Montalcino Report

Notes from the 2003 vintage in Montalcino

I have been pouring our 2003 Vigna Paganelli single-vineyard Riserva Brunello at the Benvenuto Brunello events in San Francisco. As everyone knows, 2003 was a remarkably warm vintage and it was difficult to make good wine that year. At Il Poggione we are fortunate because our vineyards lie in the highest part of the appellation, at 400+ meters a.s.l. We are also lucky because our top vineyard, Paganelli, was planted in 1964. The roots of the "old vines" are deep enough that they reach the water table even when water is scarce. This is very important because irrigation is not allowed in the Brunello di Montalcino appellation. 

Here are my tasting notes for the Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2003 Vigna Paganelli. The wine is already drinking very well and it has been great to see its reception at the Brunello events in San Francisco and here in New York (where I am staying right now).

Our Brunello di Montalcino Riserva is made only in the best vintages with 100% Sangiovese harvested from our oldest vineyard, Paganelli, planted in 1964. This particular vineyard produces only a small quantity of very high quality Sangiovese. The Riserva is aged for 48 months in large oak barrels. 2003 was a very hot year but, thanks to the heavy green harvest, and two actual harvests (the first one to get rid of the over-ripened grapes and the second one to get the good ones), we were able to achieve a great balance between alcohol and acidity in this wine. Intense ruby red in color, the riserva shows fantastic flavors of red fruits, leather, tobacco and spices. In the mouth, the acidity is surprisingly balanced considering the year and the pleasant tannins caress the taster's mouth. The extremely long persistence is a joy on the palate. Only 35,000 bottles of the Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Vigna Paganelli were made and will be released in April.

Tasting at Biondivino last Thursday

Biondivino Tasting — Photos by Adrian Reynolds

www.adrianreynoldsphotography.com

Last Thursday, following the Benvenuto Brunello event, I poured Il Poggione's wines at an amazing San Francisco wine shop, Biondivino, owned by Ceri Smith. We tasted 2003 Il Poggione Brunello di Montalcino (100% Sangiovese), 2006 Rosso di Montalcino (100% Sangiovese) and Il Poggione's new Super Tuscan, Mazzoni, which is made from predominantly Sangiovese grapes (about 70%) and Merlot. The wine is a collaboration between the Franceschi family who owns Il Poggione and the Terlato family, who has grown Merlot in California for some time now.

I was really impressed by Ceri's store and her knowledge of Italian wine. She carries a lot of hard-to-find Italian grape varietals and wines from regions of Italy you would not expect to find on the shores of California. I've been to San Francisco before and all in all, I found that interest in Italian wine and consumer awareness of Italian wine has continued to grow. That is good news! 

Thanks Ceri for organizing such a wonderful tasting for me and Il Poggione!

And thank you Adrian for sharing your photos. I hope to see you all the next time I'm in California. 

What I'm pouring in San Francisco: Il Poggione 2004 Brunello di Montalcino

Tomorrow I'll be pouring 2004 Brunello di Montalcino and 2003 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva at Benvenuto Brunello and Biondivino in San Francisco.

Click here for tasting information and registration.

Here are tasting notes for the 2004 Brunello di Montalcino. Tomorrow morning (California time) I'll post notes for the 2003 Riserva. I hope to see you at the tastings! 

The 2004 harvest was a great vintage for Brunello thanks to the favorable weather conditions throughout the year. Our Brunello is made with 100% Sangiovese grapes sourced from the estate's oldest vineyards. It is aged for 36 months in French oak barrels. Very intense in color, thanks to submerged cap fermentation and our Sangiovese clones, the nose shows great red fruit, marasca cherry, sweet spices, and a nice but soft vanilla note that doesn't overwhelm the other flavors, but makes them more complex and interesting. It is rich on the palate with the right balance of alcohol and acidity. This is because our vineyards lie at different altitudes. Moreover, wide temperature variation between the day and the night is very typical in Sant'Angelo in Colle. The tannins are velvety and well integrated with the other elements of the wine. Finally the aromatic persistance is very long, allowing the taster to continue to enjoy the pleasure of this wine. This Brunello 2004, definitely very young to be enjoyed now at its best, also shows a great aging potential.

Come join me in San Francisco for tastings on Thursday

I'll be pouring and talking about Il Poggione's wines at two different tastings on Thursday, January 22.

From 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., I'll be pouring at Benvenuto Brunello together with 40 or so other producers of Brunello di Montalcino. The tasting takes place at Terra Gallery, 511 Harrison Street. Benvenuto Brunello is open to trade only and you can register here: http://www.myoungcom.com/eventreservations/

Then, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., I'll be pouring at the store of one of the U.S. leading experts on Italian wine Ceri Smith (above). Her store is called Biondivino and is located at 1415 Green Street. The tasting is open to the public and costs $5. Call 415.673.2320 for more information.

Benvenuto Brunello at the Montalcino Fortress

The picturesque fourteenth-century Fortress of Montalcino will be the site of the Italian edition of Benvenuto Brunello 2009, to be held on February 20 and 21. For the Italian edition, the event is open first to journalists who will be tasting the 2004 Brunello di Montalcino and the 2007 Rosso di Montalcino for the first time. Then the event is also open to the general public: more than 2,000 visitors will attend each day of the event. 

Benvenuto Brunello was first held in 1993 in Italy and 2001 was the first year it was held in the United States.

The Fortress or Fortezza is also the home to the Enoteca La Fortezza or La Fortezza Wine Shop and Bar, where you can taste a number of wines from our region all year round. 

The beauty of the Val d'Orcia

Here are some more photos from Fabio Muzzi. The Val d'Orcia, where we live and make wine, is truly one of the most beautiful places on earth.

The photos are by Photo Fabio MUZZI © http://www.fabiomuzzi.it.

Benvenuto Brunello 2009 registration info

I hope you can join me in San Francisco or New York!

The San Francisco tasting on Thursday, January 22, will take place at Terra Gallery, 511 Harrison Street, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The New York tasting on Wednesday, January 28, will take place during the Italian Trade Commission’s Vino 2009 “Italian Wine Week” conference at the Hilton New York Hotel, 1335 Avenue of the Americas, from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m.

At both walk around tastings, more than 45 wine producers from Montalcino will be on-hand to pour their wines, which will also include current vintages of Rosso di Montalcino, Sant’Antimo and Moscadello and a limited number riservas from the 2003 vintage.

The complimentary walk-around tastings are open exclusively to wine and food industry professionals with proper business identification.

For information contact 1-888-398-5440.

For reservations in San Francisco, click here.

For information and registration for Vino 2009, click here.

The Palio of Siena

A friend recently sent me these pictures of the Palio of Siena, the famous horse race and one of the most important pageants of our province.

Every year, in July and then in August, a horse race is held in the Piazza del Campo, the main square of Siena, where horse races have been organized since the 13th century. 

In the race, 10 of the 17 "contrade" or "wards" of Siena compete to win the "palio" or "banner".

The exciting race and the accompanying pageantry is one of the most thrilling moments in the cultural life of Siena.

The photos are by Photo Fabio MUZZI © http://www.fabiomuzzi.it