparalleled through much of the region. Located in the warm, yet well-ventilated micro-climate of Sant'Angelo in Colle, in the southeast of Montalcino, Il Poggione Brunello displays elegance, depth, classic structure and Sangiovese purity - all while remaining a remarkable value. In the winery, Fabrizio Bindocci adheres to a progressive approach, blending tradition with innovation. His practice of completing fermentation using submerged-cap, is something you’d expect to see more in Barolo than Montalcino. From there the Brunello is refined for three years in 30-50-hectoliter casks (all neutral wood, of course) before resting in bottle one year prior to release. Finding another Brunello in this price-point that is as long-lived, true to place and coloring within classic lines, isn’t easy. (Eric Guido)

      vintage 2015

    17,5 Points

    Lustrous mid ruby. Lots of concentrated, sweet fruit on the nose. Fantastic chewy tannins and energetic, juicy fruit deliver tactile fireworks on the palate.

      vintage 2015

    94 Points

    True to its balmy southern origins, it demonstrates immense concentration and ripeness, yet it remains balanced in its considerable proportions. Luxuriously textured fruit is firmly girdled by powerful, chewy tannins and there is no sacrifice of flavour either - iodine, earth, leather, sweet tobacco and dried thyme are woven throughout. The sapid finish lingers leisurely. Drinking Window 2022 – 2034

      vintage 2015

    94 Points

      vintage 2014

    92 Points

    This is smooth and caressing, wrapped around cherry, plum, loam, tobacco and cumin flavors. Hefty tannins line the finish, but all the elements are in the right proportion. Features a fine, complex finish. Best from 2021 through 2035.

      vintage 2014

    91 Points

    A riper style with plenty of dried red cherries and plums, as well as woody spice notes. The palate is quite fleshy with an open-knit thread of blue plums and darker cherries. Drink or hold.

      vintage 2014

    91 Points

    Aromas of underbrush, truffle, dark-skinned berry and tobacco lead the nose of this elegantly structured red. The taut, vibrant palate offers Marasca cherry, cranberry, orange zest and licorice framed by racy acidity and fine-grained tannins. Drink 2020–2026.

      vintage 2013

    17+ Points

    Maturing concentrated ruby with orange tinges. Youthful and herbal on the nose. Still compact and with gorgeous juicy cherry fruit and muscular tannins. Delicious now but will improve. Has plenty of structure and fruit for that. (WS) Drink 2018-2026

      vintage 2013

    91 Points

    Tobacco, underbrush and new leather aromas come together on the nose. The fullbodied palate offers dried black cherry, star anise, clove and a hint of espresso alongside taut, fine-grained tannins. Drink after 2023.

      vintage 2012

    93 Points

    Ripe plum, tobacco, dark spice and balsamic aromas adorn this invigorating red. Firm and full-bodied, the palate delivers wild cherry, crushed raspberry, star anise and grilled herb flavors with a backbone of youthful, bracing tannins. It's already tempting but give it time to fully come around. 

      vintage 2012

    17 Points

    Subtle, earthy cherry on the nose. Very backward yet elegant and almost lithe on the palate. Perfect balance, very poised and yet with a muscular structure. Drink 2019-2030

      vintage 2011

    93 Points

    A red with plum, meat, cedar and sandalwood character on the nose and palate. Full-bodied, tight and structured. Racy finish. Refined at the end for a 2011.

      vintage 2011

    94 Points

    A dark, powerful wine, the 2011 Brunello di Montalcino offers notable depth and intensity. Il Poggione's 2011 is one of the richest, most powerful wines of the year. Black cherry, plum, lavender, cloves and new leather are some of the first nuances that open up. With time in the glass, the 2011 becomes more lifted, as brighter red cherry and raspberry-infused flavors gradually release. This is a rare 2011 that demands at least a good few years in the cellar. In 2011, Il Poggione did not bottle a Riserva. All the juice went into the straight Brunello.

      vintage 2010

    N° 4 - TOP 100 WINES OF THE WORLD

      vintage 2010

    94+ Points

    Il Poggione's 2010 Brunello di Montalcino is a remarkably beautiful wine. Rose petal, mint, cinnamon, sweet dark cherries and smoke lift from the glass in a translucent, wiry Brunello built on energy and power. This is an especially lifted, precise and nuanced Brunello from Il Poggione, with more emphasis on length and mid-weight structure rather than overt volume. In many ways, the 2010 comes across as a modern-day version of the 1982 Riserva. Readers who have tasted that wine know just how special that is. For the money, there is not a single better wine being made in Montalcino than Il Poggione's Brunello. Truth is, it is also better than many far more expensive offerings. There are two Brunellos I would buy confidently in any vintage. This is one of them. Drinking window: 2018 – 2030

      vintage 2010

    93 Points

    Lots of sliced mushroom and berry character. Lots of flowers such as lilacs and violets. Full body, firm tannins and a fresh and clean finish. It's harmonious and beautiful. Drink or hold.

      vintage 2010

    17.5 Points

    Concentrated ruby with orange tinges. Just a tiny bit dusty and reductive on the nose and what looks like a hint of oak. Succulent fresh fruit with a proper bite of tannins on the finish. Seductive and juicy and already hard to resist.

      vintage 2016

    97 points

    I’m not sure how Il Poggione manages to remain one of the largest producers of Brunello, maintaining such a high level of quality and turning out some of the best wines of the vintage year after year - but they do. The 2016 Brunello di Montalcino is yet another stunning example. Depths of mineral-encased black cherries, sage, allspice, licorice, tobacco and crushed violets lift up from the glass. It’s seamlessly silky, even as the palate is peppered with tart red and black berries, nervous acids and savory exotic spices. This shows the density and weight of the vintage in a youthfully monolithic stance, yet with all the necessary components to maintain perfect balance. The 2016 Il Poggione seems to fold in upon itself through the finish, which is dark, mysterious and structured, with only hints of black tea and licorice to tempt the imagination. It’s a classic in the making.

      vintage 2016

    95 points

    The Il Poggione 2016 Brunello di Montalcino opens to a medium dark appearance with pretty Sangiovese shine and a little ruby sparkle. This vintage shows a slightly untamed or wild side with a dense and heavier fruit profile. The focus here is on blackberry, dried cherry, tobacco and even a touch of smoky tobacco or horse saddle. The wine shows the firm grip and tannic backbone that is a common trait in this vintage, especially with the vineyards on this southern, sunlit side of the appellation. I also get a considerable flash of acidity on the close, almost too much, that certainly needs a few more years to soften. You really need to wait with this one.

      vintage 2016

    94 points

    A red with blackberry, cherry, some walnut and chocolate, as well as mahogany. Tea, too. It’s full-bodied and firm-tannined with beautiful length and depth. Linear and very fine. Drink after 2024.

      vintage 2017

    94+/100

    The 2017 Brunello di Montalcino opens to a saturated and shiny dark ruby color. This edition is loaded with black and purple fruits, such as blackberry preserves and plum. Those more robust tones are followed by spice, tar and campfire ash. The tannins are young (but not stemmy or bitter), and you'd be best served by letting this wine age and relax with more cellar aging. Il Poggione always makes some of the smoothest and most texturally enriched wines in the appellation, and this vintage is no exception.

      vintage 2017

    93/100

    Masses of ashen earth, smoke, dusty cherry and roses with nuances of clove lift up from the 2017 Brunello di Montalcino. This is silky and pliant upon entry, presenting a rich display of intense red and hints of black fruits laced with chalky minerals that drenches the palate. Penetrating acidity and grippy tannins create a burst of cheek-puckering tension, clenching down hard with youthful poise, as notes of licorice and hard red candies linger through the structured, medium-length finale. There are some moments where the 2017 reminds you that it comes from an incredibly hot and dry vintage, yet overall, it’s a huge success for the year. That said, it needs time to unwind from its youthful state. Production was down 15–20% at Il Poggione in 2017 due to severe selection of bunches, and all of the fruit that would have been reserved for the Riserva Vigna Paganelli was added to the Brunello instead.

      vintage 2017

    17/20

    Lustrous deep ruby. Firm, deep cherry fruit on the nose and with an undertow of savoury spice. Lots of perfumed sour-cherry fruit on the palate and with bags of firm, but polished tannins on the finish. A bit austere right now, but with great length as well as potential.

      vintage 2017

    91/100

    Il Poggione started harvesting Brunello grapes on 1 September based on desired sugar and acidity levels. To curtail unripe tannins, winemaker Fabrizio Bindocci removed a small percentage of seeds at the beginning of fermentation, particularly from the earliest picked plots. The resulting wine is a heady mix of allspice, leather and prune plums. There is ample concentration on the palate and a zesty citrus note lends freshness. It's grippy but overall balanced, with just a touch of astringency nudging through. I’d give this another year to come together. Drinking window: 2023-2028

      vintage 2017

    91/100

    Blackberry, blueberry, stone and floral aromas. Hints of cedar, too. Full-bodied and chewy with polish and focus. Dried berries and hints of meat. This shows the ripeness of the grapes. Chewy at the end. Needs time to soften. Better after 2023.

      vintage 2017

    93/100

    Sweet, ripe cherry, blackberry and plum fruit flavors are framed by mineral, tobacco and thyme accents in this vibrant, balanced red. Make no mistake, there are ample tannins too, yet this still finds a nice equilibrium on the lingering finish. Best from 2024 through 2040.

      vintage 2019

    96/100

    The 2019 Brunello di Montalcino pulls the taster close to the glass with its dark and earthy blend of crushed ashen stones, giving way to rosemary, cedar, exotic spice and a core of raspberry preserves. Enveloping and serene, this flows across the palate like pure silk, steadily building in tension as tart wild berries and orange hints give way to a sweet herbal thrust. The 2019 finishes with tremendous length and is classically structured, as crunchy tannins resonate and violet inner florals slowly fade over a tactile coating of minerality. Il Poggione has captured the radiance of the vintage, yet this is just a baby today.

      vintage 2019

    17,5

    Dark, youthful ruby. Very closed and brooding with only hints of perfumed raspberry, tea leaves and oak. Generous and composed at the same time on the palate. A layer of suave cherry and raspberry fruit lined with quite powerful tannins that demand more time. Carries its 15% with ease. Closes up on the finish and in need of more time.

      vintage 2019

    94/100

    The Il Poggione 2019 Brunello di Montalcino shows an evolved bouquet with aromas of dried fruit, forest floor, crushed flower and autumnal leaf. On a second nose, you get dark licorice, wet slate, cola and grilled rosemary. The tannins are powdery and dry.